Eyeshadow Review: Laura Mercier Luster Eye Color + FOTD

Photo Courtesy Lauramercier.com

There's been a lot of press over the last few weeks regarding Fall collections from various lines. One I hadn't heard about was the Canyon Collection from Laura Mercier, which is surprising given Mercier's standing in the world of cosmetics and the beauty of the collection. Mercier was "inspired by the beauty of the earth" for this collection, and it shows. The colors are deep and earthy, creating a lovely palette for the entire face that is completely natural. The overall effect is one of understated elegance. I came upon the Canyon display the other day while browsing at Bloomingdale's and couldn't resist picking up one of the eyeshadows, Chocolate, which is possibly the richest, most beautiful brown I've ever seen. 

Chocolate is a rich, deep brown with slight plum undertones. It's described as a "deep brown plum with shimmer", but I don't think that description does it justice. It's a true dark chocolate brown with amazing depth and dimension. The shimmers, to my eye, are slighty red and coppery, but because the brown base is so deep and cool, it comes across as perfectly neutral. It's full of shimmery goodness, but it's not in any way overwhelming or flashy. Rather, it positively oozes sophistication. Here are some shots taken in different lighting: 

Taken straight-on in direct sunlight. 

A different angle, showcasing the luminosity of the color. It positively glows!

Taken in light shade. Here, the plum undertones are more apparent. 

As you can see, the color in the pan is outstanding. For some reason I haven't worn brown in quite some time, but this one was irresistible. The smooth, creamy consistency and exceptional blendability make this a truly superior shadow. 

Here are some swatches: 

Again, direct sunlight.

And light shade. 

On the skin, the color stays true to what's in the pan. It's heavily pigmented, rich and sultry. Application is a breeze; this shadow is virtually foolproof. It's also versatile, perfectly capable of creating a soft, natural eye or a deep, smokey look. As you can see in the bottom picture, there is a bit of fallout with this, but only minimal. By no means will you have shadow flying everywhere and landing all over your face!

Here are a couple of eye shots:

I did a Face of the Day with Chocolate using the following products: 

• Foundation: DiorSkin Nude #23
• Blush/highlighter: Laura Mercier Bonne Mine Palette

And for the eyes: 

• Benefit Velvet Eyeshadow in Leggy as a wash across the entire lid, lash to brow.
• Laura Mercier in Chocolate in the crease.
• MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Treat Me Nice, a gorgeous shimmery olive. 
• DiorShow Iconic mascara

I finished off the look with:

• Guerlain Rouge Automatique in #142, Fleur de Feu
• Lancome Color Fever Gloss in Metallic Sunburst

Bottom Line: Laura Mercier's entire Canyon Collection is stunning, with all of the colors working flawlessly together to create a natural, sophisticated look. The Luster Eye Shadow in Chocolate is my favorite product in the collection, but the blush melange and several of the other colors are lovely as well. This is not a shocking collection, by any means; there are no "pops" of color, no shade around which all other items in the collection revolve. Rather, this is a well-edited collection of neutral basics that are surprising in their depth and uniqueness. It's a must-have for your cosmetics collection.