Hello!
Since the much-awaited launch of Laura Mercier in Sephora, I've picked up a couple of base makeup products and one of the first things I bought practically immediately was the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer.
Housed in a nifty compact, the 2 shades of concealer provided - one a little darker than the other - allows consumers to mix and blend the closest shade of concealer they may require.
I find this really useful - uneven skintone, blemishes and under-eye circles are all in varying tones so this compact allows me to mix and blend shades that would work for all my skintone concerns. It takes a little guesswork and trial but after a while, you get used to it and can eyeball the mix.
There are 7 shades of Secret Camouflage concealer available in our local Sephoras - I use SC7
SC7 contains 2 warm tan shades - of the 2, one has a strong red-orange tone
To be honest, I was actually rather terrified of the deeper shade in the palette and used more of the lighter shade which is closer to my skintone.
However, I had the priviledge of Ace Makeup Artist Larry Yeo to show me how to make full use of both the shades - his advice to me was to use the deeper shade which has a redder, orangier tone to cancel out the green-greyness of my undereye circles and then, if and where needed, to blend a little of the lighter concealer shade. I realise that this actually works way better than struggling with a lighter shade. Of course, when I'm applying the deeper shade on my undereye area it looks a right fright initially but after blending, mixing and setting with powder, it turns out ok.
The texture of the concealer seems a little dry when you swatch it from the pan - I will confess that it felt so dry when I swatched it with my finger, I was convinced I had a dud piece that had dried out. However, picking up a little more of the concealer and actually applying it to your skin, reveals a smooth texture that can be easily blended. For my undereyes in particular, since I'm battling dry, rumpled skin, I also mix a little concealer-highlighter with the concealer - I pump out a little of either the Lancome Teint Miracle concealer pen or the Clarins Instant Light Perfector on the back of my hand and mix it into the concealer before application. As I set it with powder after application, I don't seem to experience any major creasing with the highlighters mixed in.
Speaking of applying and blending - the Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage has a specific tool created to aid application - the Secret Camouflage Brush
The Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage Brush is has a small tapered tip and it is the recommended tool to apply the concealer. The brush is good on a couple of levels:
- the bristles are just of right density where it picks up and holds enough concealer to apply on the skin the bristles don't "eat" up the product
- the fine tip and small size make it good for blending concealer onto blemishes - spot concealing is really pretty easy with this brush
- the bristles are of good quality - no poking, scratching or shedding so far.
Nonetheless, with my undereye area being the major headache and concealer-receipient, I find that the Secret Camoflage brush is a tad too small and I find myself needing to dab extensively and try to blend the concealer in; I had a couple of streaks several times and had to use my ring finger to pat and smooth it down. Perhaps it's just me though...
As you know - I'm not quite one to follow rules rigidly - for me, I just care about what works and what I'm comfortable using (or wielding in this case). After a couple of trials, I decided my favourite brush to apply the Secret Camouflage Concealer, especially around my undereye area, is the Sigma E60 - Large Shader (yes, I know it's actually an eyeshadow brush but it works for me so yay!)
The shape and density of the bristles is just perfect - I find that I can mix and apply the Secret Camouflage concealer smoothly and swiftly in gentle patting motions - the broad and flat tip of the brush also allows me to go right under my lower lashline for more even and complete coverage. Again, this is a good brush - smooth, not scratchy and no shedding so far.
As you can see from some of the shots above, I hit pan on the lighter shade of the concealer while there is a good dip in the deeper shade - I've technically not used any other concealer since I purchased this - I'm using it in all the recent LOTDs posted within the last 2 months (April and May) and I'm very happy with it.
It applies well, suits my skintone - and finding one that is red-orangey enough to cancel out the greyness in several other brands can be quite an ardous task. The Laura Mercier Secret Camoflage concealer lasts well throughout the day - with not much creasing or breaking down. It also does not have any adverse reaction to the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado that I use underneath my makeup.
Overall, I'm so glad I found this and also grateful that I've had the luxury of Larry showing me how to use it properly. Again, I'd like to point out - if you're swatching this in store, don't fear the seemingly dry and cakey texture - it actually blends well into the skin and works just as well when blended with some kind of highlighter-concealer pen like how I've been doing. If you're on the lookout for a new, hardworking concealer, be sure to check this one out.
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I hope this has been useful :)
Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend!
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Disclaimer: Product purchased with my own money. I am not affiliated to Laura Mercier; all opinions are my own and have not been influenced by anyone.
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