Product Review: Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer

Posted: March 29, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Beauty, Black Women, Make Up | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I am just LOVING this weather!  Spring has certainly sprung and as the temperature soars one often considers adapting their make-up routine.  Wearing a full face of foundation can become uncomfortable and you may want to opt for a lighter option such as a tinted moisturiser.

I tested the cult tinted moisteriser by Laura Merceir last week.

Laura Mercier - the creator of the 'flawless face'

The Laura Mercier brand has garnered a loyal and fervent following.  Mercier is a leading makeup artist and is famous for creating the ‘flawless’ face and counts Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Julia Roberts as faithful clients.  She created the brand in 1996 and the Tinted Moisturizer  (n.b. I will only spell moisturizer with a ‘z; when referring specifically to the product – sorry – being pedantic!!) soon became one of the best sellers and has won a plethora of industry awards.

To be honest, I have never worn a tinted moisturisers, as I crave coverage and believed that tinted moisturisers would not provide the level of coverage I desired, however there are those days when I do not want to or need to wear a full coverage foundation, thus I thought it was about time I gave one a try! A quality tinted moistiriser would be a great alternative.

I  have tried other products from the Laura Mercier range and I really rate the quality so, what did I think of the Tinted Moisturizer?

Colour Match

There are 4 shades in the range that would be suitable for darker skin tones; Caramel, Tan, Walnut and Mocha.  Walnut and Mocha are the latest shades to join the range.

The formulation has a yellow undertone – and not the usual oragny undertone that darker liquid foundations tend to have and as a result it was a PERFECT match for me!!

🙂

It blended in well and literally dissaperared into my skin.  As I have mentioned in my previous product review posts, I usually wear MAC’s Studio Fix compact in NW45, so if this is your shade, you should find that Mocha will work for you.

Now you see it...

...now you don't!

Colour Match :10/10

Coverage and Wear

The product is available in two versions, the original and an oil-free version – which is what I opted for and which comes in the brown tube (featured above).  As I reserched more about this product I came to understand that the formulation is buildable and could provide additional coverage, should that be the finish that you desired.  Though I was some what  skeptical of this claim,  I was blown away with the performance of this product!  It is quite thick in texture- which was unexpected – but this means that a little goes a long, long way – which is good news – because at £33, it is not the cheapest of  bases on the market, but I am sure that the 40 ml tube would last for AGES!!

I applied the moisturiser with my fingers and was able to build up the coverage as needed, without it looking cakey or uneven.  The coverage was excellent – akin to that of a foundation…it really would be a credible option for the summer months as it is lightweight and felt undetectable.

The moisturiser dries to give a dewy finish, so I did feel the need to dab on a little sheer powder, but once set, it did not budge!  The quality of this product is beyond marvelous and with a SPF of 20 it really is the all-in one, convenient product for a speedy, yet flawless finish!

Coverage and Wear: 9/10

Marketing Support

The campaign for the new darker shades that were to added to the Laura Mercier range actually caught my attention last year and I featured the ad in my blog post ‘Model Behaviour‘.  I love the strapline; ‘flawless has many faces’.

Niche brands such as Laura Mercier tend not to spend lavishly on advertising, but I have seen the ad in a recent issue of Marie Claire magazine.  There is a limited amount of visibility in store and online, but I feel the brand is still very much a beauty aficionado’s secret!

I hope that this post will encourage more women, especially women of colour, to try this brilliant brand!

Marketing 8/10

Where can you buy this wonderful product?

Space NK

John Lewis

House of Fraser

Face Value

Posted: February 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: American, Beauty, Black Women, Make Up | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I found out today (via Twitter of course!) that the product line created by iconic American makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin (who passed away 10 years ago), has been launched in the UK for the first time and is now available at the mecca of premium beauty that is Space NK. This was heartening news because I have had a deep admiration for Aucoin and his handiwork – which is nothing short of spectacular – for a number of years, after purchasing his bestselling book, Face Forward.   Even at first glance, the cover demonstrates Aucoin’s approach to beauty as he morphs a black and white woman into one incredible portrait.  I was awed by his sheer talent; there is no denying that this man has a gift.  His ability to transform was simply breathtaking and page after page of the book pays homage to the artisan that he was. From the onset of his career he has been a champion of beauty for all women, all ages, all races and at the age of 32, Aucoin launched a revolutionary line of makeup whilst he was the Creative Director at Revlon.  It was 1993.   The New Nakeds (later renamed The Nakeds) was a groundbreaking line that was a strong counterpoint to cosmetics available at the time.   The editor of Allure magazine says of the line: “It may not seem like it now, but it was a powerful moment. Before, there were makeup lines for white women and others for black women. But he worked to design makeup for all skin tones. The idea was to empower a woman by revealing her natural beauty, and not to cover her up with layers of product.” Kevyn went on to create his own line in 2001. He worked with many leading black female celebrities including Tina Turner, Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, Naomi Campbell, Mary J Blige and the late Whitney Houston

Kevyn and Janet Jackson. Photograph by Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Published in Vogue,January 1996.

Here are some images of his creations.

Kevyn Aucoin 1962 – 2002

Tina Turner as Cleopatra (Face Forward, 2000)

Naomi Campbell for Allure magazine (1991)

Aucoin gives Janet Jackson a golden glow for the cover of 5th album, Janet, shot by Patrick Demarchelier (1993).

Janet and Michael Jackson. Scream video. 1995.

Whitney Houston in Bazaar. Kevyn Aucoin was a genius, way ahead of his time both in terms of his makeup techniques for black women, and for pioneering nude makeup - this shot is from 1989. Shot by Bob Frame.

Jenny from the block - all fresh faced for launch of debut album