Laura Mercier primer and powder

I was browsing around the beauty counters in Selfridges a while back, looking for a foundation primer and transulcent powder, and settled on the Laura Mercier ones. Firstly onto their primer:

I picked up their hydrating version (they also have a normal and oil-free one). As you can see from the picture above, it has a lotion texture to it but goes on transparent once applied. The website says:

• Specifically created for dehydrated and/or aging skin
• Nourishes the skin with a moisture-rich vitamin formula to soothe and refresh while conditioning the skin
• Holds water in the skin throughout the day, preventing it from evaporating
• Vitamins A, C and E act as antioxidants and protect the skin from harmful, aging effects of the environment
• Use alone without foundation to increase skin's brightness, luster and texture
• Cooling Foundation Primer - Hydrating in the refrigerator is refreshing for the skin & reduces puffiness

I use about a 20p size - which is quite a lot - and rub it on my palms and then smooth it across my face. I wait a couple of seconds for it to sink in and they apply my foundation/concealor. I have swatched the primer on the back of my hand, and applied a foundation lighter than my usual skin tone (my post holiday tan makes this foundation colour look crazy on me) so that it shows up on camera.

The stripe at the bottom it the one that has the Laura Mercier primer underneath whilst the top one is on its own. Without the primer, the foundation blends in much more better and smoother. But but then, I have found this to be the case for any primer I have used. I don't think it helps make my foundation last all day as it claims but it does help provide a brilliant smooth base to apply my make up. 

It costs an eye watering £27 for 50ml but it does work pretty well in the sense that it doesn't seem to suck out any of my natural oils at the end of the day (which can make my skin look very tired and dull when I take my make up off). So the ingredients must be doing their job. Also this tube has last me for well over 5 months. Considering the price especially, I don't think I will purchase it again unless there is sale or great deal going on. Actually, I'm not sure about primers in general. There is one more primer (that costs much less) I want to try after I finish this one and if this one does not work, I probably won't bother getting another primer again. Though the Clinique City Block alleges to be a primer, and this is something I tend to get every summer. 

The Transclucent pressed setting powder cost me £24 for 28oz, and will probably last me a lifetime (its hardly made a dent in the last six months and I use it all the time).

I LOVE this. I have never carried a face powder around with me before this. What it claims to do:

• Contains the highest quality French "Cashmere" Talc and a unique light-reflecting ingredient that creates a "soft-focus" on the face
• Increases the overall wear of makeup
• Controls unwanted shine without drying the skin
• Oil-free

And guess what, it does exactly that! I use it in the mornings with a kabuki or big powder brush to set my foundation. Then thoughout the day, I'll press on a small amount on my t-zones and it just  revitalises my make up look to make it look refreshed. 

I've applied the powder over both swatches of foundation, and you can see it helps the colours blend to my skintone better. I don't like using coloured powder in case I end up looking caked throughout the day. So this one is ideal for me, I'll certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality translucent powder. It doesn't leave white powdery marks, it just does exactly what it claims to do.


I've tried other Laura Mercier products in the past, and overall I think the stuff is pretty good. I love the whole concept behind it, and I think I will start putting a bit of my wages aside every month to to invest in her products (I wanna try out some of the skincare line as well)!