7.09.2013

Laura Mercier Fall 2013 Dark Spell Collection Review, Photos, Swatches, Comparisons



Laura Mercier's Dark Spell collection has been popular with so many of you, and after playing with the products, I can see why. In two weeks, I will be creating a video review and tutorial with the products I splurged on. I am waiting for one of the backordered products to arrive at Nordstrom, but I am very excited to share the information I have in the meantime. See more details and all swatches after the jump!


The Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Black Spirit ($24 USD) is one product I will go back for because the black is truly matte. Even though I was a little disappointed at the slight chalkiness, the color is rich and does not require much layering for full opacity. Laura Mercier's Baked Eye Colors have always performed well on my eyes when paired with primers, so I am glad to see her offer one without shimmer. Black Spirit is a darker version of MAC's Typographic eyeshadow, though the Matte2 shadow formula gives Typographic a softer texture. The Dark Spell's Baked Eyeshadows ($22 USD) include Mystical, a black with lots of shimmery silver, and Magical, a shimmery white with black graphic line detailing (see stock photos below). I am waiting to see Mystical in person before I decide it is worth the investment. 

NOTE: I did purchase the Spellbound Face Illuminator ($42 USD), but I will review it later this week individually because I have too many comparison swatches to take! Thanks for your patience. 


The Supreme Black Kohl Eye Liner ($24 USD) was incredibly pigmented and creamy. I, however, had to pass on this eyeliner because it would not set. I prefer the crisp eyeliner look. The smudging of this ultra creamy product would give me panda eyes and drive me insane. This kohl should be wildly popular since it is even more inky black in color than Guerlain's, but keep in mind this product is ideal for a messy smoky eye. Apply, blend out, and dust over your work with a black powder eyeshadow for long lasting power. 

TANGENT: Laura Mercier's new Longwear Creme Eye Pencils ($24 USD) are not part of the Dark Spell collection, but I went ahead and swatched all the testers that were available since I had not seen any buzz on the web. Cobalt and Slate were MIA, but those are the two I had no interest in. I will likely go back for Violet and Noir. The Violet is very true to color, not too red or blue and finally.. one without shimmer! Purples inherently require more work to achieve full coverage color but the creaminess of the formula makes the Longwear Creme eyeliner a must-have. I am curious to see how they will stand up against my current Holy Grail eyeliner, the Armani Waterproof Smooth Silk pencil.


The Caviar Stick Eye Color in Smoke ($24 USD) is a charcoal with silver shimmer. I own several Caviar Sticks and all are supremely creamy and long lasting. The shimmer in this adhered to the skin beautifully. If you own the Summer 2013 Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow in Black Stream, it would be redundant to purchase this, even though I personally prefer the texture of the Laura Mercier. These Caviar Sticks do not have the water-based "cooling effect" of the Chanel Stylo Eyeshadows, but they do not smudge as easily on oily lids. 

The testers of the first display were incorrectly placed, so the Merlot lipstick and Rose Flush lipgloss are not in the first set of swatches. They are displayed below. I'm not sure what the pink lipstick swatched above is called, but it is another Smooth Lip Creme ($26 USD). Angelic is a wearable nude with a hint of pink. Considering how pale the shade is, Angelic swatched evenly. Merlot is a gorgeous dark berry. I loved it, but I purchased one of the new Rouge Nouveau Weightless Lip Colors in a neutral color (review to come soon) instead because I knew I would not get much mileage out of Merlot.


Laura Mercier glosses in general are very, very good. These Dark Spell Lip Plumpers ($30 USD) are fantastic. Charmed is a milky pink with just a little bit of shimmer and Rose Flush is a medium rose without shimmer. Though I loved both shades, I did not purchase either of them. I dislike plumping agents in my glosses and refuse pay the premium for ingredients I do not even want. Charmed is more my style, and it is the one worn on the model at the top of this post, but Rose Flush is a perfectly work-appropriate shade. It is also ideal for brides.


Last but not least are the Nail Lacquers ($18 USD). I will review Bewitched later on since I purchased one for the video tutorial, but I wanted to show you comparisons of both shades from Dark Spell. Laura Mercier changed her polish bottle this season in case you hadn't noticed. I was fond of the chunky old bottle, but this revamped edition is more streamlined and has a removable top cap like Chanel and Dior polishes. 

Bewitched is a deep forest green with tons of golden and green shimmer. I will photograph it in full sunlight outdoors next time, but today, we will focus on Forbidden since I did not purchase it. Forbidden is a silky silver taupe. Tom Ford's Platinum Smoke is warmer, contains larger shimmer particles and does not accentuate streaking nearly as much. I feel that Forbidden's finish is most similar to the look of a Chanel nail polish like Sky Line. A steady hand is required. The base of the color of Forbidden is very cool, so I find this color draws attention to the ashiness of my hands. It reminds of Chanel's Diwali in the bottle (see below), but they are nothing alike on the nails.


Bottom Line: This sultry and smoky Laura Mercier collection has just enough warmth to make all the pieces universally flattering, but I highly recommend you check out the sure sell-out Spellbound Face Illuminator as well as the Bewitched Nail Lacquer and the Rose Flush Lip Plumper first. 
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4 comments:

  1. thank you for review, I´m impressed of such intense colours by Laura Mercier

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  2. So far this is my favorite fall collection, along with Urban Decay and Nars. I was disappointed with Chanel and Dior's campaign. I can't wait to see swatches of "Spellbound" how do you think it would fair on deeper skin tones? I hope it doesn't make me look ashy.

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  3. I sometimes feel Laura Mercier is an underhyped brand, I've found so much great stuff from this brand that I'm surprised I rarely find posts on it. This collections is particular stunning, I'm really looking forward the highlighter, and seems I need to take a look at the rest of the collection when it arrives here in Mexico.

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  4. Gorgeous! I'm sure the Rose Flush lip gloss will look beautiful on top of the other unnamed lip stick! :) Thanks for sharing!

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