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Monday, January 7, 2013

Laura Mercier Secret Concealer / Review

Isn't it frustrating when you've used a product for so long and then all of a sudden you find it doesn't work for you anymore? Sadly this has happened to me too many times to count.

For me, one of the most boring makeup items to get is concealer and I believe when you find a good one you stick with it through thick and thin. Repurchasing automatically when needed. You can try others here and there but somehow always come back to the one that looks best on you, the one that looks natural.

Last Spring the one I've been going back to for years no longer looked good on me. This was Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Concealer. Not moisturizing enough, it was starting to make my eye area look creepy. I then tried M.A.C. Select Moisturecover Concealer in a lighter shade. This one did make my eye area look better but it's staying power was more than poor. Since I don't like to throw anything away I did use it for several months, not liking it but at least not wasting my money.

After this disappointment I was contemplating going back to Clinique, another concealer I liked. In fact I kind of alternated between Estée Lauder and Clinique for years since their respective formulas gave me similar results. Looking at their website I was surprised to see the many options they now offer. I guess the one I was using was the Line Smoothing Concealer but I started to wonder if it was the same formula. Not wanting to risk it I decided to forget about this one.

Browsing the Sephora website, looking at all the different brands I finally thought I would go for Bobbi Brown Corrector, especially after reading Beautiful With Brains' positive review of it. You can read it here. With that final push I went to Sephora with the intention to buy it.

I hit a wall! Even if it's available it 12 different shades, I wasn't able to find one I felt comfortable with. The two lightest, Porcelain Bisque and Porcelain Peach would not have given me the natural look I was looking for. I do have to say that the formula seemed more than nice.

Leaving empty handed was not an option so I after having a look at other brands I opted to try Laura Mercier Secret Concealer in shade 1 for light complexions. It's actually the lightest they make, with slightly pink undertones.


It was weird for me to go for a cream after years of more "liquidy" formulas. The last time I did was with Dior when they used to have one in a little round compact.

How I use it?

I find it easier to apply with my fingers than a concealer brush. It's even better if you warm it up a little. For this, simply do so by "rubbing" a little of it between your two pinkie fingers and then go gently on the eye area. You'll notice that this way it will glide more easily. I also use it as an eye shadow base. I finish off with my concealer brush, to make sure the application is smooth and doesn't set in fine lines. A light dusting of loose powder with my fan brush and it's set.

Would I recommend it? Yes!

The formula is excellent and buildable. One big plus, it's non drying. If you apply it with a concealer brush you will have a more opaque finish but this will involve a little more pulling of the eye area. I've been using it for about a month now and can honestly say that I'm pleased with this purchase.

The only 2 things I don't like about it are, first the screw top. I would have preferred a flip top like Bobbi Brown. Second, the price. At $30.00  it's a little expensive for 2.2 g even it you do get a little more for the same price than Bobbi Brown Corrector which contains 1.7 g.

Available in six shades:


Reviews:

MakeupAlley: 3.8 / 5 lippies for 411 reviews.
Beauté-test: 4.2 / 5 stars for 19 reviews.


Screen captures from Laura Mercier and Sephora's respective websites.

8 comments:

  1. I had the same problem with my Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. It was the only concealer I had ever used for years but then last year, it suddenly began to accentuate dryness that I never had in my under eye area. No matter how much eye cream I put on before or how much I warmed the product between my fingers, it still made my eyes look very dry and cakey, so I had to switch. Now I'm using Giorgio Armani's Maestro Eraser Dark Circle Concealer and I LOVE it--it's so thin and fluid and luminous and wonderful! :)

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    1. It's so annoying when this happens. I've read a lot of good things about Armani's and I'm quite sure I'll try it eventualy. I would be so convenient if Sefora carried it. :)

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  2. I'm glad you've found a concealer that works for you. You made me very curious to give this one a try too and see how it compares to my beloved Bobbi Brown concealer. And thank you for the mention!

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    1. Gio, my pleasure, I'm glad to mention it since it's unlikely that I will ever try it myself. I'm quite sure the textures are similar for having swatched both, they felt pretty much the same. I would say, unless you get LM as a gift, stick with BB since the color suits you so well. :)

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  3. I have not tried the Laura Mercier concealers at all - I had tried on a whim, the Almay line smoothing concealer and it is the ONLY one that does not crease AT ALL under my eyes - doesn't have the most opaque coverage, (if you have really dark circles) but it didn't crease, which was more important. Then I recently tried the Clinique Line smoothing one, it does not crease either AND has more coverage than the Almay one, same concept I guess. Both are NOT popular on MUA reviews-lol but they work for me - funny eh? BB concealer creases like CRAZY on me.

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    1. Almay? Somehow I always overlook that brand, maybe because it's not at the ds I go to regularely. Also good info about Clinique. I may try either if not both eventually since you did good on your rec for L'Oréal liner, love it! TY! :)

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  4. oh!!! awesome! glad you love the liner!!!!! I bought the brown last time I was in the USA and I use it everyday. Almay - I don't really like anything else from that line - but that concealer does not crease - doesn't have super duper coverage though - so consider yourself warned if you are looking to cover DARK circles. but for something light to medium coverage, it's great - the Clinique a tad more opaque!

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    1. Fortunately I don't have dark circles so I may try it eventually, especially if it goes on sale. Thank you again for the liner rec. So far, it's the best I've tried. :)

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