little white truths

I'm super pleased to report that the next product I'll be denting is the ABH Master Palette by Mario, which happens to be my favourite eyeshadow palette of all time. 

Yes I love the ABH Modern Renaissance (who doesn't), but this one has shades that I reach for on a daily basis while the MR has a few shades (I'm talking about the reds and pinks) that I don't use as often.

I love the formula of this palette but I also love that there isn't a wasted shade in here. Not only do I like every shade, but there aren't any super dark colours - which I don't use often because I prefer lighter/softer eye looks - plus there's no matte highlight shade. While for some that's an essential, it's not for me because my eyes are so hooded/puffy that highlighting the browbone is a bad idea, and I can just use my setting powder as a base 'shadow' so pale highlight shades are a waste of space for me personally.

There's another shot of the palette, enhanced for clarity:

I use and love all six shades on this side of the palette, and I won't be surprised if this half is showing the most progress at the end of the denting period - not only because it contains the only three mattes in the palette, but also because I use all three shimmers on this side a lot.

Here's the right side of the palette:

  

And there it is again, enhanced for clarity:

I love all the shades in this half of the palette too, although I'm less likely to reach for the blue and green as compared to the other colours. I do use them, though, and they're very neutral and wearable so they're fine for everyday wear and I'm looking forward to playing with them some more over the denting period.

So my plan is to use this palette every day for at least two weeks and see if I can't get some dents happening. I've really been looking forward to denting it because it is my favourite palette, so it will be a fun round of Project Dent : )

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

I just reviewed the bronzer I own from Laura Mercier (see here) so I thought I might as well keep going and review this highlighter, which is in the same range.

Long story short, yes it's a nice highlighter but unfortunately it's not quite the right colour for me (it's too frosty on my light/medium to medium skin), which may be partly because I have such warm undertones - so it can be jarring in some lights and I therefore don't reach for it often.

Now I should state outright that so many people love this highlighter, and indeed it's an HG product for some. I will say, though, that from memory all the people I've seen rave about this are lighter in complexion than I am. Yes I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule, but it's something I've noticed.

Also, this powder is on the dry, dusty side. Sure it's not terrible - nothing like my super dry Laura Mercier bronzer - but it's drier than every other highlighter I own. This won't bother everyone, but it does bother my dry skin if I try to use it on the eyes so that's something to keep in mind. If you have oily/combination skin, I suspect you won't even notice this aspect.

Laura Mercier claims/product details:

• An ultra-smooth, baked face powder that provides natural colour with soft matte radiance 
• For a flawless, no-makeup look
• Sheer, buildable coverage lets you customise your glow, while the modern multidimensional matte finish imparts a hint of soft luminosity
• Highlight 01 wakes up the skin with a subtle sheen
• The ultra-lightweight formula feels weightless on skin, applies smoothly and blends effortlessly
• The smooth, silky, velvety texture feels comfortable, while the long-wearing formula lasts up to eight hours and stays colour-true without oxidizing for an even wear
• Non-dusty, non-drying
• Formulated without fragrance
• Dermatologist tested
• RRP $50 AUD for 7.5g, but do shop around

Below I've photographed the pan in different lights.

Indirect sunlight (outdoors):

Direct sunlight (you can see how dry it looks here):

Indirect sunlight (indoors):

Below I've given you heavy and light swatches in different lights. You should be able to see in the swatches that although it looks deeper and more champagne when you swatch it heavily, once you sheer it out (as you would on the face), that's when it starts looking frosty.

Indirect sunlight (outdoors):

Direct sunlight (outdoors):

Indirect sunlight (indoors):

Now for comparison swatches.

Below I've swatched the Laura Mercier highlighter alongside Kevyn Aucoin's Candlelight, Becca's Opal and Champagne Pop, and theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer.

Direct sunlight:

L-R: Laura Mercier, Candlelight, Mary-Lou, Opal, Champagne Pop

Indirect sunlight: 

Natural light (indoors): 

Verdict

While I don't mind this highlighter, it's not my favourite for a few reasons.

First, it's quite a dry, dusty powder and I prefer my powders to be creamier. Sure, it's not as dry as the Laura Mercier bronzer I own (that's unbelievably dry), but it doesn't feel as soft and creamy as my other highlighters.

Of course, dryness doesn't always affect how powders perform, but in this case I feel it does: both my Laura Mercier powders look ok on my dry skin if I only use a little, but as soon as I try to build them, they look (and feel) dry on me and I don't like that. 

They look especially dry on my eyes (where we tend to build colour the most), which bothers me because I love using bronzers and highlighters on my eyes - but I don't with these because the formula isn't right for that on me. If you don't have dry skin then you probably won't notice this aspect, but I do.

Second, it's not the right colour for me. In the above photos you'll see that it looks rather similar to Kevyn Aucoin's Candlelight when swatched, but they don't look similar in the pan (Candlelight is more golden and this is more pink/beige) and they definitely don't look similar on the face. 

This one's more reflective than Candlelight and it has a metallic pearl/white sheen that's especially noticeable when it catches the light. It's this sheen, I think - more than the colour of the powder - that makes it not-quite-flattering on my light/medium to medium skintone. No doubt this is partly because I have strong yellow undertones, so warmer highlighters tend to suit me better and they also generally look more natural on me.

Third, I don't like the clunky, dated and cheap-feeling packaging. Yes it's the product that matters more than the packaging, but if I'm going to drop a decent chunk of money on something (these retail for $50 AUD at the moment, although from memory mine cost $42), then I want to enjoy the experience of using it. I want to pick up a heavy, well-made compact and feel that I'm using something luxurious.

I don't feel that with this. I feel as though I'm using something that should have cost less and I tend not to reach for my two Laura Mercier powders much because there's no ceremony attached to using them - at least, not for me. I've held budget products that feel more special than these do.

What I do like about this powder, however, is that it applies and blends well, and it's sheer enough that you can get a natural highlight without being too careful - but you can also build it so it looks more reflective. This makes it a versatile product that should suit people who prefer natural highlights as well as those who prefer more intense ones (and of course those who like both). 

In other news it lasts well on the skin (unlike the bronzer, which falls off my face within a few hours) and it also doesn't emphasise texture so that's a huge plus. And although I do notice tiny flecks of pearl/white shimmer in the pan and in swatches, I rarely notice these on my face so it should suit those who don't like glitter chunks in their highlights.

Overall I think this is a good product and my biggest gripe with it is that it's not the right shade for my skin. On some it may look more champagne, but with my very warm undertones, it looks too frosty/unnatural so it's not my favourite. I do however see why others love it - it's pretty, it doesn't emphasise texture and it's easy to use - so if it's the right colour for you, then it's definitely one to consider.

Worth testing.