The holidays started for me, yay! I hope yours is around the corner too. Today we are going to drive to another town to visit family and spend Christmas there. Right before I get a few days off the blog, I thought I will show you something super pretty.
La Mer is known for their skin care (my favorite must be the Illuminating Eye Gel, reviewed here) but have a small range of cosmetics which also delivers. I have tried The Radiant Concealer (reviewed here) and Reparative Skintint (reviewed here) and was pleased by both. Last year during Holidays I caught a glimpse of their out-of-this-world beautiful Illuminating Powder at the counter and wanted to try it out since than. It was limited edition and was sold out at the time I was in for it. This year when I found out that it is released again, I laid my hands on it. Here are my thoughts on Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder...
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| Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder |
Just a little off-topic rant, may I?
Before I start I would like to stress that fact that I am very proud my giveaway posts are read less than the other posts with real content. In December many blogs have one month of giveaway, some of them have it every single day. I personally find it a bit too much. I usually stop reading these blogs during the giveaway season all together but that can be just me, who, let's be honest, don't really need any more products at the moment.
I appreciate the readers who are in for some beauty news and make-up rambles. I have the feeling most of the readers of Color Me Loud are more interested in those than a giveaway. This is so valuable to find those people with similar interests and exchange with them. For me giveaways are meant to be a "thank you" for those who read and exchange with me on social media or on comments here. After each giveaway I host though, I see that there are many prize hunters who just stick for a few days as long as there are more prizes. They would then either leave or keep being a ghost follower. Many blogs use these ghost followers and prize hunters to inflate their statistics which in turn effect the quality of the exchange medium in a bad way. I also see a trend that some of the blogs don't publish over months, then host a few giveaways to get their statistics high to update the numbers on their webpage.
I am hoping my giveaways are not annoying my real readers. I am trying my best to keep up with the blog on the first months of my new job. I am thankful to each and every one of you who stick up with me and tolerate the fact that I can't reply all the messages at the moment but I will work on it during holidays.
Back to this beauty...
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| Close-up: Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder |
Be still my beating heart! This is so pretty. Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder comes in a study metallic looking plastic packaging with two tiers. The top one has the illuminating powder, the bottom one keeps the brush. The brush has white bristles and is made of natural goat hair. It is soft and functional. Mostly I don't like the brushes which come with the compacts but this one is an exception for me. I can see myself using it.
The illuminating powder has a light overspray. The powder under it has the same shade, only the silver bits are gone after the first few uses. I believe the idea is to use the shimmery bits for the holidays and party season and go on with the powder for an over illuminating/ brightening effect.
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| Packaging & Brush : Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder |
Skin Color de La Mer Illuminating Powder's base shade is almost matching to my skin tone but it is just a little cooler/pink. I can wear it as a very subtle flush on the cheeks or swipe all around the face for a brightening effect since my face might look a bit full during winter days and a light rosa touch always brings it back to life. The powder is very finely milled, very soft and not powdery. Since it is not very shimmery, I can see this working best on combination and oily skin. If you want a highlighter just to use on the high points of the face, then Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder is best for medium and dark skin tones since there wouldn't be enough contrast for the lighter ones.
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| Swatch, comparison: Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder |
I swatched Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder and some of the close shades in my collection. The closest one I have is Chanel's Highlighter/Blush from Holiday 2012, Joues Contraste #73 Stardust which is best applied over a blush or as a blush for me. Although their base shade is very close, La Mer Highlighter Powder doesn't have the glitter that Stardust have. I also swatched my go-to highlighter, Chanel Poudre Signée de Chanel next to it. My dry skin eats up the shimmer so I need something more than a light illumination La Mer Highlighter offers. I love it as an all over powder on my light to medium complexion.
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| Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder |
Final thoughts: Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder would make each collector's heart go pitter-patter with its breath taking design. It works best for all over powder on light to medium skin tones. It would show up as a blush on very fair complexions. The shimmer is very subtle so it is best if you like your highlighter to have the "lit-within" kind of low-key shimmer. Deeper complexions, especially those with combination skin would benefit from its shade and the shimmer. Looking at how stunning the design is and how finely milled and fine the shimmer is, I am sold for it.
Availability/Price: Skincolor de La Mer Illuminating Powder is now available for holidays at the counters and online. In Germany I see that Breuninger still have it in stock (here, not affiliated). The powder sets you back 78€ but it includes generous amount of powder (10 g) and a good brush.
Wish you all happy holidays!
How are you spending yours?
Disclaimer: The product in this post was provided free of charge for my consideration.
I am not paid for this review. All opinions are honest and my own.
The design of this powder is very poetic ! The color looks nice... I don't need any highlighter more...but I do want more !
ReplyDeleteI use to put gold or cold gold ( Albatross and Camélia de Plumes) but sometimes peachy Colors are good too :-)
Have great holidays et très joyeux Noël auprès de ceux qui te sont chers ( je peux vous tutoyer ?!)
Paddychat
Wow, how absolutely gorgeous! Both the packaging and the finish. True luxury! xo
ReplyDeletewww.vibrantbeautyblog.com
I do not need another shimmering powder but this is so pretty I am tempted (and Chanel Stardust does work as a party blush for me so it might show up well). Susan, London
ReplyDeleteI've always liked La Mer's powders and am glad to see them expanding their offerings with such a pretty gem. Their powders are typically as light as a feather and are flattering on older complexions such as mine. Their light diffusing pigments work to set makeup beautifully without exaggerating the flaws :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for the contest junkies, there will always be those people who are just in it to win something. Offer something for free and a gazillion people come out of the woodwork! Although I appreciate the well-intended "thank you" that many contests seek to convey, in truth, the people who should be thanked usually get lost in the tidal wave of opportunists. :-( As for exploiting increased contest readership numbers for gain, with today's technology it is easy to discern the peaks and valleys and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the peaks coincide with contests. If I wanted exposure for my products, I'd look for a blog with a well-developed site and steady readership rather than one that only peaks when something is being given away. After all, my goal would be to connect with readers who would actually purchase something! Those are just my two cents for what they're worth :-) You have an interesting, up-to-the-moment blog, Sara, and it is obvious that it is personal rather than commercial. That distinction resonates with many readers wh get tired of being bombarded with advertisements, paid posts, and product placement and just want to know how something is working out in real life. Bottom line: Keep doing what you do, Sara. That's a thank you gift in and of itself.
I totally agree with Eileen. I did not participate in the contest because apart from some vintage perfumes, I don't collect or wear perfumes. Nevertheless, as you know, I, like many, never miss your blog. I both enjoy your writing, the photos, the honesty, and the brands you focus on. And without a doubt, your blog guides my own product purchases a whole lot more than most. So listen up, brand PR folks, Sara is the real deal.
ReplyDeleteHi Sara, contest junkies are quite something aren't they? ;) It's a real phenomenon I think, random hoards of people just scouring the web for contest and randomly entering for the chance to win! This highlighter is interesting.... for some reason I can't fathom it's the only piece of La Mer that doesn't scream out to me. But I can understand about finally landing that coveted piece - well done!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to say it is not that bad if people join blogs for the giveaways. Many people have no option to own expensive beauty products and this is one opportunity for them. don't be hard on them, cause we are surrounded by these fantastic, magical products and the only thing we can do is rave about them... of course we enter contests to feel like a princess for a day!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Sara!
ReplyDeleteGiveaways are like that though. They attract many wrong people that sometimes genuine readers lose out on the opportunity. I tried NOT using the word giveaway in the title, so only readers will know it, I tried holding it for only short period of time so those contest vultures don't have enough time to find out, etc. Those techniques worked but in the end, some of them still manage to sneak in, and some readers who did not manage to read it on time missed the giveaways. Can't win, really. Do you know that there are websites that actually track these contests and announce them on their sites? I understand people like free stuff, but still!
Anyway
This La Mer powder looks gorgeous! I don't collect highlighters but I can see how tempting this can be :-)
I love your blog, your reviews are great, and the way you show the world how to apply all the goodies is inspirational.
ReplyDeleteHowever, giveaways don't do it for me, and I must admit that these are the only posts on your blog that I have not read this year. Not because I don't like winning great beauty stuff, but because I appreciate the dedication you give to enlightning us on makeup, skincare and fragrance.
So, dear Sara, please take it as a cue to keep up the great blog work you are doing!
Merry Christmas to you!
Sara, thank you for the comparison swatches! It is so helpful when you add them. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Lily,
ReplyDeleteWow! I did not know there were actually sites that track and announce contests--probably because contests don't interest me--but it doesn't surprise me seeing as there are sites for coupons, sales, etc. I think one of the things that really irritates me about the "contest vultures" is how often the prizes they win end up being sold on EBay, Craig's List, etc.
Hi Cinta,
ReplyDeleteYou raise an excellent point about people who love beautiful and luxurious products but can't afford to purchase them. For people in that situation, I think that winning something nice is a special treat that is valued and enjoyed, but those aren't the people were criticizing when we refer to them as contest junkies and vultures.
You said, ". . . it is not that bad if people join blogs for the giveaways." and you are absolutely right--the operative word being "join". But, the people we're talking about have no intention of ever following the blog. In fact, all too often they don't even really care what the prize is since they're going to sell it anyway. Those are the ones who, by the thousands, indiscriminately enter contests and reduce the chances of a deserving reader winning something nice and that is where the problem lies. I'm sorry if you felt we were being too harsh.
I wasn't even aware that this existed, so thank you! It looks so beautiful. That's a nice looking brush they've included with it. Is it as soft as it looks? I will need to look around to see if it's available anywhere near me. Hope you had a lovely Christmas. Wishing you a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks Eileen for taking the time to explain how things work. I have been reading beauty blogs for years now, but I never seem to realize how people want to do business out of everything. You are right, someone who does not appreciate the prize and does this just for the money do not deserve anything and I can understand completely any blogger who complains about that. In fact it is also a deception for the ones who enter the competition just in order to feel special. Thank you for commenting! Maybe I am way too innocent even if I am old enough to have learnt from the many profit seekers I have met all along my 40 years of age!!! Happy Christmas and everything to come!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a stunning compact. As for the giveaways, I think it tends to be pretty obvious which bloggers are using them to boost their numbers and which bloggers simply want to thank their readers.:) I personally appreciate the chance to win something awesome, but I do get turned off of blogs that either run constant giveaways or slack off on content and post only giveaways or sponsored posts. Neither of those apply to you.:) Hope you had a Merry Christmas, Sara!
ReplyDeleteWow, the powder is stunning! And I love how you showcased it with the seashells and conches, just gorgeous
ReplyDeleteThat design is so pretty! I wasn't expecting it to be pink, though, and I somehow thought it'd be a little lighter. That's really not a problem, seeming as I regret not picking up Chanel's when it was released back then. I would probably use this strictly as a blush since I am fair and this doesn't have much of an illuminating effect.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your handy, informative, and elaborate post. It helps us learn new things easily and for free.
ReplyDeleteVein Doctor Queens