Laura Mercier have released a limited edition collection of their popular 'caviar sticks' for Christmas 2013. There are no limited edition shades in the set meaning if you do particularly like the colours you can repurchase from the permanent line. This set features 4 mini sticks making it an ideal 'tester' kit for someone wanting to try these eyeshadows.
The set features 4 metallic colours. They are described as 'shimmer effects' but there is no visible sparkle or glitter in any of the shades.
The colours are;
Pink Opal-a frosty cool pink
Amythest-a beautiful brown toned purple-the swatch below doesn't do it justice, it's a very rich deep shade
Rosegold-a warm gold/pink
Sugar Frost-a light gold champagne
I'm going to be honest-this is a very mixed bag in terms of quality.
When trying each of the caviar sticks I powdered my eyelids with pressed powder just to absorb any excess oil then applied straight from the bullet.
Amethyst is by far the best of the bunch-in fact it's the perfect eyeshadow stick. It applies smoothly, doesn't tug the lid and leaves behind an opaque veil of colour. You literally slap it on and blend out with your finger or a fluffy brush. It lasts all day without fading or creasing at all. It makes my green eyes look greener but would also look amazing with blue or brown eyes. If all the caviar sticks were the same I would be absolutely raving about this set. Sadly they aren't.
Sugar Frost is the frostiest of the 4 shades. It doesn't apply as smoothly as Amethyst, it feels somewhat grittier and is harder to blend out. But it does make an excellent base for powder shadow and I blended in Mac Sable through my crease and it looked really nice.
Pink Opal and Rosegold are just disasters. As soon as I apply them they go patchy on the lid and crease. Nothing I do seems to be able to rescue it-using a primer, applying more, applying less, applying with a brush....all the same effect. It just looks awful. The photo below shows Sugar Frost 2 minutes after I applied it this morning-you can see how patchy it is.
I really did want to like these-the reviews I have seen have been generally positive but I just don't seem to be able to get on with Laura Mercier as a brand. The Silk Creme foundation sunk into my pores, I hated the primer and I didn't like the face powder. Amethyst is the stand out from the collection and something I would consider purchasing the full size off but the rest I wouldn't recommend.
I purchased mine from Nordstrom for $40 but they are also available at Selfridges in the UK for £28.
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