My mom is 61 and I'm 27 — we agree this $71 Laura Mercier foundation is worth the hype
Does this Laura Mercier Foundation work on young and mature skin? My mom and I put it to the test.
TikTok is a treasure trove when it comes to trending beauty — and one of the latest products to go viral on the app is Laura Mercier's Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Waterproof Foundation. The product seemingly skyrocketed to fame after beauty creator Stephanie Valentine (@glamzilla) raved about it in this now-viral TikTok video, which has garnered over 42 million views to date.
A weightless foundation that blurs the line between makeup and skin with medium-buildable coverage, waterproof wear, and up to 12 hours of fade-proof wear.
"You're gonna love this new foundation," she says in the clip. "I am obsessed with it."
Ever since Valentine filmed herself reviewing the product, it has become a must-add-to-cart for those looking for a weightless foundation that offers long-lasting, waterproof wear and buildable coverage.
However, does it also look this good on mature skin? My mom and I decided to put this viral foundation to the test to see how it wears on my 27-year-old skin vs. my mom's 61-year-old skin.
What is it?
According to Sephora, the Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Waterproof Foundation "blurs the line between makeup and skin." It offers medium-buildable coverage that feels lightweight and looks cake-free upon application.
Promising 12 hours of fade-proof wear, the natural-finish product is also hydrating and features a formula that is dermatologist-tested, noncomedogenic, and suitable for all skin types.
First impressions
I love putting viral makeup products to the test, so this was an immediate must-try for me. Upon opening and trying the foundation, I noticed that the consistency of the product was pretty liquid-y, but still highly pigmented.
Below, I applied some of the product onto my face and was impressed with the amount of coverage in one swipe.
This foundation comes in 30 shades. I used shade 2W1- Macademia, which is described as light with warm undertones. However, next time I might opt for a shade with cooler undertones — I found this to be a bit too yellow-toned for me.
After applying a full face of the foundation, I found that it offered a skin-like finish in natural light, which I loved. It also doesn't feel cakey.
I was really pleased to see how the product blended seamlessly onto my skin and that the foundation offers a more natural look once applied. With only a few pumps, I feel that the coverage helped to even my overall skin tone and cover any imperfections. It also feels super comfortable and hydrating to wear, which verifies what the foundation promises.
I decided to see how this foundation would sit overtop the rest of my makeup and I was happy to see that it looks great paired with my full routine. For my full completed look, I also opted to try the Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Serum Concealer, which I applied under my eyes and on the high points of my face in shade 0N1 to achieve a brighter, more lifted appearance. I love how hydrating this concealer feels. Plus it's long-wearing and offers great buildable coverage with a natural finish similar to the foundation, so they work well together.
Next up was my mom, who tried shade 2N1- Cashew, which is described as light with neutral undertones.
My mom also feels that a lighter shade with cooler undertones may have suited her better.
My mom was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of coverage offered with so little product. She typically doesn't gravitate towards using foundation daily because it can often feel cakey on her mature skin or emphasize her fine lines. However, she praised the product's hydrating formula and how even her skin tone looked after application.
After finishing her full routine, she noted that foundation sits really well underneath her other makeup products and gives her skin a youthful, hydrated glow. It also doesn't emphasize her fine lines or wrinkles, which gives a gorgeous finish.
She also chose to compliment her look with the Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Serum Concealer, which she dotted underneath her eyes in shade 1C1 to conceal her dark circles.
What shoppers are saying
This foundation has a 4.1-star rating from Sephora shoppers, with 83 per cent of reviewers saying they would recommend it.
"The best foundation I’ve ever used," raved one shopper.
"I have been looking for a long time for a foundation that works, and this one is worth the [money] for maturing skin," said another. "[Lightweight] and [feels] so smooth. It is my forever foundation. Worth the investment."
"[TikTok] made [me] buy this foundation," said one 5-star reviewer. "It's so pretty on skin. Feels literally like second skin."
However, some shoppers felt like the product wasn't transfer-proof — while others claimed it looked patchy and felt drying, despite it being marketed as a hydrating foundation.
Final verdict
Overall, the Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Waterproof Foundation is a win-win for both my mom and me.
We can see why this foundation went viral — because a little definitely goes a long way. We both agree that it sits well over top of our go-to skincare and primers, pairing nicely with the rest of our respective makeup routines. It also feels comfortable on the skin and helps even skin tones. We feel as if the product truly lives up to claims of being long-wearing based on how it looks and feels on our skin after an all-day wear test. Additionally, we didn't notice any issues with it transferring.
A weightless foundation that blurs the line between makeup and skin with medium-buildable coverage, waterproof wear, and up to 12 hours of fade-proof wear.
My mom's overall experience using this foundation was very positive. She is obsessed with how hydrating it looks on her mature skin and confirmed that this foundation feels lightweight when applied. This is her new everyday go-to.
I typically prefer using a tinted moisturizer or skin tint during the winter months because I find them to be more hydrating on my normal-dry skin. However, although it looks hydrating at first, I feel as if this foundation was a little drying on my skin throughout the day after wearing it for a full 12 hours out and about. That being said, it didn't budge, which confirms claims that this is a fade-proof formula.
Finally, following our initial experience, we were both able to make our respective shades work — but next time we will opt for using lighter shades with cooler undertones that will hopefully match our skin tones better. It's great to see that the brand's shade lineup offers a range of colours (from fair-deep) and undertones (i.e. cool, neutral, warm) to choose from.
At $71, this is a splurge-worthy foundation that really is worth the hype — especially when it comes to mature skin. It's fade-proof, buildable and offers cake-free coverage that gets the seal of approval from both my mom and me.
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