This month Laura Mercier launched a new Face Illuminator called Inspiration ($44 for 6 g/ 0.20 oz). This shade was created to support the Laura Mercier Ovarian Cancer Fund she founded back in 2012 to raise awareness and fund research to help diagnose and treat women with ovarian cancer. Each September she donates 100% of the proceeds from the specially curated product towards the fund.
Inspiration Face Illuminator is a pretty mauve tinged rose gold shimmer. It’s multi-faceted so it will look different in every photo you see depending on how the light catches it. In indoor light it appears softer and more diffused, in direct sunlight or with a flash the deeper mauve rose tones will shine through. On the skin it’s also multi-dimensional. Some angles will show a warmer finish, others will be reflect more of the lighter pink tones. It’s a really beautiful color and I think it will suit a wide range of skin tones. If you’re lighter than me it might almost be blush-like rather than highlighter material. Regardless of your skintone her Face Illuminators create a beautiful radiant glow that stay put and meld well with the skin.
Finish is smooth and luminous with a buildable coverage. You can use her Fan Powder Brush or really any powder / blush brush to apply. The denser the brush the more intense the color and shimmer will be. It’s something you can use anywhere – eyes, cheeks, temples, nose, forehead or shoulders. The quality with this is the same as her other Face Illuminators which are among my favorite. They stay put for hours without fallout or budging.
A look at how the color shifts when in direct sunlight:
Side by sides and swatches of all her Face Illuminators (previously shown in my Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder Review), the ones shown below are fresh backups of Indiscretion, Devotion, Addiction, Inspiration and Seduction:
Below are some comparisons to other pink highlighters including Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder in Afternoon Glow, Sunrise Glow, Tawny Glow, NARS Highlighting Powder in Maldives and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Strobe Blush in Euphoric Fusion. I feel like the ones from Bobbi Brown are a lot more shimmery in finish because of the pale sparkle. NARS Maldives almost looks like a pale pink next to it. Hourglass Euphoric Fusion is a deeper blush version with a hint of shimmer mixed throughout.
Look featuring Inspiration wearing the following (press samples indicated with a *):
- Foundation – Chanel CC Cream in 40 Beige * (review coming soon)
- Powder – Chanel Les Beiges No. 20
- Eyeshadow – Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rosegold
- Eyeliner – MAC Tecknakohl in Graphblack
- Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Waterproof
- Cheeks – Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Inspiration *
- Lips – Tom Ford Lip Color in Devore + Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bare Blush *
- Brush – Laura Mercier Fan Brush *
Overall a really pretty pink highlighter I think is unique and very wearable. I have yet to experiment with it on the eyes but I really love the way it wears on the face for a soft pink highlight.
You can find the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Inspiration out now. Available at Laura Mercier, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s and other Laura Mercier retailers soon.
Face Illuminator in Inspiration provided for review.
