wearing Laura Mercier’s new $125 (!) limited edition holiday palette, the Colour wardrobe dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks
Since a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s how I feel about Laura Mercier’s new Colour wardrobe dual Decker Colour for Eyes & Cheeks…
That’s a mix of the Heather Pink and barely Pink second Skin Cheek Colours on my cheeks
The thing is, it’s $125.
ANNONSE
Uh… Yeah. Au.
And it’s not like there aren’t any other holiday sets out there now that cost a lot less. There are, but if you want something comprehensive for your eyes and cheeks that you could use every single day, don’t overlook this two-tiered kit outright, despite its price.
The top tier swivels out…
It’s brimming with rich purples and chocolaty browns, and sprinkled with pink, taupe and navy. Plus, the included travel brushes are actually worth keeping! They’re surprisingly soft. I almost always ditch the brushes that come with holiday kits because they’re usually scratchy and…just not up to par, but I think the eye brushes that come with this apply and blend just as well as Laura’s full-sized brushes.
ANNONSE
Cats & makeup Sweatshirt ??
$42
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WOOT! Bomb-@ss brushes to go with some bomb-@ss makeup. Who’d a thunk it?
From the left: mini Longwear Creme Eye Pencil in Espresso, travel flat Eye liner Brush, Double-Ended Crease/Smudge brush and travel pony Tail Brush
Starting with the eye colors in the first tier…it’s African Violet, huzzah!
LOL! OK, you’re probably about as sick of seeing African Violet as I am (I swear, it must be in half of Laura’s kits). I love ya, L-Boogie, but please, can we take a break from African Violet already? At least for a few months?
The first tier…
Aside from that little quibble, I think the eyeshadows are tops. every one has the brand’s signature smooth, easy-to-blend formula, where you literally swipe your blending brush once or twice, and the colors melt together. as with Laura’s Artist’s Palette, I actually have to resist the urge to over-blend these.
And I barely notice any fallout at all — a smidgen, but it’s not enough to annoy me.
The upper tier…
The eyeshadow finishes range from mattes, to shimmers and lustres, and the colors, predominantly purples and browns, lean neutral and cool, in terms of color temps.
But if you have warm skin tone, don’t let that dissuade you. With a little help from one of the products in the second tier, the big pan of golden Shimmer, you should totally be able to pull off these colors.
A closer look at the bottom tier…
Technically, warm bronzy golden Shimmer is a highlighter, but I’ve been using it as a transition eyeshadow, by sweeping it into my crease. I think its warm tones go well with the purples and browns in the palette, even the navy blue and the taupes.
Oh, hai!
In my paw for scale…
From the left: morning Dw Matte Eye Colour, Coffee Ground Matte Eye Colour, African Violet luster Eye Colour and Ballerina Pink Sateen Eye Colour
Crystal beige luster Eye Colour, Sable Sateen Eye Colour, Dusk Lustre Eye Colour and Deep night Matte Eye Colour
From the left: golden Shimmer Highlighter, Heather Pink second Skin Cheek Colour and barely Pink second Skin Cheek Colour
As for the rest of the palette, I think the blushes are terrific (and blend really well), the cake liners are a breeze to use, and the little brown eyeliner stays put along my lash lines (but along my water lines, not so mye).
On my eyes I’m wearing Ballerina Pink (brow bone) golden Shimmer Highlighter (crease), Crystal beige Eye Colour (lower crease), Coffee Ground Eye Colour (lid), Dusk Eye Colour (inner corner), Espresso Eye Pencil (water line) and Black Ebony Tightline Cake Eye liner (upper lash line)
ANNONSE
If you have the extra cheddar, you could do a ton of different looks with the colors in this kit. It’s way wearable, and I like that the shades aren’t your run-of-the-mill brown and beige ensemble. That, and they aren’t excessively cool-toned, or so light that ladies (and gents) with medium or dark skin tones wouldn’t be able to wear them.
PRICE: $125
AVAILABILITY: available now online and at Laura Mercier counters
MAKEUP and beauty blog RATING: A-
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen