By Chrissy Iley
What is happening with Laura Mercier? Just a few months ago it was a brand that I only knew about because my mother loved its tinted moisturizer. It seemed nice enough, classic, one of those brands that like to cater for all ages and skin types. One of those kind of brands that although they love everybody there was never anything specific for me to love.
Now, I cannot go past a counter without unleashing my inner magpie; I want to touch and try everything. I am in love with the colours. No one can do a golden green that makes the eyes sparkle like Laura Mercier. No one can tint a lip moisturizer so vibrantly, so last all day.
Laura Mercier was a make up artist who became famous as the personal make up artist to Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts and Juliette Binoche. She grew up in Provence, went to art school in Paris at 17 and there decided she wanted to paint on the canvas of the face. She moved to New York in the 80s, working with the most famous and the most loved faces of the are. In the mid 90s she started the cosmetic range.
She avoided seasonal trends, which was the good and bad thing about the line. Now she has somehow encompassed a pallet of colours that are divinely on trend and will also look good forever. You can tell that she used to paint; it is the specific tones of the colours that I love. They are beyond compare. Her Baked Eye Colour in Black Karat (£21.00) is a dark golden green and it is just the best colour ever. It goes on super creamy, you can apply it wet or dry but it gives an intense coverage that is smudge resistant, smooth and gorgeous.
I have tried the wet and dry eye shadow before but I always found it hard to apply. In the past maybe I used too much water or not enough. Maybe my skills with the brush were not up to scratch. NARS has a wet to dry pallet that if I use wet I look like a clown. This one automatically becomes smooth. It automatically blends and texturizes whether you use too much water on your brush or not. And because it is not matte single tone it lends itself more easily to the wet brush. It is long lasting and it sparkles, twinkles all night. Also idiots can apply it and look good. It has an ease and a sense of luxury.
But that is not to say the Laura Mercier counter does not still cater for all types of women who don’t necessarily need an on trend eye pallet.
I was in Brown Thomas in Dublin with Louis Walsh – who knowing my mother is a fan of the brand randomly bought her the Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil (£43.50). My mother was in rose ecstasy. The smell of fresh rose petals on the face is something so uplifting it all slides and glides into the cheeks and seems to plump and polish them. I am sure I will be at the Laura Mercier Christmas counter again soon.
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