Laura Mercier Eye Book

Laura Mercier's Eye Book is a Sephora exclusive and can be had for $45. I love palettes but like most people I am usually sorry I got them because only a few shades actually see any use and the rest are big 'ol waste of money. The Eye Book might just be an exception.

The Eye Book has 8 very wearable eyeshadows and a sensibly chosen black liner shadow. The double ended brush is great for applying the shadows and has a pointed end for lining.

The shades included range from great base shades to highlighters and on down to crease colors for day to night looks.

All in all a great palette for travel or everyday use!

Laura Mercier - Custom Compacts

Ah, it appears another great brand is jumping on the band wagon and offering their eyedshadows in a custom palette format. I love it!

Laura Mercier currently only has a 3 pan palette for $10 available but I imagine that will change if they get a good response.

There are also 3 new shadow formulas to choose from. Lustre is a frost finish, Matte shadows are just that with lots of pigment, and Sateen is a soft satin finish and by far my favorite of the bunch.

There are many new colors to choose from with Gold Dust, Topaz, and Sandstone being a few of my picks.

I happen to love palettes that allow you to choose the shades that work best together for you, your lifestyle, or wardrobe and find that those are the palettes I actually use and refill. I also love to give a blank palette as a gift with a gift card for the amount needed to fill it. Any time I have given this gift to a friend I have never heard the end of it (in a good way) and how they loved picking their shades and not getting stuck with a palette they only used for one or two colors.

I think cosmetics companies are finally figuring this logic out and making it a bit easier on us consumers. I have been a long time fan and user of MAC's Pro Palettes and refill pans and have recently started replacing my Bobbi Brown shadows and blush colors in palette form as needed. The shadow pans are $22 which isn't chump change but if there are some basics or just some colors that you can't live without Laura Mercier shadows are fantastic quality and worth the splurge.

Laura Mercier - L'Heure Magique Collection

Laura Mercier hardly ever disappoints me and this new collection is no exception! L'Heure Magique features 3 eyeshadow trios, 3 liners, 2 blush colors, a fragrance, and 5 lipsticks! As I said in a previous post I will try to narrow my raving to one or two picks that are beyond fabulous to try and help wade through all the new makeup rolling in!

The eyeshadow trios are a must for me. The palettes have a highlight, mid-tone, and definer shade and the color combos are spot on for fall eyes which are looking smokey without using black or gray to achieve the look.

My other pick are the lipstick shades that are all unbeatable nude shades that range from a flesh tone to a pinker version. Any of these creamy lipsticks are a great pairing for the sultry eye and are lovely effortless colors on their own. Laura Mercier recently reformulated her lipstick and gloss and the effort was worth it. The texture of the lipstick is vastly improved and the yucky fragrance is gone.

Look for the eye trio in Midnight Sun a bronzy gold trio and Dusk lipstick a pinky nude....those are my must purchase items!

Gym Beauty

I don't like going to gym and regard it as a necessary evil. I have come to accept that regular exercise must be a part of my life but grumble and gripe every time. With that said nothing horrifies me more than facing the gym's mirrors, red faced and sweating, with that awful fluorescent lighting that makes everyone look half dead.

On the other hand the women who show up to my gym with full makeup on and seem to avoid breaking a sweat to keep their makeup intact are equally ridiculous looking. So in the interests of full disclosure I do have a few products that I swipe on before heading to my date with the stair climber.

Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon is my favorite stain for lips and cheeks that gives sheer color without having to worry about lipstick smudges.

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 15 is next. I sweep a dusting of powder all over to help even out my complexion and make those glances of myself in the gym mirror less scary. The real benefit of mineral makeup when sweating is it tends to be water resistant and holds up pretty well to my grueling hour in hell, I mean the gym.

Max Factor Clear Mascara is my favorite brow gel. The stuff has great hold and keeps my brows groomed and polished.

Max Factor Volume Couture Mascara is my choice for everyday mascara. It really builds nice volume on my tiny lashes and pulls my gym face together without looking like I got all dolled up just to go to the gym.

I just know that I am not the only one to take these sort of pride preserving measures before marching off to 24 Hour Fitness, right?

Mineral Makeup - Friend or Foe Part 2

My hunt for the best mineral foundation continues with Laura Mercier. I have read many reviews of this mineral foundation and they have been overwhelmingly positive, so naturally I had high hopes for this one.

I suppose that my readers may be asking why I want a mineral foundation option instead of just being satisfied with my favorite liquids. The short answer is that sometimes the ease of a powder is just what I want and there is a lot of evidence out there that ideally you want both a chemical AND a physical sunscreen on your face for maximum protection. Since titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (physical actives) are the active SPF ingredients in mineral powders this has been even more motivation to find a good one.

Laura Mercier's Mineral Foundation SPF 15 comes in an impressive range of shades and the container has a great lid that closes over the sifter making it possible to travel with the stuff.

Laura Mercier also has a Mineral Primer which has silica as it's 3rd ingredient and does a nice job of smoothing the skin and also controlling shine. The line also has a finishing powder but I really didn't notice any difference when this went on versus just the primer and foundation powder.

This powder is not shiny but did have a subtle glow that was very pleasant and kept the powder from looking too heavy.

After a few full days of wear I am thrilled to report amazing shine control and it did not change color on me. I am using the lightest shade, Tender Rose.

So far this is winning the Friend or Foe challenge.

Next up....Jane Iredale Mineral Pressed Minerals SPF 20

Top 10 Highlighters - #8 Laura Mercier Secret Brightener

Secret Brightener and Secret Brightening Powder are a dream team. As part of Laura Mercier's Flawless Face they are real standouts. My main complaint with a lot of highlighter is that it's too darn shiny! This may seem counter intuitive for something called highlighter, but the best of these products are not shiny at all but are glow-y instead.

The Secret Brighter ($30) pen comes in 2 shades for lighter and darker skin tones. It does not provide coverage but instead attracts light to create an optical illusion. The pink-ish liquid helps to minimizes fine lines making the eye area look fresh and awake!

Secret Brightening Powder ($22) is a bit of an addiction for me. The intended use is to set the fluid product and help it wear throughout the day. Even when I don't want to fuss with any liquid highlighter a quick swipe of this powder wherever I see shadow brings a boost of light. 3

Mind you the powders effect is subtle and the very white color can seem bit scary, but I assure you that it is magic. When I forget to finish my makeup routine with this I notice, usually under gross fluorescent lighting.

Laura Mercier - Gold Digger Eye Color Pot

I love spring, all the flowers and green grass. Warmer weather and longer days.

What I can't stand are the Easter egg type colors that seem to dominate the cosmetics counter and hold me hostage until fall. I admit that by the time the fall makeup collections roll around I am feeling deprived and grumpy. No more pastel is my plea!

That is why this spring has been cause for celebration in my neck of the woods. First Bobbi Brown had all that raspberry lusciousness and now Laura Mercier and Gold Digger! Hallelujah!

The Eye Color Pot comes in 3 combos. Bronze Gold (pictured), Solid Gold and White Gold. All have a cream shadow on top and shimmer powder on bottom in a double decker pot. I think I drooled a little when I tried White Gold. White Gold, there just aren't words.....it reflects silver, but the light shifts and the coolest yellow gold flecks stare back at you. White Hot!

I was satisfied....it's true. I felt the makeup gods had smiled upon me and I was content to go home with White Gold. But then the artist who was visiting suggested I hop on the chair and she would give my eyes the Solid Gold treatment.

Readers, I am afraid of counter artists. I have a particularly traumatic incident with a national artist in my past that haunts me. I will say this....black eyeshadow can be washed off with public bathroom soap in an emergency situation.

The Laura Mercier artist has restored my faith and made me less likely to swing my handbag when I am asked if I would like to hop in the chair for a touch up. Solid Gold was beautiful. I gulped when I saw the warm gold powder but I needn't have worried. It made my eyes POP! Gold at it's best is a wonder....there is just so much trashy gold out there it's easy to lose faith.

They say a thing of beauty is a joy forever and these little gems are beauties. Run, do not walk, to the Laura Mercier counter and snatch up your favorite. I promise, hand on heart, you will never prefer a pastel hell eyeshadow once you have seen the glory that is Gold Digger!