Laura Mercier Week: Foundation Primer in Radiance

A couple of weeks back, Rustan's sent me a few items from Laura Mercier's Spring 2014 Collection. This will be out in February, but I thought it'd be great to give you guys a full preview. I've already done a video tutorial featuring the products - that should give you an idea of how gorgeous the makeup is! But now it's time to get down to the nitty gritty.

This 2014, the beauty trend is along the lines of dewy, fresh skin. Heavy-looking, super matte bases are a huuuge no-no, and really, why bother? If you can get away with just a little makeup then that is precisely ALL you need! Take advantage of amazing technologies, such as a brightening base. Something like the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance (P1,550).

What it is and what's it isn't. I initially thought that it's a primer for extending the wear of my foundation, but that is not the case. This is, more than anything else, a brightening base. It helps foundation glide on better, smoother. It makes your skin look more radiant and hydrated in the process due to the high water-content.

This is not an oil-controlling primer. Just wanna make that clear. However, if you have dull, sallow-looking skin, you'll love this! It perks up my skin in no time, without making it look shiny. It can subtly reflect the light back, thus blurring imperfections. I think this is a must-have if you're enjoying good skin and want to cut down on foundations and concealers. 

This is a more affordable dupe of the Becca Skin Perfector and the Bobbi Brown Illuminating Face Base which can easily cost over P2,500 here. ;)

Finish and texture. The product looks like tinted moisturizer off the tube, but don't be fooled. It's completely sheer! It does leave a gorgeous champagne glow though. This should blend in with any skintone easily since the undertone is neutral (neither beige or yellow). It looks absolutely gorgeous on skin, as you can see in the swatches below.

This feels like a light moisturizer. It's oil-free, but it can register a little greasy on the skin before it dries. That greasy sensation will fade in a few minutes though.

Thick swatch. You'll see that champagne color.

Don't you just love that soft, diffused glow? It captures the light just right. There are no visible shimmery bits.

Staying power. It's hard to check if it fades since I usually wear it underneath some foundation, but I have observed that it does absolutely nothing for my oil. I get oily as usual and it easily gets out of hand if I don't retouch quickly. So yeah, if you're very oily, this might not be for you!

What I do instead is to apply only very little on my t-zone ; I concentrate on the sides of my face, since I usually get more dry there. I also skip moisturizer since this primer is hydrating enough for me.

Worn under a powder foundation. Make sure the primer is completely dry - that is, there should be no tackiness at all before you apply foundation over it. Otherwise it'll eat up the powder and will make your face look patchy.

Packaging. This Laura Mercier primer comes in a sleek, classy-looking tube. No complaints there, except that the tip has too large an opening. Yesterday I squeezed out too much and a big blob came plopping down the floor! What a waste of product. I think that was a whole two grams! (I still feel bad about it obvs).

So yeah just make sure to control that squeeze as you never know how much of the primer is near the tip.

 

Recommendations. I highly recommend the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance if you want a more glowing complexion - dewy skin that doesn't look oily, that is! The finish is beautiful! Just make sure to always bring blotting paper and powder to keep the oil in check with this. The tropical humidity is a problem here but I imagine that this would be absolutely perfect for milder climates.

I'd also recommend that you use this only with sheer, light-coverage foundations. Heavy foundations look weird and caky on top of this. If you must use a thick foundation, mix perhaps a 1:3 ratio with the liquid foundation. That should get you the perfect dewy glow with the needed coverage.

And that is that. Let me know what you think!

PS Forgot to mention this earlier, but the Foundation Primer in Radiance is a repromote. It's already available in stores! It's just featured also in the Spring 2014 roster.