Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation is a bit of a blogger fave isn’t it? Though it’s actually a foundation that I’ve never tried. That’s not to say I’ve been tempted – I have – though each time I went to swatch it I could never find an easy colour match and the formula seemed a little thick and matte for my tastes. Well Mercier has recently had a bit of a rejig of her foundation line and repackaged the original Silk Creme up as the Silk Creme Oil Free Photo Edition Foundation and released a new dewier version of it – the Silk Creme Moisturising Photo Edition Foundation. Oh it’s all very exciting. A dewy, full coverage affair? I came, I swatched, I purchased. Here are the deats…
THE GOOD: It’s full coverage but without looking obvious. There’s a dewiness to the formula which isn’t too much that it needs powdering or that there’s a shimmer to it or anything like that, but it leaves a touch of sheen on the skin which catches the light when you move your face (an effect I’ve tested for about five minutes in the mirror while trialling this foundation, it’s quite addictive). It’s also really long-lasting and so it automatically becomes a good year-round choice, but one that lends itself to the warmer months when everything else melts off your cheeks on the tube, while this stays in place without the stereotypical matte ‘ridiculously long-lasting but you look like a doll’ finish. It covers redness and blemishes pretty well and I didn’t feel the need to slap on the concealer after, or highlighter actually. Props to the packaging as well. There’s nothing bulky about it; the plastic squeezy tube makes it easy to lug around if required and it dispenses product in a controlled way that means it’s not going to find its way onto your white top in a dramatic fashion.
THE BAD: I’d say the colour range is a little sketchy. It’s not that it’s not vast, because it is, it’s more that I personally struggled to find a good match. I thought I had it but then it turned out too be a bit too pink or too yellow. I settled in the end for Ivory (which is a good-ish match for those who are a B20 in CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua or a 4 in Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk), but in some lights it can still look a little yellow. The only thing is the amount of blending that this guy needs. I’m used to whacking on my sheerer formulas with my fingers or a Louise Young LY34 Brush in a matter of seconds, but given the coverage and thick texture it requires a bit more work. I find the LY34 with the final step of using my fingers to make sure it’s really pressed into the skin the best tactic, though this slightly laborious routine means it’s not one I’m going to reach for when I’m in a rush. It’s also worth noting that although you know you’re getting yourself into a full coverage situation here, for daily tinted moisturisers wearers the finish does take a bit of getting used to. It’s like – ‘woah’ – each time you look in a mirror.
There’s thankfully no ugly side to this foundation and given the love that’s lavished on the original Silk Creme I see this being quite a hit as it slots into a category of finish and formula that isn’t really catered for much in the foundation world. Just warm those wrists up for some serious blending…
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