Laura Mercier Review: African Violet Lustre Eye Color + FOTD

I've only recently discovered the wonderful world of Laura Mercier. It all started with a chance impulse purchase of her Bonne Mine Palette, followed by her gorgeous Chocolate Eye Lustre shadow. After that success, I was hooked, and I'm now gleefully adding more items to my collection.

My most recent pick was the incredibly unique African Violet Eye Lustre. I apologize in advance for the photos in this post---they truly don't do this amazing color justice. Described on the Mercier site as a "violet copper shimmer", I have to say that the description doesn't really do it justice, either. It's much more than just a shimmery violet. To me, it's quite neutral, despite the violet undertones, perhaps due to the coppery shimmers throughout. The color is truly stunning.



Here are shots in several types of light to give you at least some idea of the wonders of this shade:

Taken inside with flash

Outside, no flash

Outside in more light to show the coppery highlights. Yum!

Again, outside with no flash

And another angle: 

I have to say, I'm absolutely LOVING this shadow! It's incredibly finely-milled, yet there isn't any of the fallout often associated with the finely-milled shadows. It's very highly pigmented and the color is very easy to load on the brush, but the shadow itself isn't overly soft. It blends with incredible ease, and builds effortlessly for a more dramatic look. This is a mid-tone shadow, so it never gets really dark, but it can be used as a sheer wash with just a hint of color or packed on for a more intense effect. Despite it's color, it comes across as a true neutral on the lids. It's just a perfect shadow!

Here's a Face of the Day I did with African Violet: 

• Foundation: Diorskin Nude
• Blush: Chanel Rose Petale
• Lip Gloss: Chanel Glossimer #217 (sheer red)
• Eyes: I began with Stila's Prime Pot shadow base, followed by an all-over wash from lashes to brows with Laura Mercier Buttercream shadow I then used African Violet in the crease. I lined the top lash line with MAC's Macroviolet Fluidline, and finished with Benefit's "They're Real!" mascara. 

Can you see how incredibly neutral this is on the eyes? The violet is more apparent in real life, but it's still most definitely a neutral color that should work for everyone. 

This is a perfect everyday look and took me all of about 8 minutes, start to finish. I literally swiped it all on and was out the door!

Bottom Line: This is yet another winner from Laura Mercier. It somehow manages to incorporate color while still remaining neutral, which is no small feat. The shadow itself is a dream to work with and goes all day without fading or creasing when used with a primer. I know I'll be getting a ton of use out of African Violet. Next up...Topaz!!