Sephora Beauty Insider 500 Point Perk - Laura Mercier Flawless Best Sellers.

Laura Mercier Flawless Best Sellers Kit

In my five years of being a Sephora Beauty Insider, I've never cashed in on my 500 point perks. I guess I never find them to be that amazing, and usually wait around for some really awesome 100 point perks (such as fragrance minis!) Well, I thought the Laura Mercier Flawless Best Sellers Kit was a pretty sweet deal and decided to cash in on some of my points.

The Laura Mercier Flawless Best Sellers Kit contains:

• Foundation Primer (0.5 oz) $9 value
• Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude (0.5 oz) $14 value
• Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic (0.14 oz) $25 value
• Eye Basics in Wheat (0.1 oz) $13 value

I calculated the values based on the full-size products, and the total value for this kit adds up to $61! It sure as heck doesn't look like it, but Laura Mercier is a pricey brand. I think the 500 points was well worth it!

I have yet to try the products, but I've had samples of both the Laura Mercier Primer and Tinted Moisturizer and really liked them. You can see my past review for the Tinted Moisturizer here. Granted I haven't tried any other tinted moisturizers, I think it's quite good for some of my more "natural" days. I'm not sure how the shade Nude (light beige for fair/light skin) will work out, but if anything, I can most likely mix it with other foundations to sheer them out. 

From left to right: Golden Mosaic swatched individually and swirled together, Wheat Eye Basic, Nude Tinted Moisturizer and Primer. 

The Laura Mercier Eye Basics is something pretty new to me. The product description is pretty vague, but it comes in an array of natural skin-tone shades, that work to correct imperfections and discolorations on the lids. So it can be used as a corrector, or as an eyeshadow base. Wheat is a lovely medium beige that looks like it would work well as a base with my neutral and warm eyeshadows. I'm excited to try it out, and I'll have a more in-depth review of it later on.

Lastly, the Golden Mosaic Shimmer Bloc was an exciting product to get in this little kit. It's a pretty generous size, as it's more than half of the full size product which retails at $38. Golden Mosaic consists of a copper, bronze, gold and cream shade that can be used individually on the eyes or swirled together on the cheeks for a golden glow.

This perk was replaced with another offer a couple days ago, but I thought it was still worth mentioning. They might still have them in select stores. Call me crazy, but I log in to my Sephora account every day to see if there are any good new point perks. I don't like missing out on anything!

Do you usually cash in on your points right away? Or do you let them build up?

My November Favorites!

November Beauty Favorites

I know I rarely ever do monthly favorites, but I had to do a favorites list this month since there are several products I've been loving lately and have been getting most of my attention! The list can pretty much go on forever, but I'll try to keep it short!

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - I've had a few samples of this and loved it, but have only finally purchased a tube this month. It's probably one of my favorite cream foundation as it's full coverage, yet it looks like skin. It's comfortable to wear and the color Bamboo Beige is perfect for me when I am in the MAC NC30 color range. My only gripe is that it's not budge-proof and starts to get a little shiny and fade around my mouth around 5-6 hours in wearing it. Despite that, I really do love this foundation.

MAC Bombshell Lipstick - This has been the only lipstick I've been wearing all month. It's such a pretty rosy pink with a hint of frost. It can look a little bright sometimes, so when I want something more subdued, I like mixing it with a lighter shade, such as MAC Creme D' Nude.

Revlon Bordeaux Lipgloss - Bordeaux has been my favorite pick for an easy berry lip this Fall. I love how pigmented and moisturizing it is, and that I don't have to bother with a lip liner. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a very wearable berry.

MAC Bamboo Eyeshadow - Bamboo is a fairly popular shade by MAC, but it's never one that I thought I needed. Well, I was wrong and this light beige-peach with a matte finish has found it's way into my MAC Everyday Palette, and has been a color I tend to reach for just about every day. Fabulous for warm skin tones, it's a great blending color and pairs well with copper, golds and browns. It leans slightly orange, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for cool skin.

MAC Mulch Eyeshadow - Mulch is another great shade by MAC that I surprisingly didn't own. Although it's pretty much a standard dark bronzy-brown with reddish undertones, it compliments my skin really well and I find myself using often.

MAC Staunchly Stylish Pro Longwear Lip Pencil - Highly recommend it for those with rosy lips, and who want a natural shade of lip liner that will pair well with most lip colors.

NARS Sin Blush - I love when products I don't expect to be any good turn out to be incredible, and Sin is one of them! It's a soft plummy pink and is a beautiful shade for every day. I've literally been using it 6 days out of the week, and it never applies patchy or looks uneven. Just perfect, smooth color every time.

NARS Laguna and Casino Bronzers - I haven't used Laguna since I finished my first pan back in '06, but I recently got back into it, and have been loving it for my "subtle bronze" days, and I use Casino when I want to be a bit darker. I don't think I'll ever be without these! Great bronzers.

MAC Superb Extra Dimension Highlighter - This rose gold metallic powder has been a staple in my collection since it's recent holiday launch. It's always the highlighter I reach for on the days that I want my skin to have a rich glow.

Guerlain Meteorites Pure Radiance- I purchased this during Sephora's VIB sale because all of the other shades were sold out, and I'm so happy this one ended up working out great. If you didn't know by now, I am obsessed with Guerlain Meteorites and it's another product I'll never be without in my collection. The combination of colors in this one really works together well to even out my skin and soften the look of my pores. Correcting colors (blue and pink counter the yellow tones in tired complexions), skin-evening colors (beige and orange warm up the complexion and create an even tan, and illuminating (ivory and white gold are light reflectors without a whitening effect).

L'Oreal Nature's Therapy Mega Moisture Nourishing Creme - For those of you love the conditioner in boxed hair dye, you'll love this thick and rich, moisturizing conditioner. It smells amazing and it really makes my dry hair super soft and helps moisturize my ends to limit breakage.

Nexxus Emergencee Strengthening Polymeric Reconstructor - I've only used this treatment twice so far (you should use it 2x a month) and it's actually suppose to strengthen and repair damaged hair. Each treatment is said to dramatically improve hair's health, condition and shine. If you look up the reviews for this product, the ratings are pretty astounding. It seems that the majority of those who use this product benefit from it. Even after only two uses I can definitely tell my hair feels stronger. Highly, highly recommend for damaged hair, and for those who regularly heat style their hair.

Got 2B Powder'ful Volumizing Styling Powder - Due to the popularity of this product in the beauty community, I decided to give it a try. It's basically a silicone based powder that you rub through your roots to give you instant lift. It works pretty well when my hair has fallen flat, and it's super cheap!

What have you been loving this month?

Have any recommendations for products you'd like me to try?

First Impressions + partial review: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer!

Some of you maybe remembered, last week I stopped in at Sephora on the search for a tinted moisturizer. I've never used one prior, but my curiosity got the best of me, and I picked up a sample of Laura Mercier's Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. (original post here)

Laura Mercier makes two formulations of the tinted moisturizers, one containing oil and one that is oil free. Both formulations have the same shade range and same SPF (20). I wasn't sure which one to choose, but when I told the Sephora Sales Associate that I have sensitive/prone to breakouts skin, she recommended I try the oil free version. I was matched to the shade "Sand".

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Oil Free Formula - This lightweight foundation that can be reapplied as necessary, offers sun protection for sensitive or acne prone skin, oil control, and provides hydration to prevent dryness.

Regular Formula - Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is a sheer, lightweight formula with a hint of color you can use in place of foundation for a natural finish and a healthy glowing complexion. It contains a SPF 20 for the ultimate in anti-aging prevention.

(The oil free formula is described as a foundation, and the regular formula rather calls it a "formula" that can be used in place of a foundation. I'm guessing because the regular version acts as more of a moisturizer with a tint and with the oil free version, it's more of a "tint" that doesn't give off added moisture.)

Aside from the tinted moisturizer, I was given a sample of the oil free primer. Every time I've used the tinted moisturizer, I've always used the primer beforehand. The first time using this, I attempted to apply the tinted moisturizer with my fingers. That doesn't work too well. I was really surprised that the texture is rather thick and doesn't spread evenly. I resorted to using my Sigma F80 Flat Top Foundation brush, and it worked out much better. So I basically apply it the same way I would any foundation. Dot it all over my face and blend with my brush. Because it's sheer, I'll use a little more product than I'd normally wear with a heavier foundation. The tube is 1.7 oz, compared to most foundations weighing in at 1 oz, so you can afford to use a little more. On my normal skin, (not oily or dry, a little shine in the t-zone) the finish is a satin - light dewy (not greasy) finish. Most of the reviews I've read for this said it has a very dewy, even an oily finish. I didn't experience that. I do have to set with powder though, because it seems to highlight the pores on my cheeks and add shine to my nose and chin. It instantly transforms when I apply my Guerlain Meteorites (my setting powder) and buff it into my skin with a kabuki. The finish is absolutely gorgeous. It looks incredibly natural and completely undetectable on my face. It looks like I may of using a dusting of a very fine milled powder, but that's all. It lasts well through an 8 hour day with little fading by the time I wash my face.

KEY POINTS

- This works really well with the oil-free primer. An oil-free primer or moisturizer would be the best choice as a base to keep the foundation from slipping. 

- Because the formula/texture isn't very emollient, it's a must priming or moisturizing the skin beforehand in order for the foundation to smooth out well - Especially for those with dry skin.

- The coverage is light. It will even out the complexion and add color to your skin. It is buildable, but blemishes will need an extra concealer if you want them completely covered. 

- Should be set with a dusting of setting powder.

Here's a little comparison for color reference. Sand may look really dark (even darker than MAC Studio Fix Fluid NC40! But, less yellow) when swatched, but it sheers out nicely. It's a good match for skintones from NC30-NC40. I usually stick around NC25-30 these days and oddly, it looks better when I don't use self tanner on my face. When I have self tanner on and use the tinted moisturizer, my face looks too dark. Strange?

I snapped a couple of photos last week wearing it, I was probably around NC25-30. (wow, i look pale!) I didn't wear any bronzer or blush, just MAC's Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Honey Rose on my cheeks for a little bit of a peachy glow.

Although I do like it, I'd like to test out the regular formula (as many prefer it over the oil free) and go from there. I may pick up another shade of the oil free because I think Sand looks a little orange at times, or try Bobbi Brown as I know she specializes in yellow toned foundations.

Hope you're all having an awesome day!