LAURA MERCIER: Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer
Laura Mercier has a new addition to its tinted moisturizer line. The Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer is advertised on the Laura Mercier website as a buildable foundation that can be used alone or with your regular foundation as a highlighter. It mainly seems to give the skin radiance and add moisture. But women with combination or oily skin should tread carefully. It’s a pretty heavy product with shea butter, castor oil and olive oil. It could cause breakouts.
This product comes in three “shades”: Bare Radiance, Natural Radiance and Warm Radiance. As usual for Laura Mercier, the selection for dark-skinned girls leaves a lot to be desired. The Warm Radiance, the darkest shade, looks grayish on the skin, leaving behind an ashy, silver shimmer. Women with lighter skin may have some luck with the Bare Radiance. It looks almost golden but, depending on your skin tone, the dark tan shade could also be too light.
Active Ingredients: Octinoxate 7.50%, Avorbenzone 2.00%.
Other Ingredients: Water, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Xylitylglucoside, PEG-40 Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hexyl Laurate, Anhydroxylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), XYlitol, Copper Gluconate, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Tribehenin, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate. (+/-): Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica, Tin Oxide.
Cost: $42
LAURA MERCIER: Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free
I did a review of the original Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer awhile ago, but I never said much about the oil-free version. This product was released after the overwhelming success of the tinted moisturizer. Instead of containing oils, it relies on ingredients such as Glycerin and Squalane to provide moisture. I personally wouldn’t try this product because it contains Squalane, which seems to break me out. I and many other women also have not tested this product because it includes Ethylhexyl Palmitate, which is considered highly comedogenic.
Because of the concerns I have about the contents of this product, I’ve never tried it on my face. So I can’t comment on how it wears on the skin. My feelings about the range of shades in the Laura Mercier line still stands. Although this company does provide foundations for women of color, it tends to shortchange women in the darker end of the spectrum. But many women will find that shades such as Fawn, Tan, Almond and Walnut do work for them.
Active Ingredients: Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate.
Other Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Disiloxane, PEG -30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Boron Nitride, Jojoba Esters, Magnesium Stearate, Sodium dehydroacetate, Squalane, Laryl PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetradibutyl Pentaerithrityl Hydroxyhydrocinnammate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearrate, Disodium Edta, PPG-15, Stearyl Ether, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. (May Contain +/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxide (CI 77492), Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Iron Oxide (CI 77499).
Cost: $42
LAURA MERCIER: Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
This is a perennial favorite of magazines. It received a mention in Allure’s Best of Beauty issue in 2007 and was chosen as an In Style Best Beauty Buy this year. I began using it years go when it first started getting raves in beauty magazines (and long before the oil-free version was released.) It comes in a nice range of medium shades, including Sand, Fawn, Almond and Tan. But medium and dark skinned girls will have to be satisfied with Walnut, which is a yellow-orange brown.
I thought this Tinted Moisturizer sat rather heavily on my skin, which is not the best combination with summer’s heat and humidity. It also contains oils. The heaviness and the oiliness always made me fear I would either suffer from break outs with this product or at least clog my pores.
Active Ingredients: Octyl Methoxycinnamate and Menthyl Anthranilate.
Other Ingredients: Purified Water, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) PEG-40 Castor Oil (and) PEG-20, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cyclomethicone, DEA-Ceryl Phosphate, Hexyl Laurate, Kalaya Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Cetyl Dimethicone Copolyol, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Carbomer, Methylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Propylparaben. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Mica.
Italics=potentially comedogenic or irritating ingredients.
Cost: $42
LAURA MERCIER: Stick Foundation SPF 15
Laura Mercier Stick Foundation
I recently went on a search for a new foundation and this stick was one I decided to explore further. It contains a lot of ingredients – Vitamins A, C and E, plus Coenzyme Q10 – that are really healthy for the skin. One of my concerns was the stick’s inclusion of the ingredient squalane, which I suspect breaks me out. But I was willing to try it since other products containing squalane that I’ve had problems with listed the ingredient higher.
I also worried about this product’s color. Amber was the darkest shade; on the Mercier website, it looked like it would work best on women with golden or caramel skin. However, the Sephora website claimed that Amber is for “medium to dark skin with golden undertones.” I had to visit a department store to investigate the product further. When I looked at the stick in the store, my fears were confirmed: it was too light for me. Then the saleswoman held up a foundation in a hideous orange shade that she claimed would match my skin. I recoiled in horror and politely passed on the offer.
Active Ingredient: Octinoxate 3.5%,
Ingredients: Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene Isohexadecane, Synthetic Wax, Cyclopentasiloxane, Aluminum Calcium Sodium Silicate, Squalane, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Lauroyl Lysine, Pearl Powder, Ozokerite, Tribehenin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Bisabolol, Coenzyme Q10, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Boron Nitride, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
Italics=potentially comedogenic ingredients.
Cost: $40
MultiFACEted Cosmetics 