Laura Mercier just launched three new shades of the Face Illuminator Powder ($44 each, 9 g/0.3 oz). They are currently exclusive to Sephora and come in the same formula and design as the previously launched Indiscretion Face Illuminator. Each highlighter is cased in a square mirrored compact and while they are described as powders the texture is very unique. They almost have a creamy look and feel but definitely are not creams. Laura Mercier calls this a “non-dusting texture” which I think is fairly accurate. They are powders without the traditional powdery feel. Each color is very shimmery and sparkly but the texture is smooth and they are not overly frosted. On the face they adhere nicely to the skin which makes them long lasting on me. The texture is soft and blendable so they are easy to layer. Pigment is medium and natural looking but you can build pigment for a more visible sheen. In terms of emphasizing skin texture or pores, only one emphasized my pores slightly which is the gold one mainly because of the way the color looks against my olive skin.
- Devotion is a shimmering pale pink. It has a similar effect to some of the colors in the Anastasia Gleam Glow Kit, Urban Decay Afterglow Highlighter in Aura and Chanel Perles et Fantaisies (swatch comparisons below). This one swatched on the arms and hands extremely frosted but on the face it blends out to a really pretty natural sheen.
- Indiscretion is a classic medium champagne color with a peachy tinge. This is my favorite out of the four, I already had the old original version (had a different name) and this is the same color. It adds a lovely glow to the skin. If you are fairer I suspect this will be more bronzey on your complexion compared to mine.
- Addiction is a shimmering yellow gold. Gold highlighters with yellow tones often times emphasize my pores. This one is really pretty but not my favorite on my olive skin because I already have some yellow undertones. Shimmer is on the sparkly side but it’s not over the top and blends nicely.
- Seduction is my next favorite out of the bunch. It’s a medium bronze shimmer that has some reddish undertones. I suspect those with darker skin tones will find this matches their skin tone more for a glowy highlighter while on me it’s definitely bronzey.
The shimmer in each highlighter is really pretty. The colors in direct sunlight:
Close ups with comparison swatches:
Armani Fluid Sheer in #8
Anastasia Glow Kit in Gleam (Crushed Pearl and Hard Candy review)
Chanel Perles et Fantaisies (pink side, review)
Anastasia Glow Kit in That Glow – Bubbly and Dripping in Gold (review)
MAC Cream Color Base in Hush from Contour Kit (review on kit)
Tom Ford Illuminator Duo in Moodlight (1/2 swatched, review)
NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Jubilation (peach side)
NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Jubilation (peach side)
MAC MSF in New Vegas (discontinued)
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (highlighter side, review)
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow (highlighter side, review)
Anastasia Glow Kit in That Glow – Sunburst (review)
Tom Ford The Afternooner Trio (highlighter, review)
I had some challenges photographing the bronze shades with the flash and cloudy weather, so I have two sets, first is without flash, next is with flash:
All four perform extremely well and give the skin a natural candlelit glow. The shimmer is noticeable on the complexion but not over the top. That being said, for my medium skin, the lighter shades Devotion and Addiction do have a more visible sheen on my skin because of the color contrast to my natural skintone. Devotion is all kinds of gorgeous for a soft light opal pink sheen without looking too pale. Addiction is pretty just not for my skintone. Seduction acts like a bronzer. Indiscretion is hands down my favorite.
With so many highlighters available to choose from picking one or narrowing down picks to a few might seem overwhelming. I certainly find that it is. If you can try in person I recommend you do – finding the right one for you will be kinda like finding the right foundation for you. It depends on your skin type, skin texture, coverage, degree of shimmer and application preferences. I think the Face Illuminators from Laura Mercier have the a very unique texture compared to others. The non-powdery finish makes them feel almost like a cream so they adhere well to the skin. Shimmer is definitely noticeable to give the skin a glowy highlight so it’s apparent on the skin but it’s not over the top. I love that for the most part they don’t emphasize my skin imperfections or pores too much. Your mileage may vary depending on what your skin texture is like. All this being said if you’re going more for color effect rather than formula or texture you will be able to find a lot of other products that will give you a similar look (as shown by the handful of comparison swatches).
For me my top two picks are Indiscretion and Seduction for color and finish. I already own a lot of light pink highlighters but if you’re like me (medium or even darker) you might find many light pinks have a sharp almost white look on the skin so they require a light hand or lots of blending. If I didn’t already own so many I would hands down say Devotion is a must – it performs the best out of all the pale pinks I own because of the way it melds with the skin and just glows. The formula and texture is superior to other pale pink highlighters that I have.
I still have one more set of newer highlighters to review (the ones from Urban Decay) but out of all the ones that have recently launched, the Laura Mercier ones definitely have the best texture for my skintype, Hourglass Strobe Powders have a more subtle strobe effect, Anastasia Glow Kits are the most glowy and have the best value for price, I’m still undecided on the Urban Decay highlighters but will let you know my thoughts once I post the review.
Bottom line, the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powders are solid performers for quality, pigment, texture and lasting power. You can find them now at Sephora.
Devotion and Seduction sent as press samples. The other two shades purchased by me.
