Saturday 4 January 2014

Review: Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer


When it comes to foundation and base products I can be very picky. I don't normally own more than two foundations at the same time (an everyday one and an "off-duty" one), but the ones I do own I always use up till the last drop. I like to make sure they're amazing quality and don't mind paying a little extra for a make-up product I'll be using pretty much every day, no matter what look I'm going for.


After reading plenty of rave reviews about this one in particular, it was only a matter of time till I caved and made my way to Selfridges to get myself a tube off the Laura Mercier counter. Not only is this my first foray into Laura Mercier beauty products, it's also my first ever tinted moisturiser (BB creams don't count), so I opted for the oil free version, as that gives a little more coverage and was more akin to the light, airy foundations I normally use.


I was matched to the shade "Porcelain", unsurprisingly the lightest of all shades. I'd say it's actually a touch too pale for me, but once blended in, it matches quite well. Either way I prefer my foundation to be a bit lighter rather than too dark. It's easy to warm up your complexion with a touch of bronzer and the right blush, while a base that's too dark is hard to put right.


For those who just want to know whether or not this product is worth the hype: Well, yes, I can definitely see why everyone loves it. It actually comes out quite thick, but once it's on the skin it feels feather light. No sweaty face underneath a crusty mask of foundation.


The coverage is quite light, but don't let that put you off if you don't have perfect skin (because trust me, I don't either!). It's like it's got some sort of magic ability to detect all redness, pigmentation or imperfections in your skin and tone them down significantly, while letting your natural skin shine through where it looks good. Not entirely sure how that works... but it works!


Now, even though it says "Tinted Moisturizer", I always apply a separate moisturiser underneath and use this in place of a foundation. Even on my normal/combination skin I feel like it wouldn't quite be nourishing enough on its own. If, however, your skin is particularly oily or you're in a pinch, skipping moisturiser underneath should be just fine.


In the swatch picture above you can see it just as it comes out of the tube on the left, and then blended in on the right. You can clearly see the kind of luminous sheen it gives to the skin, though I find that the effect is a lot less prominent on the face - probably because you wouldn't use anywhere near as much product as I've done in the photo!

At £33 a tube I don't think I'll be repurchasing right away. Yes, I do love this product and it's lasted me about 4 months which isn't too bad, but I'm quite keen on trying some high street foundations and see if they can keep up with my beloved high end formulas. I'd also say that if I'm going to shell out that much money, then my all-time favourite, Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua is still a touch better than this, as it offers smoother coverage, but I would highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for a natural and "lit-from-within" finish.

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