Brand new foundation for Fall 2014 from Laura Mercier is the Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide! We all know Laura Mercier makes excellent base products so I’m pretty excited to be testing it out. By the way, did you know that the makeup artist used this foundation on Reese Witherspoon and Amy Adams for the 2014 Golden Globes?! Not that it matters to me since my skin will probably never look as good as theirs in a million years but still, it’s good to know that I’m using the same foundation on my face. ;D
Shown here are two deluxe samples I received with my recent online Sephora orders. They come in a simple squeeze bottle with a screwed-on cap. The two shades that I have and am reviewing today are Vanillé and Ecru. Vanillé is a “very fair with neutral/slightly warm undertones” whereas Ecru is a “light with cool undertones“.
On my current summer tan skin, Vanillé is a little too light and Ecru is a little too dark as you will see in the swatches below, so for the face shot at the end of this post, I mixed the two together to get a closer match to my skin, which I think came out pretty close to my natural color (as you will see that it blends right in with my neck).
The formula is lightweight, oil-free and quite fluid-y in nature (hence the name “Fluide“?) so it spreads and blends really well on the skin. Per Sephora’s description, it uses the “Hydro-Brilliant Technology” where “reflective” waters and natural silica are combined to provide brilliant and color-true shades. So prior to every use, you must shake the bottle really well to unite the two ingredients.
It has a buildable medium to full coverage. With one layer on, light discoloration and redness on my skin are visibly minimized; with two layers on, my skin overall looks pretty smooth and even out. On the more problem areas such as dark acne scars on my cheeks and enlarged pores on the sides of my nose, a third layer is required for a (near) flawless finish.
The foundation provides a beautiful, natural demi matte finish that stays put and feels comfortable all day. It is supposed to hold up against the heat and humidity but I haven’t had a chance to test it out in such condition yet. On normal work days, I found that it keeps my makeup looking fresh as initially applied, albeit small oily spots around my nose in late afternoon, but otherwise, it performs really well at keeping my face mostly matte. It doesn’t turn cakey, settle into pores, or become drying later on in the day, which is a big plus!
The formula sets pretty quickly, though, actually I mean, instantly, so you have to blend quickly as a result. And a little goes a really long way! Seriously, a few drops is more than plenty for my entire face! :)
You can use fingers to apply but I prefer a foundation brush instead since it blends much faster. I believe the makeup artist for the two stars used a Beautyblender, so that’s an idea if you want a super smooth, airbrushed finish. For everyday face, I think a foundation brush will suffice. :)
Setting with powder is optional since the formula already contains a good amount of silica but I always do it anyway to keep my makeup in place. I like to dust a very thin layer of her loose setting powder especially on the areas that can get oily easily.
I can see this being a good foundation for summer and early fall seasons as it provides a soft, beautiful matte finish. My skin is combination and acne-prone and so far I have not witnessed any irritation or breakouts from using it. I am, however, a little unsure whether how well it would perform on dry skin as there is a chance it could be too drying.
The Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide comes in 24 shades (wow!) and is now available for purchase. Even though the mixture of Vanillé and Ecru turns up pretty close to my skin, when I decide to purchase a full size, I will probably try to get just one shade that matches me. If you are NC30 with yellow undertones and have had this foundation matched, I’ll be thankful if you please leave your recommendation for the right shade down below for me! :)
Purchase
US$48 at Sephora ○ Laura Mercier
฿1,790 at Sephora Thailand
You and I always seem to get the same deluxe samples with Sephora orders around the same time! My order with this sample should be arriving later on this week and I’m excited to try it out!
Oh nice!!! Which color did you pick? I am not sure if the lightest Vanillé would still be light enough for your skin tone, though! Let me know your thoughts once you try it! :)
I got Vanille and it looks like it’s going to be just fine on me, I am a tiny bit darker than usual since it’s summertime and I just got a new car that has a moonroof… so lots of sunshine on me! lol!
Did you get that Dr. Brandt bb cream with Flexitone sample with any of your Sephora orders recently? I got a few of the samples and yesterday tried it out.. it was so awful on me! Heavy and sticky and hard to blend, plus the color was WAY too dark and didn’t adjust at all to my skin. I rarely ever do this, but I had to remove ALL of my makeup and start completely over. It was so bad!
Yay to the new car!!! What kind of car is it? :D
No, I did not get the Dr. Brandt BB cream! It’s that awful, huh?! I don’t think I have ever disliked a certain base product so much that I had to remove all my makeup and start over! I can only imagine how upsetting it must be! I wonder if they (or he himself) tested the product on themselves before selling them to public!
It’s a 2014.5 Toyota Camry XLE and I am swooning over it still! It’s so beautiful. I had a 2010 Corolla before, and I loved that too, I definitely am loyal to Toyota and I knew I wanted to stay with them. The Camry is just so.. grown up! I feel like an adult for once! (I especially feel like an adult with that monthly car payment bill coming in the mail.. lol)
I was so disgusted with the BB cream sample. I am sure that it will be perfect for someone out there.. just not for me. :/
Oh wow a Camry?!!! NICE!!!! Supreme luxury!! What color did you get? LOL at the grown up/adult comment haha. So true! One thing I hate most about being an adult is paying bills!!! BILLS BILLS BILLS everywhere! Ha ha.
This seems like a lovely foundation Jaa… You look absolutely adorable in the pictures.
Thanks, Fiona! It’s a nice foundation for summer! :)
Oh my goodness, Jaa, I can’t tell you how excited I was to see your review of this! I also selected a deluxe sample of this, but am a little sad as I selected the darkest color, thinking Ecru and Vanille would be too light. (Of course, I knew going in that the darkest color would be too dark on my skin, but I thought the others were going to be way too light.) I should have gotten Ecru! Anyway, this is such a helpful review (as are all your reviews!). I’ve been thinking of getting a new matte foundation and now I really want to check this out!
Hi again Jaa :). I just went on to Sephora’s site to look at the colors available, and it sounds based off the description that either Dune or Golden could be a good match for us. So hard to tell though off those online color swatches :-/. I am tempted to pull the trigger but it’s definitely risky to choose just based off a description!!
I would never trust Sephora’s color description! LOL. Let’s wait till they hit the store to find our perfect match!
You know I was going to pick the darkest shade for the same reason! But then I thought I can always mix it with the GA Liquid Summer if it turns out to be too light! It’s easier to darken the light shade than lighten the dark shade. :D
I was so swayed by your review, Jaa, that I placed an order for the Clinique Cleansing Balm (yay!) and selected Ecru as a sample! Can’t wait to receive it!!
Yay! You will love the cleansing balm!!! :)
It’s weird, Ecru actually matches my skintone pretty darn closely, except it’s slightly a little cool for my preferences! Used the cleansing balm for the first time yesterday, and so far so good. I found myself using more of it than I expected though! It’s a HUGE container though so I’m sure it will last forever!
Mix with the Liquid Summer!! LOL. I mix everything with the Liquid Summer these days (trying to use it all up! Haha!).
I tend to use the cleansing balm more than necessary, too! It feels so much creamier (and massages better) when you use more. ^_^
LOL! Good point, Jaa, I’ll have to try Ecru with Liquid Summer! I really hope my skin isn’t allergic to the foundation as the area around my mouth/chin was super itchy all day today with it on :-/. Otherwise, I REALLY like the foundation! I used a good amount of the cleansing balm tonight and you’re right, it massages so much better! :D
Aaaaaaaand I’m on Sephora yet again, this looks like a really good foundation!
I have to behave and wait till I can swatch it first though haha
LOL! Yeah, if you can wait I think it’s better to swatch them in person first!
Hey Jaa, deluxe samples for the win! This might be something for me since I could do with a little mat tidying and oil control. I’m waiting for you to figure the shade out so I can just copy you lol
Haha I’ll keep you posted! ;D
Minis FTW totally!!!
Any thoughts on how this might compare to Armani Maestro? I know you just reviewed the Maestro bronzer and it feels so creepy saying that like I’m a stalked. I’m using the Armani foundation (LOVES) but that price tag, though…
Hi Chelsea!
I don’t have the Armani Maestro foundation to compare but if its formula was anything like the Liquid Summer then I’d say this LM foundation is much much more fluid-y in texture (as in it will run off the back of your hand if not careful). The Liquid Summer is much much thicker in comparison (although it’s not really that thick to begin with).
The Liquid Summer also sheers out quite a bit once blended on the skin and leaves a satiny feel. The LM foundation doesn’t sheer out as much and leaves a demi matte finish. For the same amount, the LM will have a higher coverage.
They both feel very comfortable on the skin. The Liquid Summer may feel just slightly lighter and less “mask-y” but that’s probably because it doesn’t have high amount of silica in it.
In terms of oil controlling, the LM wins hands down!
Well, that’s all I can think of for now. Hope that helps! :)
And thank you so much for visiting!!! :D
The packaging is interesting!
For a sample size, yes! :D
wow looks like a good one :)
u look pretty in this foundation
Thanks, Krithi! ;D
gives a pretty smooth finish .. worth trying :D. will check it out in sephora here
Yeah it does make your skin look super smooth! :)
It looks great on you! I do think it might be too much for dry skin though. I’ll have to test it. As much as I love my NARS TM it’s just a hair to peach/dark for winter. Siberia in SG is just a scoach too yellow but is workable. I just don’t like the formula for my skin. I’m on the hunt for a good base product for winter.
As much as I want to recommend you something, I’m afraid my foundation knowledge is pretty limited as I haven’t used that many myself. This LM one may be a little too dry for dry skin, though, definitely not a winter foundation for sure. Let me know once you find something good because my skin can get pretty dry, too, in winter! :)
Hi I love your blog.. I am NC 25 in mac and ivory in hourglass immaculate, do you think vanille in this sample would work for me? I like the look of this foundation on you and want to give it a try. Thanks : )
Hi Sarah!
I am positive that Vanillé will blend right in with your NC25 skin! I’d try to get a sample or purchase from a place with good return policies, though, just to be on the safe side in case it doesn’t work out (color-wise, irritation-wise)! :)
Thank you for stopping by! <3
ROFL: ‘Hydro-brilliant technology’ and ‘reflective waters’ -ffs, Laura, just let your nice foundation stand on its own rather than tacking cosmetic marketing rubbish onto it :-P
I think it sounds great, and I love the LM products I have – I think the ad people smoke some stuff in the meetings before they come up with the descriptions, honestly ;-)
I wonder what shade I am? Whatever the lightest one is, probably, LOL!
“I think the ad people smoke some stuff in the meetings before they come up with the descriptions” – ROFL! But that wouldn’t be the BEST way to come up with bright ideas?! ;D
Whatever helps make the sale I guess! :D
The finish of this is gorgeous Jaa! This brand is a toughie to get for me though right now.. will wait till I the stateside shores.. :-)
Thanks, Divya! Do you have certain items in mind that you want to purchase from the brand?
Oooh you know what this reminds me of ? The Face Atelier airbrush makeup foundation ! I don’t like anything that sets TOO quickly myself. Have you tried LM’s tinted moisturizer Jaa? Any good?
Oh I’ve never tried the Face Atelier foundation! Is it good? I have the TM but it’s been soooo long since I last used it. I don’t even remember anymore what it feels like! I should start using it again soon!
For NC30, which shade would you recommend? I have very yellow/olive undertones and most foundations just seem beige :(
Hi Jay! I have only tried these two colors and I had to mix them up to get the color close to my skin. I think it’s best to get your color matched at the counter!