Laura Mercier real flawless weightless perfecting foundation
- Size: 30ml
- Number of shades available: 32
- Shade tested: 2N1 cashew
- Key ingredients: Camelia seed, vitamin E and cacao extract
- Why we love it
- Long-wearing
- Looks very natural
- Take note
- Drying on dehydrated skin
If you’ve seen the reviews of this foundation on social media, you’re sure to have viewed many an exaggerated shocked face at the initial application of this product. Although most things on social media are all for show, I have to say I was incredibly impressed, too.
Choosing shade ‘2N1 cashew’ and using just one pump with a foundation brush, as per the instructions, it instantly blended into my skin, almost effortlessly. The colour match was near perfect, which is always a hard task as someone who fake tans, and the consistency was strikingly skin-like. In fact, it’s probably the most natural-looking foundation I’ve ever tried.
To cover the entire face, I needed around six pumps. You can build up the foundation as much as you like, to increase the level of coverage, too.
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The formulaThe ingredients list of the Laura Mercier real flawless foundation are pretty impressive. Key antioxidants, including camelia seed, vitamin E and cacao extract help boost the skin barrier, reducing inflammation and redness, while helping to reduce water loss.
Bamboo silk powder is included, to help stamp out shine, along with a hydro-lipid matrix that’s said to balance the skin’s moisture levels and help the foundation last all day.
The look and feelThe look of this foundation is, as the name suggests, flawless. It’s your skin but better in a real ‘no-make-up make-up’ way, which, as a fan of minimalist foundations, suited me just perfectly.
Although you may want to use concealer underneath this product, to brighten up the under-eye area and conceal any blemishes or dark spots, the Laura Mercier foundation will leave your face with an even shade all over. It instantly neutralised my redness and uneven fake tan patches without being heavy or cakey, completely validating its weightless title, too.
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However, I was less impressed when it came to the hydrating claims. As someone who currently has dehydrated skin, moisture-boosting products are much needed in my everyday routine, and this foundation just didn’t seem to deliver.
One of the brand’s key marketing claims is it stamps out shine immediately, which it definitely did, although dry or dehydrated skin often needs this oil to keep it soft and supple. So, this foundation did feel a little drying and tight, especially after wearing it for a full 11 hours, although it looked nearly as perfect as when it was first applied.