Review: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Trace writes: ALL HAIL, MY HG CONCEALER.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

(#3 - Medium with yellow or pink skintones / 0.26 oz. or 7.7g

Description: Completely camouflages dark circles, minor imperfections and discolorations.

• A unique two-shade system, one to match the skins depth of color & one to match the skins undertone
• Custom-blend your own perfect shade
• High level of pigment requires very little product to achieve complete coverage
• Always apply after foundation
• Use as an under-eye concealer only if you have darker than average shadows by mixing with Eyedration® Firming Eye Cream for a creamier, more emollient consistency

Secret Camouflage Application for Face:

• Pick up the product with the Secret Camouflage Brush by dragging across both pans, saturating both sides of the brush
• Using the back of your hand as a palette, use the brush to warm & mix the two colours until you find the shade that matches your skin tone
• Secret Camouflage is a true "makeup artist's" formula so the more you work with the product the more easily you will be able to achieve perfect results
• Wipe off the excess product on a clean area of your hand to de-saturate the brush and using feather-light strokes, apply Secret Camouflage to the darkened areas of the face - blemishes, shadows, scars, capillaries, the area around the nose, shadows under the bottom lip and any imperfections that the foundation does not cover
• After application, "pat" the product lightly with your fingertips and set with Translucent Loose Setting Powder using the Camouflage Powder Brush
• Using translucent powder sets the product for all day wear

Secret Camouflage Application for Under Eye Area:

• Apply to shadows under and on the outside corner of the eyes
• Use the fingertip to gently pat and blend all areas of application and set with Translucent Loose Setting Powder using the Camouflage Powder Brush
• Do not use a pigmented powder to set Secret Camouflage as it will cause you to look "tired" underneath the eyes and will cause the areas of application to stand out on the face

Ingredients: (SC1-6): Diethylene, Glycol, Diethylhexanoate/Diisononanoate, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Retinyl Palmitate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Oleth-10, Methylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Isopropyl Myristate, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (C1 77891). +/- [May Contain]: Iron Oxides (C1 77491, C1 77492, C1 77499). 

Swatches: 

From Laura Mercier

On white paper

On skin

Shade: Best for NC25-NC30 skin.

Texture: Hard. YOU MUST USE A CONCEALER BRUSH TO APPRECIATE THIS GEM. And you have to have completely moisturized/primed skin, or this concealer must go over foundation in order for it to look nice. You also need a FOUNDATION BRUSH too for blending. If you use your fingers, you will be disappointed with this concealer; but if you have the right technique you will fall in love with it.

Coverage: Full.

Best for: Combination to oily skin. I think you need a bit of a "slip" on your skin for it to stay put. If your skin is dry, you may notice flakes or cracks if the area is not moisturized well.

Happy with: Well, it's perfect. I used to hate that I've spent so much for this particular concealer, because I felt it wasn't creamy enough. Turns out I just did not have the right tools or technique, and when I learned the right way to apply it... Well, LOVE. Truthfully, whenever I use this, my spots disappear. Whatever foundation I use for my skin tone (MAC, Guerlain, MakeupForever, BB Creams, etc) this magical 2-tone concealer manages to blend well. 

Disappointed with: Availability! The shade is quite popular that I had to wait 3 weeks before I could buy a replacement when I finished my first pan after 2 years - it's huge, y'all. LOL.

How much and where to get it: PhP 1550 at Rustan's Essences.

Will I buy again? Definitely. If LM discontinues this, I'M GONNA DIE!!! (Despicable Me)

Cheers,

Trace