Pick of the Week: Laura Mercier's Flawless Face Kit

After a rough day yesterday I decided to brave the midweek crowds and made my way to Rustan's for a little look-see at the beauty department. I promised myself that if I were to buy something new it would have to be something a little less exorbitant than usual, I'd have to buy something NECESSARY and practical.

Practical for me is normally not so practical at all, but I did come across something that I consider a steal of a buy. Awhile back, Laura Mercier launched a little kit that promised to banish dull, spotty and lifeless skin from the face of the earth. It comes in two mixes, one mineral and one liquid. The Flawless Face Kit has a combination of no-fail items that makes it easy for even the most inexperienced beginners to achieve natural glowing skin. Linda, the name of the sweet make-up artist at hand, was very excited to show me the full effect of the kit. I promised her that I would send readers her way after my review, so here goes:

 

My kit is in the color NUDE (Flawless Face Kit w/ tinted moisturizer):

 The kit comes with the following items, to be used in a particular order for the FULL EFFECT:

For what's inside the kit & more, read on after the jump!

- Foundation Primer: This baby is all you need, with or without foundation. It smooths your skin and evens it out. Paired with a little bit of concealer and you already look dewy. A little goes a long way.

- Tinted Moisturizer with Spf 20: If you're not into a heavy coverage, but you still can't stand the thought of going out naked (in the face of course), this is perfect for you. You can control how sheer or how thick you want your look to be. The SPF is essential for a day moisturizer, so it's perfect.

- Secret Camouflage concealer: Besides Bobbi Brown's creamy concealer, Shu Uemura's mark concealer and Benefit's boing, this is one of the best coverages that I've gotten. Use the darker side under the eyes, and the lighter shade for correcting little imperfections on the face. The powder at the bottom of the concealer is used to seal the color in without creasing.

- Secret Camouflage brush: Use this to gently tap on the concealer under your eyes, and hide small imperfections around your face. It's a great alternative to dabbing with your fingers.

- Camouflage powder brush: This picks up the right amount of powder to seal your concealer.

- Velour puff: I don't really use these, but it feels nice and the lady said it is useful for blending.

- Sponge: Used to spread the tinted moisturizer upwards and out! Blends the color in well.

I had a girl's dinner out right after, and my two friends Carmela and Laetitia loved the "make-up" (so this means it's girly-approved). The best part is that it really isn't make-up at all, but very well layered bases. This is good news for skin that's usually suffocated by foundation!

The alternative to my kit is the Flawless Face kit with Minerals. For some odd reason, everyone's favorite Bare Minerals does NOT work for me. I bought that whole starter kit and the colors all changed on me. I'm not acidic, so I don't know if it's the climate or simply the expiration. However, if minerals are your thing, I hear that kit is equally effective and very natural looking as the powder absorbs nicely into your skin.  

Remember, if you like these kits go and visit Linda at the Laura Mercier counter in Rustan's!