Feature Friday: Laura Mercier

Hello and welcome to another edition of “Feature Friday”, a little series here on my blog in which I showcase a makeup brand or products I believe deserve your attention. If you missed last week’s feature be sure to click here for the full story! This will be the third installment of this series and I am happy to be writing about a brand I truly love. I had never heard of or even had this brand on my radar until about 9 years ago when I started to watch beauty gurus on YouTube. I believe the first product I ever tested out from this brand was her eyeshadows. I had heard how beautiful and pigmented they were so I said to myself I have to check out these products and I have never looked back since.

Lets start with a little background history on this cosmetic and skincare company as I like to always give you a full spectrum story of the brand as a whole. It’s interesting to learn how these companies came to be such huge industry influencers. So I am sure you all know that Laura Mercier, the person, is a well known and renounced makeup artist, what you may not have known is that she was born in Aries, France and her real name is actually Michele Mercier. She studied in art school in Paris, naturally, but not for makeup as you may guess. She actually joined to learn how to paint and draw. It wasn’t till later she discovered beauty and makeup. A little trivia here for you, the Salon where she worked and learned at in Paris actually gave her the name “Laura” so as to not confuse her with an actress, of the same name as her real name, that frequented the salon as a client.

Laura, as she was dubbed, moved to NYC in 1985 to work as a makeup artist at Elle Magazine America. She was also hired as Madonna’s personal makeup artist following a Vogue Magazine shoot with the infamous singer herself.  Her career skyrocketed from this point on, working on campaigns for The Gap and Chanel. Later in 1996, Janet Gurwitch, former VP of Neiman Marcus, founded Laura Mercier Cosmetics and the rest is history as they say.

Since then Laura has worked as the exclusive makeup artist to Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, and Juliette Binoche. Laura is known for creating looks that are both flawless and accentuate one’s natural beauty and I will have to agree. If you have ever tried her Translucent setting powder you would know. That product will make you look airbrushed and flawless in less than a minute! Laura always intended for her line of beauty products to cater to all age groups and I would say this is quite accurate as well. I think women of all ages could truly benefit and enjoy her products, not just makeup, but her skincare as well. Laura creates timeless makeup products and refuses to cater into seasonal sensationalized goods. I think this approach makes her unique in the industry and definitely a stand out among makeup brands.

Lets move on to reviewing some of her products. Now I will say, I am a bit bias on these because they are some of my favorite and ones that truly work well on my skin. This is not to say they wont do the same for you, but I want you to know I truly enjoy these products. Now let me tell you why:

LM Smooth Finish Flawless Fluid Foundation ($48) 5/5 star rating: let me start by describing to you my skin type. I have oily, combination skin and one of my biggest makeup challenges is finding foundation that wont break apart on my oily zones. This foundation claims to be a longwearing, oil free foundation that magically blurs the lines between real skin and makeup. You guys, let me tell you the instant this foundation set on my skin I did a double take at how beautiful my skin looked! I mean it was flawless and even my little feckless were covered on a single first pass with a light application. The foundation is exactly as it sounds very fluid and needs to be shaken very well before applying, but I have to say the way it wears and the length of time it stays flawless is actually very impressive. It lasted about 6-8 hours and would have lasted longer except I pretty much take my face off after 8hours lol! I highly recommend this foundation for oily, to normal, to combo skin. If you are dry I would use a good moisturizing primer before, but honestly this foundation would even work well on your skin type. It is so fluid and velvet that it won’t make you look pasty or dry. A definite must try!

LM Eye Art Artist’s Palette ($55) 5/5:  What can I say about this palette other than it is truly magnificent. It has a very lovely array of shimmers and matte shades along with color tones ranging from dark to light purples and pinks, and two dark almost black colors that help balance the palette well for just about any look you can create. I absolutely love the pigmentation on these shadows. They are creamy, buttery, smooth, blend-able, all of the above. If you want a great palette for everyday looks and work appropriate looks this is your baby. You can also create some lovely smoky looks for eveningwear. I think the versatility of this palette is infinite.

LM Translucent Loose Setting Powder ($38) 4/5: This powder looks and feels like many other setting powders, but what sets it apart is that is will never ever leave you looking like a ghost in flash photography. One thing a makeup artist like Laura Mercier knows is that makeup needs to look incredible under any lighting and this loose setting powder does exactly that! It will make your skin look flawless pore less and with no white overcast. The magic of makeup really shines in this product. It claims to prolong the length of your foundation without looking cakey or powdery and I have to say that is 100% true. So you may be asking why did I not give it a five stars and the answer is because it does not provide oil control, but I can overlook that to say this is a wonderful setting powder and I highly recommend it.

LM Baked Blush Bronze Compact ($40) 4/5: Lastly, but surely not least, is this beautifully crafted blush bronzer duo! I absolutely love this product, it gives your skin a healthy bronzed glow and because it has pink undertones it doesn’t make you look muddy or orange. It is the right balance. The only this I dislike is that the beautiful marble effect fades with use. Other than that it’s a beautiful, soft, and smooth looking bronzer on the skin. Truly finely mild and applies beautifully.

I have thoroughly enjoyed testing out and using these products and am so happy to have discovered such an incredible brand. If you could only afford one of these products I would go for the foundation, because in terms of high-end it’s on the more affordable side and it literally will make you look Flawless! Mercier is not kidding around when it comes to these products. She creates good stuff and you wont regret shelling out any kind of money for any of these products. Lastly, I just want to say this is not a sponsored post and all my reviews are strictly my opinion based off of my own personal use of these products. I am not trying to sell you here, I just literally admire and think these products are wonderful and worth investing in!

I hope you have enjoyed this review and I hope to see you all back soon. Leave me a comment if you wish and be sure to stay connected with me through all social media below. If you want more Looks By Li be sure to follow me on Bloglovin! Hope you all have a safe and happy Friday! Till next week, STAY CHIC EVERYBODY!

Facebook: Looks By Li

Twitter: Looks By Li

Instagram: LiButterfly

How to Wear Silver Prints and White Sneakers

Hello my beauties and welcome to Looks By Li! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I wanted to delve into some of the hottest trends currently overtaking the Spring season in fashion this year. More and more I am seeing metallic silver and gold prints on every type of fabrics you can imagine accompanied by white sneakers, not always together, but also separately. Though these aren’t your typical colors for Spring they still bring out a sort of transitional style from fall into a more colorful season.  

 

It seems metallic fabrics are making their way to all types of clothing and accessories so don’t worry about strutting those flashy colors till late at night, this Spring it’s all about the metallic and white sneakers look. I want to show you some fun and easy ways to combine these metallic fabrics and white sneakers into looks together or separate if you desire.

If someone would have told me last year that metallic knits would be topping everyone’s fall shopping list, I would have told them they had flown off their rocker. But this trend has definitely seen an evolution and mature rise since the days of sequin tops and skirts on our way from the office to cocktail hour. See how you can style this trend for work, date nights, weekends, or pretty much every style mood of the season.

For the Trendsetter:

I am a huge fan of mixing trends together so I took these very popular looks and combined them into one look. One of the most popular white sneaker looks at the moment is the iconic Adidas Superstars and pairing them with just about any look. I went with my White Converse Classic Chuck Taylor’s and paired them with this metallic infused grey sweater top from ZARA and black leggings from Forever21 to balance the contrast of bright fabrics with a more demure hue. I would have loved to also pair the look with a metallic handbag, but since I am currently in the market for one, my Louis Vuitton Alma BB in Damier Ebene had to do the trick.

For the Working Hipster:

Blazers can elevate a look to business casual in one fail swoop. You could easily wear a metallic blazer with a white or black boyfriend shirt and jeans. But for this look we went with the metallic pants, white boyfriend top and black blazer paired and topped off with black sandals. Although I would substitute the sandals for black Oxfords or Loafers. This compete look can be found at Forever 21.

The New Bohemian:

I absolutely love the boho look! I think it can be very dressy and causal all at the same time. For this look, though it is not pictured, I would pair this metallic boho style dress with a medium wash jean jacket and black heels to make the look casual. For a more dressy and night out alternative substitute the jean jacket for a black mid-length blazer or black solid print kimono. This complete look can be found at Forever 21.

Lastly, I want to close by saying I was not sponsored to do this and I happen to simply love forever 21 for trendy, affordable fashion which is why I used a lot of their pieces! I hope I have inspired you to incorporate more metallic accents into your style and till next time, stay chic everyone!

Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin for all the latest at Looks By Li and send me comments on how you are incorporating silver, and gold metallic prints into your own wardrobe! Love you all thank you so much for following!

Wednesday Wishlist: A Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Hello everyone and welcome back to Looks By Li! Hope everyone is having a fantastic Humpday! I do a little series on my blog every Wednesday called the “Wednesday Wishlist”. In this series I discuss things I might be looking into getting, regarding fashion pieces or makeup items I have been dying to try, or simply things I think you guys should pay attention to. Two weeks ago I did a wishlist telling you all about what I wanted to pick up from the Sephora VIB sale. This week I want to turn over all the attention to our moms. Mother’s day is quickly approaching, and is officially set for May 8^th this year. I have a few ideas up my sleeve about what I want to get the number one woman in my life, but I wanted to make this post about a broader range of gifts you guys might want to look into for your own special mom.

When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts I always recommend going to the mall. You will be surprised how inspired you get with displays all set up for the big Mother’s Day celebration. I especially love Sephora, Victoria’s Secret, and Ulta for days like these, when I need a gift I know she will love and wont totally set my bank account dry. I will divide gifts into categories and give you some tips on what to look for or shop for when you start your hunt for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. I will list items of various ranges from beauty, to fashion, and everything in between. Hopefully this way I manage to cover every mother personality possible and also give you a variety of price ranges for those of you out there who are more budget conscious.

Now as I stated before I am partial to three stores in particular so I might highlight many products that can easily be found there, but rest assured you don’t have to stick to only these three. Lets begin with each category.

First up Fragrances: I don’t know about you guys, but my mother LOVES perfume! I don’t know any other woman that has a collection quite like hers, not even myself. Here are some of the fragrances I think will be most appealing to moms out there and they all have a very distinct note.

 

1.) Pleasures by Estee Lauder Value Set at Macy’s now for only $88: One of life’s simple pleasures this perfume, like its name, has a fresh as flowers scent of Spring rain with a spirited blend of lilies, white peonies, jasmine and Baie Rose. In this value set you’ll get a full size perfume, shower gel and body lotion all in the same beautiful scent! If you are on a budget, but still want to get mom something she will think you spend a million bucks on, then value sets are the way to go!

2.) Sephora Favorites Deluxe Perfume Sampler ($65): In this set you will get nine samples of some of the most sought-after women's perfumes. The best part is after you chose your favorite you can redeem a voucher that also comes included in this gift box for a full size bottle of that perfume at no extra coast! Talk about a gift that keeps on giving. The sampler contains: Atelier Cologne Sud Magnolia, Burberry My Burberry, Chloe Love Store, Dolce &Gabbana Light Blue, Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black and White, Gucci Bamboo, Philosophy Fragrance Amazing grace, and Tory Burch by Tory Burch Eau de Parfum.

 

3.) Heavenly Eau de Parfum by Victoria’s Secret $52: This scent is described as white musk; sandalwood infused with vanilla and white peony notes. This is one of my mom’s personal favorites and top sellers at Victoria’s secret and for good reason. Its light, fresh smelling and the scent lingers on for a good 5-6 hours.

The next Category up is my personal favorite, Makeup: If your mom is anything like mine she is a huge fan of powders and lipsticks. I have to admit though, my mom is very minimalist when it comes to makeup so I recommend you select gifts appropriate for your mom’s own taste. Here are some of my recommendations:

1.) Bare Minerals Get Started Kit ($49): This kit is sold at Sephora and I have to say its perfect for the minimalist mom and those who like a more natural look to their makeup. I know some women really enjoy this line of makeup and prefer it to regular liquid foundations, due to the natural look and feel and finely milled face powder that glides on smoothly, evens out your skin tone, and makes you look air brushed! Now who doesn’t want to look 10 years younger, raise your hands people! Palettes are also a great gift for mom’s who do love to venture and put on a full face of makeup.

2.) Hanging Travel and Lingerie Bag from Victoria’s Secret ($42): Is the traveling mom’s best companion. Not only will she be able to store her unmentionables, but it holds makeup too. Two gifts in one, BONUS, if you ask me! A great gift for mom’s who still work and travel a lot for business or leisure.

Last, but never the least, Category is Fashion: For practical mom’s who love a beautiful garment on their special day I recommend checking out some incredible sales at Macy’s and JC Penny’s going on right now, with their Friends and Family discounts! My mom is a huge fan of footwear as a gift on Mother’s Day. Some of the hottest trends right now that might suit your moms just fine are comfortable, casual, and beach-y espadrilles!

1.) Espadrilles by Sperry at Macy’s ($60): The cape espadrille flats from Sperry are simply darling and come in various prints and colors! I absolutely love this shoe to gift for that fashionista mom who loves comfort, but still wants a little pop of something special on her feet.

2.) Slip-On Shoes by Sperry at Macy’s ($75): Who doesn’t love the ease and comfort of just simply slipping on your shoes and still making it look like you put some effort into what you put on your feet? Monochrome slip on shoes are all the rage and trend right now and I am sure any mom would be thrilled to have a pair of these comfy, yet trendy shoes. The Sperry seaside slip-on sneakers are just what the doctor ordered for those moms who want to take a break from those 5-inch heels they strut day in and day out.

3.) Sandals by Tory Burch at Nordstrom ($195): The miller flip-flop from Tory Burch is the perfect picture of elegance and a comfortable, classy sandal all in one. This is one of the fancier and more lavish gifts on my gift guide so if you want to splurge and spoil your mom this year Tory Burch is the way to go! Check out all her footwear at Nordstrom.

And that is all folks! I hope you enjoyed this Mother’s Day Wishlist Gift Guide and I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Day! If you have any comments or would like more recommendations please don’t hesitate to send me a message or contact me on any of my social media platforms! Be sure to follow me on BlogLovin for quick notifications on all new posts! Thank you all for sticking with me through this somewhat long post! Love you all!