Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation

I can't believe it's been weeks since my last post. The weather's definitely been cooler and I have been super busy. I haven't even been able to pack my summer clothes away but I've switched my makeup. For me, the move to fall means two things. First, a change of color. I've been able to wear the Chanel Misty-Soft duo and use darker shades of nail polish. I rocked brown nails last week. I can't say it's a look I'll soon be getting used to but if there's a time to wear it, it would be now. Second is to switch to more moisturizing formulations. I mainly switch to a shower oil for the body and move away from the oil-free formulas I use for my face. I thought it was as good a time as any to try out the latest foundation by Laura Mercier.

The Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation is a very thick and creamy formulation that has very good coverage and provides some pretty darn good hydration. The product supposedly contains wrinkle-smoothing ingredients too! You could say it's a wonderful all in one product except it has no SPF. I still use a serum, SPF lotion and foundation primer before using it. I tried using it without the primer but it seriously lacks spreadability and it just looks better with all those layers under it.

Laura Mercier Crème Smooth Foundation ($50)

I wear Warm Ivory in this foundation. I find that a little goes a long way with the product but no matter how sparingly I use it, it still comes off a little too fair on me. Sunny Beige, which is the next darker shade, is way too dark though. The issue, I suppose, is that while it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, this foundation actually has extremely heavy coverage. It being so thick, you can't really blend it too much. The color has to be perfect. There's just no buffing it in, really. I've heard that the best way to apply this foundation is to either just use your fingers or you could use a sponge. Having tried multiple ways to do it, I've decided that for me, the best method is to use a damp foundation brush to apply it and then pat it down on the skin using a sponge. The damp brush makes it easier to spread the formula across the skin and into spots like the side of the nose. The sponge evens it out and sets it so you don't have cake face. You can further set it with some translucent powder, using a puff (the rolling method).

I'm a little divided on my final verdict for this foundation. At $50, I'm going to try my darndest to use up the jar (and that could take a couple of years or so, by the way this is going) but I really don't think I'm going to re-purchase. I can't say it's my favorite formulation. I think this is good for cool weather and a definite no-no for warm days. I like the feel of it and I like the coverage but want greater blendability. It's so much trouble to use the brush, then the sponge, then the puff but I just won't apply it any other way. Plus, the color is slightly off on me, even when Laura Mercier usually has a perfect match for me. I don't think my wrinkles have disappeared although I certainly didn't fork over the dough to see a miracle. I just hope that it does something, like maybe prevent new ones from appearing too soon. They should sell this in smaller jars, I think. That way, you just buy enough for the fall and winter and it doesn't cost as much. Nice but definitely not a must-have.