Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation: InStyle Magazine Can't Be Wrong, Can It?

If you would have asked me 4 months ago what my favorite cosmetic line was, it would have been Stila, maybe MAC. I was in Nashville and came upon a cute little store that sold lots of high end makeup. I decided to try a line I hadn't had used much of and bought an eyeshadow and lipliner from Laura Mercier. I'd used her loose powder for a couple of years but not much else. Then while in Saks a couple of months ago, I decided to sit down for a makeover. I ended up with flawless skin and several very generous samples, including the Oil Free foundation. I had another makeover this past weekend with a national artist, and number one on my to buy list was the Oil Free Foundation.

Laura Mercier has come to be my favorite cosmetic line in that time, and I already consider several of her items to be my makeup holy grails. One of those is the Oil Free Foundation.

The Flawless Face

Makeup artist Laura Mercier is known for her 4-step "Flawless Face" technique. Step one is primer, step 3 is concealer, step 4 is powder. Step number 2 is foundation. She has several selections but I use the Oil Free for my oily, acne prone skin. After having my makeup done at her counter twice, I loved the color products and application but I was blown away by how great my breakout prone skin looked!

InStyle Magazine has ranked LM Oil Free foundation as the best oil free foundation 3 years in a row. See LauraMercier.com for more info on the products and the celebrities whose makeup she has done.

Color Selection

Laura Mercier Oil Free comes in a wide range of shades. I chose the shade, Blush Ivory after testing it and Warm Ivory. Blush Ivory is the pinker shade, and I prefer a foundation that's neutral/pink than a yellow based one. Some other foundations shades that work for me, for reference, are MAC NW20 or NW25 (depending on whether it's StudioFix or a liquid), Aveda Dual in Aster, Prescriptives Vellum, and Clinique Superfit in Neutral.

Application

The first thing I love about the foundation is the pump bottle. It dispenses a small amount with each pump, so none is wasted and the product is kept more sanitary. It's quite thick and pigmented. At this point, you may be tempted to blend with your fingers or a sponge. Don't!!! It will look heavy and mask-like if you do this. Application is key.

The secret to getting that beautiful glow you would get from the counter is to use a damp sponge to apply. This makes all the difference. The makeup artists told me to do this but I tested other methods (fingers, foundation brush, dry sponge), and all of them looked terrible and cakey. But using the damp sponge is wonderful. It gives you more time to blend the product (it dries quickly), and my oily skin has a lovely glowing quality to it. It doesn't sit on my skin, rather melds with it and lets my skin shine through while evening out the redness in my cheeks. It also covers blemishes quite nicely for foundation.

It wears so well throughout the day. I do have to blot after a few hours, but that's not uncommon for my skin with even the best foundations. It doesn't sink into my pores or look fake as the day goes on. It's just medium coverage that looks remarkably natural. You could also build it into heavier coverage if needed.

This is not a product for anyone with dry skin because it will accentuate the flakies! I have very oily skin and rarely used a moisturizer before this. Even I use one now before applying!

Ingredients

Aqua (water), proplene glycol, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, talc, kaolin, ethylhexl stearate, glyceryl stearate, stearic acid, ethylhexyl palimate, caprylic/capric triglyceride, triethanolamine, polysorbate 20, squalane, magnesium aluminum silicate, sorbitan laurate, phenoxyethanol, oleic acid, methylparaben, lecithin, propylparaben, cocyl sarcosine, trisodium edta, panthenol, tocopherol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice , polymethyl methacrylate, butylparaben, retinyl palmitate, xanthan gum, ascorbic acid, camellia sinensis leaf extract, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben. /- (may contain) titanium dioxide, mica, iron oxides, ultramarines.

I have not experienced any breakouts from this product.

Price and Purchasing

Now for the ugly part. It's $38 for 1 oz. I won't even claim it's a big bottle or you use just a touch to justify the cost. But my feeling is that I have shelled out way more than this testing products that just don't work for me. I'm thrilled to have found something that is working well. It's well worth the cost because my skin looks SO good! Not only does the rest of my makeup look better, but having nice looking skin is a huge confidence booster for me, and that's worth so much more than $38.

Do you have to use the whole line of products to get the flawless face? I don't think so. I only use the foundation and powder right now and may buy the primer later (it seems to keep the oilies away for longer). I probably won't buy her concealer since I rarely use concealer. Undereye circles just aren't a problem for me, and I have something else I use for blemishes. I will actually dab some of the foundation onto blemishes, and it works pretty well to cover. I love the finish I get from just the foundation and powder!

You can purchase Laura Mercier products at Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom (check their online sites as well) plus at Lauramercier.com. If you do need to order, the Saks where I buy all my Laura Mercier does free shipping on cosmetics (Cincinnati).