Product of the Week: Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Shadow in Burnished Copper

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The brown base I used to reach for all the time was MAC’s Constructivist Paint Pot, but if you’ve ever owned a pot shadow before, you’ll know they get dry over time and harden to the point where they’re almost impossible to work with.

I still use my Contructivist Paint Pot but I need to add a drop of silicone oil to sort of dissolve and thin it out before I can use it properly. 

Now, my local Sephora recently started stocking Laura Mercier products, so I grabbed the chance to buy a few of the cult products such as the Secret Camouflage concealer (I bought SC-2 and I really like it so far).

The other product I picked up was this Metallic Cream Eye Color in Burnished Copper.

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Verdict: (Summary if you don’t want to read the full details)

Great shadow intensifier and primer for those with dry-to-normal lids and love browns, but want to jazz it up a little by layering it with other shades, or getting that really intensely-rich chocolate smoky eye. Also good on a variety of skins, from light-to-deep, as this has enough red tones in it not to appear ashy or brassy on really dark skin tones. 

If you have porcelain skin, approach with caution as deep reddened browns can make you look like you got punched in the eye. A softer, more ashy brown would probably look better.

Texture-wise, I don’t think this will be very good for oily lids as it’s quite emollient, even though it sets and isn’t slippery like MAC Cream Color Bases.

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Price:

Now at USD$22 (I believe just under SGD40 in Singapore; I threw out my receipt and forgot!), I won’t call this the most affordable product on the market, but it’s also not more expensive than MAC, and a little bit does go a very long way with this. The texture is creamy and luxurious so it blends easily, and makes powder pigments go on a LOT more intensely on top. (Dry bases tend not to intensify color, although they last longer.)

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The shade/finish:

Now as the name suggests, this is a deep chocolate brown with a shot of coppery-red tones. Not so much that it actually looks russet, but enough to warm up the brown and make it more flattering for more skin tones.

It’s a metallic/pearl shade, but as you sheer it out, the sheen sort of fades.

There are a handful of other neutral shades, but I was primarily going to use this as a base and prefer non-shimmery finishes when using light eye shadow primers, so I gave those a miss.

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Texture:

Gel-creme, silky, and not so different from an Urban Decay eye shadow primer. Sets, but isn’t bullet-proof.

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Tips and Tricks for Use:

  1. Apply with a synthetic brush for easy blending and more precision, but this works with the fingers as well due to the creamy texture. It won’t be as cakey and streaky as a MAC Paint Pot if you choose to use your fingers.
  2. If you want to wear a little color in the day for work or school but don’t want to go overboard, then just apply a little colored shadow over this. You’ll get a neutral look with a twist.
  3. Pack glitter over this and you get lids that look neutral from far away but sparkle and glimmer up close!
  4. WARNING: If you want a rich brown, apply a matching chocolate brown shadow over it. Don’t try to layer on more Creme Shadow or it will crease!