Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Review

Skin tone: Fair-light, yellow-neutral undertones
Skin type: Oily-sensitive, acne prone

Hello, friends!
How are you doing today? I am here today to talk about my latest love, a concealer. Thankfully, I am yet to notice dark circles or other pigmentation on skin, though my occasional zits and their scars are always unwanted guests who always knock when I least expect. Thanks to Laura Mercier, I know how to make those nasty zits and uneven skin tone vanish from my face. However, it is not an easy deal. Let’s read on to find more about Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in the shade SC-5!

Price:
$35 for 0.20 Oz, exclusive of shipping and tax

Product Description:
What it is:
A two-shade concealer that can be color-customized to address your tone and imperfections.

What it does:
A beauty editor and makeup artist favorite, this customizable concealer naturally and completely covers dark circles, blemishes, scars, minor imperfections, and discolorations with a unique two-shade system. One shade is formulated to match skin’s depth of color, while the other matches skin’s undertone. This dual-shade camouflage makes it possible for everyone to custom-blend her own perfect shade. Always apply after foundation; the high-level of pigment requires very little product to achieve perfect coverage that lasts for up to eight hours.

My Experience with Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage:

The two-shade concealer comes in a sleek and opaque compact packaging with a flip top opening and an additional cushiony film to protect the contents. I miss the applicator with this packaging, rest is fine as I absolutely adore this user-friendly and travel-friendly compact.

Surprisingly, the shade selection is a bit misleading online as this concealer is available in some 8 shades ranging from SC1 to SC8 covering every particular skin tone and undertones as well. I say so because ideally I would match SC2 (fair, light skin tones) as per their online description, but my closest match came out to be SC5 which is described as a shade intended for tanned dark skin. I feel it would be better to swatch it first in the store and then try it.

Coming over to its texture, it is definitely not the very creamy or gel formula I have noticed in concealers. It feels like a matte dry and a bit waxy cream in the pan which needs tricks and tips to work on our skin type, to be frank. It has two pans. The bigger side contains a light beige concealer while the narrower side has a subtle orange corrector shade which seems good enough for balancing dark eye circles or bluish pigmentation. Honestly, it took me some efforts and tricks to get hang of it. Now I simply love it as it literally eases my task of camouflaging those dull, pigmented areas that used to show up beneath my BB cream and/or foundation.

I just need to warm the product up between my fingers and dab gently on problematic areas to blend nicely with my skin tone. A thinnest layer helps to cover maximum pigmentation. Of course a synthetic brush will do the trick but somehow I feel that dabbing it on with finger tips and then blending with a brush gives a better finish especially if you are a beginner; in fact, even if you are a pro, its dry matte formula is not forgiving enough to let go of mistakes.

I say so because I see how it can accentuate dry patches and fine lines on skin while if used in the correct areas with perfect tricks it simply blends like a dream. I am still learning the art, but it’s moisturizing and priming that make a difference. Another trick is to blend the product really well. Don’t forget to set it with a pinch of loose powder as it often creases and fades. If you go overboard with this concealer, it might accentuate fine lines and dryness.

I see that it is a complete package for camouflaging even the darkest of pigmented areas including dark under eye circles, dark areas around the eye or nose, red acne spots and acne as well, pigmentation, darker skin around the lips etc. In fact applying a thin layer with a gentle dabbing of finger tips around the eyes helps to create brighter skin tone without any creasing and/or accentuating of fine lines, provided we use a generous touch of eye cream or a moisturizer beforehand.

Moreover even a gentle touch of any damp sponge or a Beauty Blender will help to create a brightening thin layer on skin without any cakey or made up look; it needs to be set with a loose powder in any case. I use it as a secret brightening agent under my eyes and cheeks, as spot treatment for light moles/pigmentations, and as a brightener for uneven skin tone on cheeks. I also tried using the lighter beige tone as a highlighter on the bridge of my nose, on the chin and on under eye area. It worked absolutely fine on my oily skin, stayed in place without melting off or fading for around good 7-8 hours.

We can simply mix both the shades to make our own shade which works well in concealing the flaws and highlighting the positive features. Needless to say, there are endless opportunities for a pro to make use of this gem provided you know the tricks and tips. I would definitely recommend this compact to combination, normal or oily skin and even to problematic skin as the product works wonders on every type of problem areas without accentuating or aggravating them further. It is not forgiving enough for dry skin, though.

Demo:
I am sharing a few pictures to support my claims. I hope you will pardon my ‘before’ pictures which are really gross. 😛 But I needed them to show you the actual effects. In my before pictures, I have simply worn light eye makeup. I applied both the concealers under my eye, dabbed them randomly on the cheeks to hide those light scars and pigmentation. I applied only the beige shade as a highlighter on the bridge of my nose and on the chin area. I have also dabbed the lighter beige tone around the temples to hide small zits. And, just rubbed some loose powder to even out the skin tone. That’ it! 😛

Let’s sum up pros and cons

Pros of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-5:

• A lightweight yet heavy coverage concealer with a color corrector in one package
• Can be used alone for color correction, concealing or even for highlighting
• A perfect custom shade can be created
• Blends nicely on skin
• Provides full coverage
• Works well for almost all skin problems
• Perfect for hiding acne, acne scars, dark eye circles, pigmented skin etc
• Stays put on my oily skin for good 7-8 hours
• Evens out skin tone without looking cakey or flaky
• Does not accentuate or aggravate my oily skin concerns
• Perfect for spot concealing
• User-friendly and travel-friendly

Cons of Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-5:

• The shade description pretty misleading
• Texture is a bit dry and matte
• Took me some time and efforts to get hang of it
• Not too easy to blend like other concealers
• Tends to emphasize dry areas/patches
• May crease along the eye area
• Not recommended for dry skin type
• Price

Well, I feel this product is a must-have for pros. I would always like to have it in my kit for those perfect party or photogenic looks.

IMBB Rating:
4.5/5

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