It’s been awhile since I’ve written a foundation review on here, and I think this one was worth the wait. Everyone’s been talking about the new Hourglass Foundation lately, but there’s a different new foundation on the scene that really caught my eye. I’ve always been a fan of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizers (some of my earliest posts here featured it), and I had been meaning to try a foundation from the brand for awhile. When their newest foundation was released, I knew it would be the one for me just based on the name - “Flawless Lumiere Radiance-Perfecting Foundation.” It promises a “weightless, medium-to-full coverage, perfectly-glowing finish in any light.”
I use the shade 1C0 Cameo (which was also my shade in the Tinted Moisturizer), and it’s a great match for me. It comes in 30 shades in a variety of undertones, and there seems to be a good distribution of shades among those 30. Its consistency sits between thick and thin - it holds its shape when pumped out and doesn’t run down my hand, but it spreads easily over the skin and doesn’t drag. It interestingly feels like a burst of hydration when I initially start working it into my skin, which I’ve never experienced with a foundation before. I apply it with a dense buffing brush (this one), and it blends it out super easily and quickly. At this time I don’t have any makeup sponges, so I haven’t tried applying it with one, but I will report back once I do!
I have to make sure my skin has been well-moisturized (but maybe this is because it’s winter) before applying, specifically with an oil or an oil-based moisturizer. This makes the foundation glide on more easily and ensures it doesn’t look dry on my skin. When first applied, it has more of a satin finish on me that grows more radiant within about an hour - once that hour is over, that’s pretty much the level of radiance it will have all day. I typically don’t set it with powder until this hour is up, otherwise it makes it look too dry. The finish is just stunning - it seems to gloss over every imperfection and really blurs out my pores. I’d say they’re correct on describing the coverage, too - it sits somewhere between medium and full. I like to apply a thin layer all over, and then I’ll pat on a little more on areas where I need more coverage. It layers beautifully this way and doesn’t pick up on itself or get cakey. It’s been lasting a full workday on me without getting patchy or fading unevenly. It will wear away a little where I touch my face a lot throughout the day (I’m working on that bad habit), but it doesn’t leave noticeable patches.
A closeup look at the foundation - this is a light layer. Bronzer/blush/highlight are from the Hourglass Volume III Palette, lips are NUDESTIX Sin.
This has instantly become one of my favorite foundations - I could probably get rid of all of my other foundations and be just fine. I’d feel confident wearing this for a special occasion as well as every day. I just really love how it still manages to look like glowy, healthy skin, despite offering a higher coverage than I’m used to. It’s really been making me feel more confident while I’m waiting for all these Christmas-chocolate-induced breakouts on my chin to clear up.
Have you tried the Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation?