You’d be tempted to think that the secret’s instant fairy dust, but as ardent lovers of makeup, you know there’s no shortcut. That “no makeup” makeup look your boyfriend thinks you woke up with? Sorry hun’, it required at least 45 minutes of finesse to have your face looking this good.
That said, there’s still a lot of joy in the process, at least for us, and it mostly boils down to one really important step: getting your base right.
Whether you like fancy eyeshadow, bold lips or a totally nude palette, do that well, and you’ll feel like the most confident person in the room. Imagine, your skin but better. It’s the stuff of selfie dreams! Vanity? Maybe, but you shouldn’t shy away from looking your best. And if it’s a flawless, naturally radiant kind of complexion you’re looking for, you’ve only got to look at Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation.
These days, we’re usually spoilt for choice at the many foundation options out there, which is why it’s always useful to break it down to what you want, or what suits your skin. Matte or dewy? Full coverage or less? In short, you’re looking for these things: finish, coverage, and comfort.
With that, here’s what we can tell you about Laura Mercier’s latest formula, and why we like the liquid foundation so much:
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FINISH: Radiant
Skin that looks luminous in any light — a Super Clear Crystal Pearl powder helps reflect light for a smooth, diffused effect ; Vitamin C gives you brighter, even skin over time
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COVERAGE: Medium-Full
Weightless coverage that feels comfortable on the skin, and doesn’t cake; the colour resists oxidation too
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COMFORT: 15 Hours of Hydration
Plumps skin and softens the look of fine lines — thanks to the powerful duo of ingredients of Silver Ear Mushroom Extract and Sodium Hyaluronate
As for what we love about the foundation, well, we tested out on a few models and here’s how it turned out.
Flawless. And that’s not just because they’re already very beautiful people!
What you’re going to notice, from the moment you blend it out on your skin is that lightweight texture. I asked each of the models what they thought about the product, and they unanimously replied: “It feels like nothing!” So Laura Mercier gets that right — good coverage that conceals and evens out what you need, all while being totally weightless.
There’s, of course, a lot to admire about the way it makes the skin look too. The base makeup seems to lift their complexions, giving a luminous finish with just the right amount of glow. You’ll look healthy, not shiny! Its formula also works across all skin tones, and looks genuinely great on all three girls — in pictures, and in real life too. It doesn’t look heavy, and enhances the skin so that you’ll really get the ‘your skin but better’ feel.
If you’d like to get the same flawless look too, read on as we share tips on how your foundation and makeup can work for you, across all skin tones.
ANN LOPEZ
As a fair-skinned person, I admittedly know little about what makeup works for darker tones, which is why I loved hearing the advice from makeup artist Suhaini Putera, who has garnered over 10 years of experience. Here, Ann’s glowing complexion comes courtesy of a great base and some gold highlighter, which stands out brilliantly against her skin — the warm radiance is a deliberate choice since frosty colours tend to make tanner complexions more washed out, Suhaini tells me.
She also says to go for “sheens” instead of “shimmer” or “glitter” if you’d like a natural-looking highlight, since pigments may show up too obviously. While it seems the details may be harder to perfect, what we can say though is that a flattering, even base, and a light hand on the highlight, makes for a stunning look.
BASE
Foundation Primer — Radiance, $70
Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation in Amber (Medium-Deep with Warm Undertones), $80
Secret Concealer in 3.7 & 4, $46
Translucent Pressed Setting Powder in Medium Deep, $70
Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow, $70
EYES
Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette, $38
Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Smoke, $49
Extra Lash Sculpting Mascara in Black Onyx, $44
Face Illuminator in Addiction, $73
FACE
Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil, $98
Face Illuminator in Addiction, $73
Blush Colour Infusion in Fresco, $49
LIPS
Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick in Fierce, $40
ASHLEY SOO
For fairer girls, we do have it easy when it comes to layering products — in fact, sometimes the issue is having that subtle highlight show up at all! You’ll be tempted to pile on more highlighter for glowy skin, but the trick here is to, instead, work in layers. Ashley’s skin looks wonderfully natural here, and we have a couple of products to thank.
It starts off with Laura Mercier’s foundation primer, where the makeup artist went for the radiance-enhancing pick, followed by the luminous Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation and a light sweep of the Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow, a new version of the famed setting powder that launched just last year. See, layers! This way, you won’t need to go so heavy-handed with just one product. Compared to her picks earlier, Suhaini also chose more frosty colours that work well for our fair-skinned model.
BASE
Foundation Primer — Radiance, $70
Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation in Macademia (Light with Warm Undertones), $80
Secret Concealer in 1.5, $46
Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow, $70
EYES
Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette, $38
Editorial Eye Palette Intense Clays (Blackened Black Clay, Metallic Pewter), $80
Extra Lash Sculpting Mascara in Black Onyx, $44
FACE
Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil, $98
Face Illuminator in Devotion, $73
Blush Colour Infusion in Ginger, $49
LIPS
Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick in Fresh, $40
TANISHA KHAN
Here’s one for the girls in between — Tanisha has medium-toned tan skin, and she’s looking just as gorgeous! If you look closer, you’ll notice more pink tones around her eyes, as well as a nude-berry lip that stands out. In fact, halfway while we’re shooting, Suhaini switched out a paler lip colour for this stronger shade. What we’re saying is, for tan complexions, don’t be afraid to use colour, even if you’re going for a nude look!
If you’ve also been wondering why we’ve listed Laura Mercier’s Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil under the ‘face’ products, it’s because of a little trade secret; our makeup artist confessed that she likes to mix a few drops of this with the Laura Mercier’s Face Illuminator, which goes on wet and dries into a beautiful natural highlight.
BASE
Foundation Primer — Radiance, $70
Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation in Dusk (Medium with Warm Undertones), $80
Secret Concealer in 3, $46
Secret Brightening Powder For Under Eyes, $45
Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow, $70
EYES
Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette, $38
Editorial Eye Palette Intense Clays (Metallic Pewter), $80
Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Burnished Bronze, $49
Extra Lash Sculpting Mascara in Black Onyx, $44
FACE
Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil, $98
Face Illuminator in Addiction, $73
Blush Colour Infusion in Grapefruit, $49
LIPS
Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick in Rook, $40
Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation, $80. Available in 30 shades, at Laura Mercier counters. lauramercier.com
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