La Mer Fluid Tint

I finally caved early last month and bought the La Mer Fluid Tint due to the convincing reviews from Fei, Fuz, and Pink.




The saleslady said I would match the 02 Light so thats what I got. However I find it a tad too dark. I thought it being a tinted moisturizer it would blend in anyway but it doesn't really. Maybe I need to add some finishing powder on top to set it, as it may be oxidation that makes it go darker.

Besides that I find the shade too pink on my olive-yellow(?) complexion. Aside: I've noticed my skintone is extremely yellow! Almost all foundations I've tried turn out too pink on my face when compared with my neck :( I'm planning to get some yellow-tinted finishing powder from Silk Naturals to see if that helps.

Oh well. Anyway, the product comes in a handy tube so its sanitary and easy to apply on the go. (A pump would be even better but with this you can get every drop out). I liked that box came wrapped in plastic, so that you know it hasn't been opened or tampered with.

The product is somewhat thick and spreads nicely even on my skintype. Background on my skin: I never use tinted moisturizers or liquid foundations because they just don't spread evenly on the drier areas of my skin. Even Giorgio Armani's LSF doesn't work for me :( Until now the only thing that works is actually mineral foundation, because the powder smooths out the uneven areas. With La Mer though, its the first liquid coverage product that covers my skin without emphasizing the dry areas!

The coverage is sheer enough to look natural but much better than Laura Mercier's Tinted moisturizer which didn't do anything for me. It doesn't quite do the job for FOTDs, because of my ginormous t-zone pores, but for a quick natural look it works great.

Before


After



As you can see its not perfect coverage, you can still see the redness on my chin from old breakouts. However the redness and blotchiness around my cheeks are evened out. Pores are also minimized, though not completely.

Before


After



After some blush, eyeliner and mascara :P




The La Mer Tint does have drawbacks though. For instance, I find it tends to make my face a bit shiny. Maybe its just glowy and I'm not used to it, but in daylight it definitely looks a bit too shiny. Kinda obvious when you compare the neck and face area :/ Again, I probably need to try using some finishing powder on top to help with the shine and make it blend better with my skintone.

As for the SPF - this contains Avobenzone. I don't see any stabilizers like Octocrylene listed, so I don't think its photostable...I would apply a separate sunscreen under this if I wanted extra sun protection. If someone can tell me otherwise that'd be great, as I hate the fact it costs so much yet they couldn't be bothered to put proper sun protection in it.

Another thing I don't like is the heavy scent. It seems they went overboard with the fragrance when they formulated this product. The smell literally just hits you every time I use it. Good thing is after a while it fades away, or maybe I just stop noticing it.

The worst part of this product - the obscene Canadian price. Yes US $65 is expensive, but what about CAD$90*? Thats the difference being across the border makes :( . Buying this was really painful, so I'm definitely considering alternatives once this tube is done.

Overall
Great product but expensive. Buy only if you have drier skin and nothing else works for you, or if you have the cash to spare.


P.S. A very cheap tinted moisturizer I've tried is the Wet N Wild's version. I actually hated the colour match, it was way too pink/orange for me so it still sits in my traincase. Also it does contain mineral oil. However the few times I used it the pore coverage was simply amazing...I just wish they'd do more shades and replace the mineral oil.