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Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:41 pm  |
Here's my review of Laura Mercier's new Mineral Powder SPF 15, and how it compares to Alima. This is a description from LM's website "Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF 15 is a finely milled powder composed completely of natural elements with 15 active amino acids to clear the skin of toxins, promote healthy skin cell growth and fight the aging process. Oil-free and water-resistent, Mineral Powder SPF 15 can be applied as a buildable foundation or a pigmented powder."
My skin type
Oily, hormonal-chin-acne prone, large pores on T-zone. Have gotten clogged pores from Lauress, EDM, BE. No clogged pores from JI, Alima, LM. I can't seem to pinpoint the offending ingredient.
Colors (from lightest to darkest)
Real Sand- warm beige ivory/for fair to light skin tones
Tender Rose- pink ivory/for very fair skin tones
Rich Vanilla- true neutral beige/for medium to golden skin tones
Classic Beige- Warm beige for medium skin tones
Pure Honey- medium beige/medium for yellow & golden skin tones
When I first saw the list of shades, I was surprised there were only 5. I brought my Alima down to the LM counter and tested all shades next to Alima, and none were as yellow as my Alima W3. Fortunately, my MA who was Asian and had the same warm yellow-toned skin, said she was using Real Sand. As it looked great on her, I tried it and what do you know, it blends into my skin perfectly! I noticed that a lot of other people who bought this also got it in Real Sand, so it must be pretty universal. One word of caution though- since i'm a medium/light and the lightest shade is spot on for me, very light/pale skinned girls might not have much luck with this, since Tender Rose is just as dark but with more pink in it. As for which MMU matches me better, I would say both are equally good, just that Alima erases the red in my cheeks better since it's more yellow-toned (but then again LM's coverage is better so no contest here).
Price
Cdn$42 + tax at Holt Renfrew, US$35. Same pricepoint as Jane Iredale.
More expensive than Alima.
Ingredients
Active Ingredient - Zinc Oxide. Ingredient: Pearl Powder. May Contain (+/-): Mica (CI 77019), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
Pros- Surprisingly few ingredients for a commercial-brand MMU. Proper SPF rating of 15 and pearl powder!!! The pearl powder keeps my oily skin in balance, and since we all already know about the benefits of pearl powder from Mary and Carekate, so I don't have to get into it here. I personally think it's so great having pearl powder in my MMU.
Cons- Bismuth Oxychloride, for those who are allergic. Alima does not have Bismuth.
Packaging
This is where LM wins hands down. The sifter design is genius. There's a plastic cap on top that you could twist to reveal the sifter holes (just like some salt and pepper shakers), and then twist it shut when not in use. It's great knowing that powder won't spill everywhere if i pack it in my makeup bag. Another feature I like is that the cap is bigger and wider than Alima's, which means I don't have to transfer powder into a separate bowl to swirl my brush in. 
Texture & Finish
Ok here's the fun part. After wearing this for about a week, I have to say I'm just blown away, by how finely milled the powder is, how it goes on with a creamy satin finish, making my skin look so soft and ethereal. It is more glowy than Alima, which is great for me, because I love a subtle glow. Alima is matte on me, and I had to use a separate glowy finishing powder on top (Pure Luxe You Glow Girl, which is great by the way). With LM I can skip this extra step entirely. It is also less dry than Alima, it somehow just looks more creamy. I am a fan of the glowy radiant look, and LM gives me the right amount of glow, not sparkly, just a hint of shimmer under soft lighting. You can't see the glow under natural light, which is good because it looks natural and you don't get the tin-man effect that plagues BE users. However, LM does cling on to flakes, which is characteristic of any powder, so moisturize or use a good primer underneath. Since Alima was my HG, you must be wondering what made me look for another MMU. Due to a recent horrible breakout from EpidermxII, I was looking for heavy coverage foundation as Alima wasn't cutting it for me. I went to LM's website because I knew she had a heavy-coverage Silk Creme foundation, but stumbled upon the MMU instead. What sold me was the pearl powder of course. Well, the coverage of LM is better than Alima's. It's not enough to cover acne and scars on its own, but with concealer underneath, my blemishes are virtually undetectable, even under natural light. The coverage is extremely buildable and it takes A LOT to look caked on, but you don't need to do that as the coverage it provides needs only one layer. Heavier coverage can also be achieved by using a primer underneath, enabling the powder to cling to something to spread uniformly. Since it is so finely-milled, it looks completely natural, and has the been the least 'powdery' MMU i've tried. Since I always use a primer to maximize my coverage, I don't have the pooling-into-pores-look problem. Also, it doesn't highlight lines (I get those around my mouth when I smile), unlike Youngblood.
Skin Reactions
I have no skin issues with both LM and Alima- both did not clog my pores or break me out.
Lasting Power
Lasting power is about the same for both. I test lasting power by seeing how my face looks at the end of the day, how it looks after a hot bath and after blotting with blotting paper. Both held up equally well. Of course when i blot with blotting paper it removes a good amount of makeup off my face, but the amount of touch-up I have to do is less than say, Everyday Minerals which blots to nothing. I have also experienced no change in colour as the day wears on.
Conclusion
While Alima has been great, I will stick to LM because it outperforms Alima in terms of coverage, packaging, ingredients, and finish. I am very happy with this and I'm sure there will soon be many very satisfied LM users once they get a color-match. |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:12 pm |
fine, this is review is the last straw. my credit card is squealing in pain because it knows I'll want a new $40 brush to go with it and a sweater if I order from nordstrom.
but LM products always always always match my skin tone so well and I really have been looking for an MMU for this summer. I suppose I don't need to post my justifications, do I? |
_________________
mid 20's, dry in winter, combo in summer, acne prone, dehydrated, rarrrr! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:13 pm |
No you don't  Don't forget to rave about it here!
ETA: I was tempted to buy LM's blending brush which the MA used to apply the MMU on me. It really did look sooo good, but yeah my credit card couldn't take it.  |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:24 pm |
Dollbird, thank you for the great review. I too will have to buy this stuff (my DH is gonna take my CC away  ).
Question - which primer and concealer do you use with this?
Also, do they sell samples at Holt Renfrew? What's the price?
Thanks, R.  |
_________________
44, oily T-zone, acne prone (PCOS) ~ Baby Q & Tanda (blue light) ~ Karin Herzog (Oxy Face, Vita-A-Kombi 2, Vitamin H, Eye cream) ~ PSF (Cramberry Eye Gel) ~ Pearl/Silk powder primer and mist ~ L2K ~ MMU |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:26 pm |
| This was an awesome review. Defintely had me convined. Thanks! |
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Chicago.23, asian normal to combination skin |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:28 pm |
OKAY OKAY OKAY -- I give!!! 
This is my last try at MMU!!!
Dollbird -- I no longer have my Alima samples. I'm pretty sure I was about a N3-W3. I normally wear Nude in the o/f LM Tinted Moist. I'm somewhere between light and medium with yellow undertones.
My coloring is like Ann Curry http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8418780/. MA's always take one look at me and assume that I'm medium when, in fact, I'm fairly pale.
With all of this info, does it sound like the Real Sand would be my color (I promise to not hold you responsible if I need to exchange it)...
TIA
Marla |
_________________
Age 41; Oily; Acne prone; Resilient; Currently loving Tazorac, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate and Deep Tissue Repair; Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:31 pm |
Great review.
When I went to the LM counter, the SA told me that if I don't wear foundation underneath this than apply loose powder to set my skin and than apply the LM MMU. But I've always applied the silk pearl powder first. So I would apply the LM primer, brush on silk pearl powder than their MMU than silk pearl powder again than the very end spray Caudalie grape water. My skin is much less oily as before compared to uglogirl and I did the same procedure. Many times with UGG, my skin would look powdery but not with LM.
I agree, it doesn't acne scars that great but the finishing results are so natural looking. I agree that the design of the sifter is great. This is definitely a keeper.  The brush the SA used to apply the mmu, I was tempted to buy it too. It felt so nice and I think it picked up more of the mmu than the brush I have at home. But I just ordered some brushes from Lumiere and bought the Clarisonic facial brush. Ugh! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:31 pm |
| rubby wrote: |
Dollbird, thank you for the great review. I too will have to buy this stuff (my DH is gonna take my CC away ).
Question - which primer and concealer do you use with this?
Also, do they sell samples at Holt Renfrew? What's the price?
Thanks, R. |
Hi Rubby. I bought LM Oil-free Primer together with the MMU, just because the MA used this primer underneath before buffing in the powder and I've never seen my skin look so soft and poreless before. A bonus is that it's silicone-free and so it hasn't broken me out. Since the primer is expensive for the amount you get, I save it for special occasions and would like to try a more natural pearl cream next. I have a lot of acne scars and the combo of this MMU and LM's Flawless Fix concealer pencil (easy spot-on application and great coverage), I can now feel more confident about my skin since it's literally flawless!
As far as I know, they don't sell samples at Holt but will make one for you to bring home to try if you request it. HTH! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:34 pm |
| Hi Dollbird, Thanks for the great comparasion. I guess I'll be stopping by Nordstrom's on the way home to check out Laura Mercier's MMU. I have liked her stuff in the past. I have been getting samples from Alima and UGloGirl, but now I'll have to try this as well. |
_________________
Early 50s, blonde hair (natural) with red streaks (mid-life crisis), blue eyes, fair skin, small pores, very dry skin, some pigmentation (thanks to growing up in Miami), starting to see fine lines. Love my NuFace and Quasar SP and the CPs and Retin A are working as well. |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:09 pm |
fantastic review!! I'm absolutely loving this stuff as well...it even stands up against the harshest, most unflattering lighting (as I discovered today)...The powder doesn't look superior to other popular MMUs out there but WOW is there ever a difference when you put it on...I found it practically goof-proof...I imagine that this will be blowing off the shelves everwhere!
Puds |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:20 pm |
Thank you for your comprehensive review.
I'm hoping they do this in Australia and I'll check it out on Thursday. I'm getting my brows done at the MAC counter in David Jones(next door to LM  ). |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 4:44 pm |
| marla wrote: |
OKAY OKAY OKAY -- I give!!!
This is my last try at MMU!!!
Dollbird -- I no longer have my Alima samples. I'm pretty sure I was about a N3-W3. I normally wear Nude in the o/f LM Tinted Moist. I'm somewhere between light and medium with yellow undertones.
My coloring is like Ann Curry http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8418780/. MA's always take one look at me and assume that I'm medium when, in fact, I'm fairly pale.
With all of this info, does it sound like the Real Sand would be my color (I promise to not hold you responsible if I need to exchange it)...
TIA
Marla |
Hi Marla! Yup Real Sand sounds like a match for you, especially if you're in the 3 range in darkness for Alima. I would say Real Sand is a closer match to N3 than W3 since it's less yellow than W3. You sound like the exact same coloring as me, light to medium with yellow undertone. Let me know how it works out!
For color reference, here's me wearing Real Sand.  |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:10 pm |
| sorry repeat post |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 5:58 pm |
Really great review, thankyou.  dollbird - a great pic!
I'm Fairly Light Neutral and like to wear Golden Fair. ( EDM colours)
HATE wearing beige toned make up. I'm dying to get down to SpaceNK and look at this stuff in person - but my children are on school holiday for two weeks!!!!
Do you think there is a LM shade here for me?
It sounds like a must - have mu! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:13 pm |
Thanks for the review, dollbird! You look soooo cute!! Too bad I won't be able to use LM.. since it has bismuth which would break me out.  From the website, Real Sand looks so light.. is it light like that in real life? I'm in between N3 and N4 for Alima.. And from the picture I saw on the LM website, real sand looks light.  |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:24 pm |
| catski wrote: |
Really great review, thankyou. dollbird - a great pic!
I'm Fairly Light Neutral and like to wear Golden Fair. ( EDM colours)
HATE wearing beige toned make up. I'm dying to get down to SpaceNK and look at this stuff in person - but my children are on school holiday for two weeks!!!!
Do you think there is a LM shade here for me?
It sounds like a must - have mu! |
catski, those are the colors I wear as well in EDM, and we figured out I would be real sand in LM. I just ordered it today, and I'll be sure to report back. I am also not a fan of beigy-ness (The EDM fairly light neutral was more my color but I wore golden fair even though it was a touch too light just because it wasn't so dead beige). |
_________________
mid 20's, dry in winter, combo in summer, acne prone, dehydrated, rarrrr! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:29 pm |
| Lisey wrote: |
| Thanks for the review, dollbird! You look soooo cute!! Too bad I won't be able to use LM.. since it has bismuth which would break me out. From the website, Real Sand looks so light.. is it light like that in real life? I'm in between N3 and N4 for Alima.. And from the picture I saw on the LM website, real sand looks light. |
Thank you Lisey! Real Sand is actually a tad darker than it looks in the website. I thought it was going to be too light for me but it's not. You should try it, since no one has reported any breakouts yet. |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:31 pm |
| Catski, I second waffle's suggestion about Real Sand. It's not dead beige or else I wouldn't be able to wear it. It's got some gold in it too. |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:40 pm |
| dollbird wrote: |
For color reference, here's me wearing Real Sand. |
OMG!! You are gorgeous Dollbird !
And you say there are acne scars underneath the MMU  ? I must try this stuff  !! |
_________________
44, oily T-zone, acne prone (PCOS) ~ Baby Q & Tanda (blue light) ~ Karin Herzog (Oxy Face, Vita-A-Kombi 2, Vitamin H, Eye cream) ~ PSF (Cramberry Eye Gel) ~ Pearl/Silk powder primer and mist ~ L2K ~ MMU |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:51 pm |
Thanks rubby! Yes my chin is ridden with acne scars. This (and concealer) pretty much makes them invisible.
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*Newsflash for Vancouver ladies*- the Laura Mercier blending blush that is recommended for application is sold out at Holt Renfrew and has a waiting list. |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:15 pm |
Excellent review Dollbird! Thanks for enabling.
You look wonderful with the LM on, is your skin naturally so flawless? |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:17 pm |
I can not see a picture.
What am I doing wrong? |
_________________
Early 50s, Skin: combin.,semi-sensitive, fair with occasional breakouts, some old acne scars, freckles, under-eye wrinkles; Redhead with hazel eyes |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:18 pm |
A question for you Uglogirl users out there...
For those of you who have tried both the LM and UGG foundations, how do you find the coverage differs?
I have tried UGG, but found that the coverage was way too minimal, no matter how many layers I used. I like a medium coverage foundation by the way. I am hoping that LM will provide better coverage than the UGG did. Thanks in advance! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:33 pm |
| dollbird wrote: |
Thanks rubby! Yes my chin is ridden with acne scars. This (and concealer) pretty much makes them invisible.
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*Newsflash for Vancouver ladies*- the Laura Mercier blending blush that is recommended for application is sold out at Holt Renfrew and has a waiting list. |
I ordered the brush from sephora, I'll post back when it arrives to tell you all if it's worth the $40 I indugently dropped on it...although I've been applying my powder with a blush brush torn out of a Lola display (no I didn't steal it) from 4 years ago so I feel justified. |
_________________
mid 20's, dry in winter, combo in summer, acne prone, dehydrated, rarrrr! |
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Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:30 pm |
| Ahh waffle, one can never have too many brushes! Besides, no MMU is good without a good brush. I have the MAC 182 buffer brush, which is pretty high up there in the brush food chain, but even this cannot replicate the buttery soft flawless finish that the Laura Mercier MA gave me with LM's blending brush. After much credit card angst I have put myself on the waiting list for the brush at the LM counter, and eagerly await your review. |
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