Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, my review

I don’t often talk about my passion for face powders. But boy, do I love them. And I adore trying new ones! So today, let me introduce you to the brand new Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powders!

I mentioned it many times, especially in my skincare posts, I have a combination to oily skin that has an unpleasant tendency to look quite greasy after a few hours. One of the first makeup products I used was a compact powder to keep my skin matte. When I was young, I only had two products in my make-up bag: 1 pressed powder that I carried around everywhere and one lipstick (OK I lie, I probably have more than one lipstick! #lipstickaddictforeva). Yep, things changed a lot since then! wink

For a very long time, I only used face powder on my face, nothing else. And then, my makeup lessons when I went to beauty school a few years ago taught me the basic rules of face makeup with foundation, concealer, loose powder, etc… Of course, like many makeup addicts, YouTube and blogs also improved my makeup knowledge!

And for the last fifteen years, I have been using two powders on my face:
– a loose mattifying/ setting powder to set my foundation and concealer, but also to keep my skin matte and to make my makeup last longer (my favorites: the Laura Mercier translucent setting powder, It Cosmetics and RCMA)
– a finishing luminous powder, which is not like an highlighter (this latter is shinier, and you usually don’t apply it all over the face contrary to these powders). These finishing powders give a lot of radiance and blur/ smooth the skin, thanks to soft-focus particles that diffuse the light for a soft, luminous effect on the face.

The illuminating finishing powders bring back life to the skin, in a sense. Matte powders have a tendency to “flatten” the complexion, and after a certain age, it tends to make you look older. The luminous finishing powders restore a very soft glow in a very natural way.
If you have a dry skin, you can totally use them to set your makeup, it will do the job perfectly. On me and my oily skin, I still have to apply a real mattifying powder underneath. Otherwise, my makeup would probably melt away in a few hours.

So far, I have used Les Meteorites by Guerlain (very nice but I find them a little bit too shimmery for me now) and of course the famous Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. My favorite is Dim Light which I used to use every day.

Yes, I use the past tense because I believe that the new Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder by Laura Mercier is probably my new favorite finishing powder!

Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, presentation:

What the brand says about it:

“A multi-purpose, modern all-over pressed powder that sets, perfects, and finishes, leaving skin with a diffused, luminous glow.

This silky pressed powder has just enough sheer colour to add the perfect, subtle glow and brighten up a complexion with a soft-focus finish. Apply with different brushes to customize your finish and coverage and create multiple looks.

Luminous Finish

Soft, luminous finish leaves a natural, all-over glow. Sets your makeup without mattifying your skin. In a range of subtly perfecting shades for all skin tones.

Soft-Focus Effect for a More Flawless Look

Like the Laura Mercier Setting Powders, this Perfecting Powder has a soft-focus effect that subtly blurs the look of fine lines and imperfections. Doesn’t settle into fine lines or pores and never looks cakey.

Formulation Details

Oil-free. Talc-free. Non-comedogenic. Dermatologist tested.”

Laura Mercier, the French makeup artist behind this American brand, is known for her expertise in skin makeup, her famous “flawless face“. I really like the few products I own from the brand. So I really wanted to try this Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder.

Indeed, Laura Mercier describes the Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder as a multifunctional finishing powder, which is capable of:
– setting the makeup but also keep it fresh during the day (you can use it for touch-ups without making the skin looks cakey)
– smoothing the skin thanks to its Mica particles with a soft-focus effect which blurs the skin texture and pores.
– giving luminosity to the skin in a natural way, as if the skin is glowing from within.

About the formula, the brand claims the smoothing effect on the skin thanks to ingredients such as corn starch (naturally absorbent) and other emollient ingredients, which make this powder suitable for all skin types, even the driest ones. The Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder is also formulated without talc, perfume, and parabens.

Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, my test and thoughts:

– Packaging:

A very sleek dark brown plastic compact with a mirror, in a square shape. It’s quite sturdy and good quality, so you can take it with you in your handbag if you want to. However, it doesn’t contain a sponge, but anyway, I personally prefer to use a brush with this kind of powder.

– Formula and texture:

The Candleglow powder texture is super finely milled, not thick or too powdery at all on the skin, even if you apply a lot. It’s quite sheer, especially applied with a soft brush (I use the Bobbi Brown brush which is in my photos) but if you use a denser brush, you can have a little more coverage. It’s still quite transparent on the skin, it’s not the same coverage as a foundation powder, for example. This Candleglow powder gives you a lightweight and perfecting veil on the skin more than a mask.
Regarding the composition, the formula is quite nice: no talc, no paraben, and emollient ingredients for an anti-drying effect.

– Finish:

It’s undeniably its strong point: the finish is soft and luminous, like silk on the skin. And that, without any shimmery or glittery particles in it. It leaves the velvety effect of a powder, but it also has a soft, luminous finish, as if the skin was glowing from within. I absolutely love this finish!
At my age, I don’t really want a 100% matte complexion, because it just makes me look super old. But if I go for a 100% glowy satin finish, I quickly look like a disco ball. So with this Candleglow powder, I have the best of both worlds at the same time: a matte luminosity!

– Color range:

They exist in 6 shades, from the lightest shade to the darkest, for every skin colors. As this powder does not have a huge coverage, the same color may work for many different skin colors.

For my color, I made a mistake and chose the wrong shade when I placed my order. I first ordered the 2 Light, because I was afraid the 1 Fair would be too light for me. But when I received it, I realized that it was much more golden than I imagined. It should be OK for next summer, but at the moment, the shade 1 Fair is perfect for me. I also thought it was going be too pink for me but not at all, it’s quite neutral. The 1 Fair is a great match for my skin!
To compare, I generally use the Hourglass Dim Light powder, and I used Diffused Light in the past, but now I find it a little too light for me.
I also used The Meteorites by Guerlain in the shade 02 Beige. The 01 is pinker, and it’s too light on my complexion.

I made swatches of all the shades above, and I ask for your indulgence because swatching some sheer powders is quite useless lol! I’m afraid you won’t be able to see much difference between the different colors (the worst swatch is the Météorites swatch, it looks like a little bit of glitter, and that’s it. You can barely see anything on my arm lol)

– Application:

I use my usual powder brushes. I prefer soft brushes like the Bobbi Brown one, the Nars one (let’s be honest, I don’t love this brush, it’s super itchy to me, but it looks very nice in the photos lol) or my Morphe brushes…

– Pigmentation:

It’s very light because it’s supposed to be a sheer powder.

– Lasting power:

I was quite impressed with the lasting power. My skin doesn’t need any touch-ups before the middle of the afternoon! Usually, I really need to blot my shiny face areas around noon. So I guess it could do a great job of setting your makeup if you have a drier skin type. For my combination skin, it sets and keeps the skin looking fresh and glowy at the same time. Amazing!

– Value for money:

Not cheap, but hey, this type of product lasts me years, even if I use it every day, so I guess the cost per wear makes it worth it! wink
The Candleglow powder retails for $38.

Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder, the shades:

– 1 Fair:

This color is perfect for my skin color (I ‘m an NC20-25), it’s not too pink, it’s rather neutral at the contrary. Perfect match!

– 2 Light:

This one is definitely too golden for my skin color. Let’s hope it suits me this summer wink

A quick tip: I used it instead of my usual bronzer, and I apply it with a denser brush (like my bronzer brush by Bobbi Brown), and I really like the soft bronzing effect! Well, clearly, I won’t be able to contour with it! It’s still quite sheer, and the color is quite light for a bronzer, but it still brings a soft and natural bronzing shade. It reminds me a bit of the Les Beiges de CHANEL concept, which I mentioned here a while ago.

Finally, here are the swatches:

Hopefully, you’ll be able to see something. And obviously, applied with the brush on the face, it’s also much sheerer! But hey, you don’t really want coverage with this kind of product anyway! wink

I also show you a comparison between shades with the other finishing powders of my collection:
– the Hourglass Diffused Light powder, very light and with a light yellow undertone (ideal if you have a very light skin with some redness)
– the Hourglass Dim Light powder (my favorite, it has a light beige peach undertone)
– Les Météorites by Guerlain in the color 02 Beige (perfect for my skin tone, I also like the gesture but it contains micro-glitter, and I find the Hourglass and Laura Mercier more natural and flattering on me)

(Sorry for the useless swatch of Les Météorites, I struggled to swatch it, you can barely see it)

And on me:

I used the shade Candleglow 1 Fair all over my face after mattifying it with my usual loose powder. Here, I also used the shade 2 Light instead of my bronzer.

My lipstick on this photo is one I will talk about very soon. Keep your eyes peeled! wink

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

I’m a fan! I have a feeling that the Candleglow powder is on its way to becoming my number 1 favorite finishing powder!

The Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder is available on the brand website for $38.

And you, what kind of face powder do you use? Do you like using finishing powders and have you tried the Laura Mercier Candleglow Sheer Perfecting Powder?

Photo credit: bonnie-garner.com