La Mer Fluid Foundation & blog sales

I purchased the La Mer Fluid Foundation a while back from Fuz's blog sale:




Official product description:

Engineered with weightless color and La Mer’s remarkable skincare benefits, this silken, lightweight fluid has the power to transform the complexion. Gemstones capture light energy to create a translucent color palette, optically erasing imperfections to reveal a naturally flawless complexion.

Created with a rare blue algae transformed through La Mer's exclusive bio-fermentation process, a Blue Algae Lift Ferment along with precious marine and plant actives immediately add radiance while working continuously to lift the skin, restoring a lasting firmness, clarity and brightness. Skin’s ability to renew itself is greatly enhanced as it is trained to sustain a smoother, softer, more resilient appearance. Flexible medium coverage brings skin a naturally luminous finish. Protects with SPF15.


Review:

It comes in a heavy glass pump bottle with a white cap. The shade I got was 01 Creme.

Texture is thick and creamy, it is definitely a foundation made for dry to normal skin. Oiler skintypes would find this too heavy. I noticed it also takes a while to dry down, which makes it difficult (in my opinion) to apply a setting powder. In fact I don't think it ever fully dries, because it always stains my powder/blush brush afterward...so I just use cream blushes instead of powder ones with this product.

Due to the creamy texture it provides a lot of coverage. However it also tends to feel and look a bit heavy on your skin. The product also tends to look very dewy, probably because of the thick texture, and because it never fully dries.

Its quite good at covering redness, but I noticed that it doesn't really hide or minimize my pores. As for the colour match of Creme, I find its a bit too dark - it makes my face slightly darker compared with my neck. Guess if I ever repurchase this product I'll go with Ivory, their lightest shade.

It does claim to have SPF 15. I think SPF in cosmetics is negligible since you aren't supposed to pile it on as much as moisturizer, so I'm not too excited by that.


Here's a look at the coverage of the foundation:

Before:


After:




I must emphasize though that even though it looks alright in photos, in real life the foundation definitely looks a bit heavy on my skin.

Pros:
Great coverage
Dewy look
Supposed to have skin care benefits

Cons:
Pricey (US retail price $85)
Difficult to apply powder products afterward
Can look oily on oilier skin types
Heavy look


Overall:
Its a fairly mediocre product - sure it covers well, but then it still gives a heavy look and just doesn't seem to dry! For the price, I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives that would do the job better without feeling overly heavy.

***

Blog sales/swaps:

I've updated my blog sale with a free shipping offer - spend at least $30 on 2 items or more and you'll get free shipping anywhere in the world :)

Also I've been perusing some other blog sales lately, its kind of a nice feeling knowing you got something for cheaper. Check out some more blog sales from other bloggers:

Mayaari
Audrie
Psychoexgirlfriend
Cris (swap only)
Jojos (swap only)
Chiara (sale or swap)
Fuzkittie
Portrait of a Lady
Autumn Masquerade
Lotus Palace

Happy shopping!

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.

Quick look at Gel de La Mer

I picked up a sample of Gel de la Mer a couple months ago to try as they were out of the Creme. Even the sample jars are quite nice, like minature versions of the full size.




The gel has a light ocean-ish fragrance similar to that of the Radiant Infusion. I'm guessing most of La Mer's stuff probably has the same fragrance. The La Mer Tint has a much stronger scent I find...which I'll post a review on separately.

The gel is light and refreshing, similar to other gel-type moisturizers. In terms of feel, it has a much lighter feel than Clinique's Moisture Surge Gel (which feels thicker). Gel de La Mer also sinks in faster than the Clinique one. When comparing the two, I noticed Clinique's would leave a slightly sticky residue behind, while La Mer leaves a smooth feeling behind.


Some visual comparisons - they look pretty similar in terms of texture. Added Nars Aqua Gel Hydrator in there because it was lying around...






Moisturizing properties - it doesn't moisturize my combination skin enough, which gets dry and flakey in winter. It would be perfect for summer I think, although I may still need some extra moisturizer on drier areas like my cheeks. Very similar to Clinique's Moisture Surge in this area (see my review if you missed it).


Other benefits - I couldn't tell if the gel actually improved my skin because the sample jar was too small. It'd probably take a month to tell if there was any benefits. Unfortunately that amount you see gone was used up in two weeks, maybe because I have drier skin.


Overall
Nice lightweight texture, great for normal to oily skins. However for what it costs, I'd say go for Clinique's Moisture Surge gel instead, they both ended up being for about the same, but Clinique is cheaper and fragrance-free. I still prefer Lancome's Aqua Fusion gel cream over those two as it moisturizes my combination-dry skin better.

La Mer Radiant Infusion, new skincare haul

I picked up a sample of La Mer Radiant Infusion about a month ago. I'd originally asked for a sample of Hydrating Infusion but the SA gave me this instead, and I didn't realise it until later.

These are the claims for this product:



Sounds too good to be true....and it was.

Radiance? Nope
Clarity? Nope
Pore minimizing? Nope
Tone? Nope


What it did though, was prep my skin nicely for the moisturizer. Its similar to Japanese style toners (called "lotions") which are liquids that you spread over your face prior to applying moisturizer. (Check out a great post on Asian-style toners here)

It made my skin more supple, and the moisturizer used afterwards helps lock this moisture in. Granted, the supple feeling is temporary, but it does help my moisturizer feel a lot more effective. Instead of having to use a heavier cream for fall like I usually do, I felt that I could get away with using the Infusion, then a light moisturizer afterwards.

It also has a nice light sea-ish fragrance which adds to the luxurious "I'm using La Mer" feeling lol :D

Overall: Nice, but not necessary. Also remember it does not reduce pores or improve radiance at all - all it does is add a bit of extra moisture to your skin. However there are cheaper products out on the market though that will do that anyway.

Review on Gel de la Mer to come soon!


***

I went to Sephora yesterday to return a few things and got these instead.





DDF Redness Relief gel
Bliss Steep Clean Mask
Bliss Clog Dissolving Cleansing Milk
deluxe sample - Fresh Rose Mask

Reviews on all 3 items were generally positive. Will report back after a month or so, as skincare products supposedly take at 28 days to see an improvement.

Various hauls

A collection of hauls from the past month or so that I haven't posted yet:

From Holt Renfrew:

• La Mer Fluid Tint in Light 02
• Beauty Blender sponge and cleaner set
• sample of La Mer Moisturizing Lotion

Sephora:

• Clarisonic brush in pink
• Urban Decay VIP pencil set
• Nars duo eyeshadow in Jolie Poupee (my first Nars product!)
• Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, travel size
• Sugar I Dream of Sugar palette - on clearance at CAD$21
• Sugar colour stick in Apple Cider

I actually bought more items than shown in the pic, but I'm going to return them because I seriously don't need any more...

Closer look at the Nars duo:



MAC Warm and Cool pigment sets








Ebay:

• Milani eyeshadows in Atlantis & Shock
• Maybelline Roller Colour loose eyeshadows in Make a Move Mauve, On Track Lilac, Steel Wheelin, On the Ball Blue, and Skate til Midnight

Also from Audrie @ All the Pretty Shimmers:

• MAC Slimshine in High 90s
• Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Yeyo
• Lure Beauty blush in True Love
  
• Shiseido eye cream sample and lip sample

I also bought a couple of things too from Forever 21's Canadian website...will post some once I actually wear the items :)