I’ve been on the hunt for new foundations for some time now. My skin changes pretty drastically season to season & more recently I’ve been dealing with some new issues. & not the fun ones. I’ve been getting awful dry patches, my eczema has been flaring something fierce, & on top of that my pores aren’t looking too hot. Not exactly a dream come true when combined with the whatever the heck it feels like weather going on around here lately either. Then in walks in the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation– & she has rocked my world.

From Laura Mercier- This revolutionary bi-phase, two part formula is designed to deliver the most natural looking colour and lightweight coverage. Colour true pigments rest at the bottom of the package while reflective waters (Hydro-Brilliant Technology) float to the top. Vigorously shaking the package before each use ensures the pigments blend with the reflective waters to create fresh colour every time.

First we’ll talk about application & packaging! The directions for application actually read “with each use shake vigorously for a minimum of 10 seconds and tap several times at the end of the package by the shade label” so make sure & do that! It is also supposed to apply best with your fingertips or a sponge- & I use a combination of both. I actually dot it onto areas smoothing it out slightly then blend out with a damp sponge or Beauty Blender. I highly recommend shaking this with your finger over the tip of the applicator as it can be quite messy & this definitely seems to help. Don’t skimp on mixing or else your foundation will be separated & useless. I’ve actually used this with a synthetic foundation brush & quite enjoyed the look as well! A little goes a very long way so start with way less than you need.

Here is my naked skin with my regular moisturizer & eye cream after “sinking in” about 10 minutes. I have quite dry skin at the moment & can you see the redness I’ve been rocking lately? It is like everything in my life is making my skin look stressed from eczema to breakouts to more visibly pores than normal. I have to say I’m not very happy with my skin at the moment & have been really distressed with most of the foundations in my stash. The worst of all was the BareMinerals Bare Skin Foundation which I actually returned- review hopefully soon along with the gory photos. After that I was scared to use another thin veil type foundation thinking it would totally dry out my skin & make me self-conscious all over again.

Here is one layer- no photoshop or concealer or anything. Just my skin & one layer of the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation in Shell. You can still see my freckles & a bit of redness on my cheeks but it honestly makes my skin look so much better without any heavy feeling! I did apply a touch more over spots but this is normal for me. This foundation doesn’t contain SPF & because this was a night out these photos are without any SPF underneath. I love how natural my skin looks & even with the satin matte finish it doesn’t look dry or cakey! I’ve also applied this over primer which adds even more to the perfected, airbrushed kind of effect.

& here I am with my blush, undereye concealer, & such on. All the makeup for a night out! You can still see the pores around my nose but I think a primer makes that look much better. I personally think it photographs beautifully- this is with flash.

There are 24 shades total & the lightest shade in Shell is a perfect match on my skin. Some shades lean more yellow or pink & the entire range goes quite dark. Always happy to recommend a brand that caters to both sides of the shade spectrum! Please remember to shake your bottle with your fingertip over the tip or else you will get a big mess- but it is totally worth it once you remember to do so.

You can purchase the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation from the Laura Mercier website, Sephora, Nordstrom, & wherever Laura Mercier products are sold.

Have you tried the Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation? What foundations are you currently loving?