Swatch-o-rama: Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette Comparisons

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I had the Laura Mercier Artists' Eyes Arty Art Eye Eye Art Artist's Palette on my Christmas list last year mainly because I loved Plum Smoke, which works as an easy, warm neutral on me (and is a pretty good dupe for the horrendous Maybelline Color Tattoo in Vintage Plum, reviewed here). The single is $25, while this whole palette is $55 ETA: Now half price at Nordstrom Rack. Since I'm not likely to get through any powder eyeshadow ever, and the other colors in this palette looked pretty too, I figured the palette was the better way to go (at least when I was imaginarily spending someone else's money).

My mother-in-law generously obliged--except she bought me the Eye Art Caviar Palette, an understandable mistake, since the names are not very descriptive or distinctive. Luckily I was able to exchange it without any problem, and so here I am with this dreamy, purpley palette that's unlike anything I already had (in contrast to the the bronzey Caviar palette). It's flattering and versatile for my coloring, and though I wouldn't say it's so amazing as to be worth a small fortune, it doesn't feel like it's exorbitantly overpriced for what you get. As you'll see from the swatches below, though, this isn't your trendy, super-pigmented eyeshadow palette. Most of the shadows, especially the light and medium shades, apply fairly sheerly, though they can be built up without trouble. I'd say that the most disappointing shade is African Violet, because it looks stunning the pan. It tends to stay on the sheer side on my eyelids, and the gold shimmer doesn't show up much. I haven't tried it over glitter primer yet, though, and it's possible that would help, like it has with other shimmery eyeshadows that don't contain actual glitter.

Here are some closer views of the pans:

The main reason I decided to write a post about this palette is that I wanted to compare some of the shadows to others that I already had, particularly those in the Covergirl TruNaked Roses palette (reviewed here), so I'll share those swatches with you, along with some other comparisons. It turns out that I don't seem to have dupes for the more interesting colors here, which makes this palette a nice addition to my outrageous makeup hoard.

First, here are swatches of all the shadows in the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette. All the swatches in this post were done over Wet N Wild primer (reviewed here), because I wanted everything to stick well enough that I could clearly compare colors.

(1) Sparkling Dew, (2) Guava, (3), African Violet, (4) Plum Smoke, (5) Kir Royale, and (6) Violet Ink.

The top row contains most of the pinks and purples. The first three shades are a little sheer but, as I said, they can be built up, and Sparkling Dew and Guava seem invisible mainly because of how similar they are to my skin.

(1) Vanilla Nuts, (2) Primrose, (3) Fresco, (4) Bamboo, (5) Truffle, and (6) Espresso Bean.

The bottom row has the peaches and browns. Again, the peculiarly-named Vanilla Nuts is decently pigmented, but too close to my skin tone to show up well on my arm.

Below are some comparisons swatches I made. I only compared the shades that I thought were more interesting, which means I skipped the lightest two shadows (also because you wouldn't be able to see anything) and the darkest browns. I didn't find anything comparable to the two darkest purples (yay me), so they haven't been included either.

First up, the shimmery pinks/rose golds:

(1) Laura Mercier Guava, (2) Laura Mercier Primrose, (3) Covergirl Roses Champagne, (4) Covergirl Roses Rose Gold, (5) Wet N Wild Silent Treatment Trio (browbone shade), (6) theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer, (7)  e.l.f. Enchanted (reviewed here and here), and (7) Urban Decay Fireball.

No dupes for me!

(1) Laura Mercier African Violet, and (2) purple from Paula's Choice Four Mattes and a Glam.

You can see here what African Violet looks like when it's built up a bit more. The Paula's Choice purple with gold shimmer looks almost pink in comparison, but it's definitely purple in its pan.

(1) Laura Mercier Fresco, (2) medium warm brown from Juvia's Place Nubian Palette, and (3) Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette (brown eyelid shade).

Fresco is an awesome, unusual color. Depending on the lighting, it can look peachy or rosey, or taupey or clayish. I didn't have anything remotely like it.

(1) Laura Mercier Plum Smoke, (2) Makeup Geek Fairytale (reviewed here), and (3) Covergirl Roses Copper Rose.

Plum Smoke, my favorite shadow from the palette, looks absolutely purple in the palette, but next to Fairytale, you can see where its name comes from. The warm taupe in it makes it both smokey and plummy. It's another unusual shade.

(1) Laura Mercier Bamboo, (2) Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze (reviewed here), (3) BareMinerals A-ha, and (4) Wet N Wild Nutty.

Bamboo, unlike the others, is not unique. Bad to the Bronze looks a lot different in a swatch, but that's mainly because it's a cream that I applied with my finger. I find that all of these look very similar on my eyelids, though Bad to the Bronze can be intensified more easily. (The smearing is from Nutty, which is a bit messy, like most Wet N Wild shadows.)

This exercise was very useful for me in the end! Despite the repeated layers of primer all over my arms and the resulting dryness. It confirms that the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette has, if not completely unique colors, a lot of shades that are unusual not duplicated in my unnecessarily large collection of eyeshadows. I've got a lot of use out of the palette already, and it's not something that I expect to get sick of in the future. The name is pretty stupid, though.

My last three months of the So Choix makeup sample subscription (plus: step right up for another stunning duochrome!)

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October's (upside down) box (contents reviewed below)

I like doing these So Choix review posts, even though they're time consuming, because I get to write mini reviews of a bunch of fancy products that I would probably never buy. I hope they're interesting to you too. (If you want to read more about how this subscription works, read my first post about it.) I won't write a detailed review with photos of everything here, because there are few things that I just don't have many feelings about.

One thing that changed about the So Choix boxes this fall is that they started sending them in bubble mailers, instead of packing a small box inside a larger box. I don't know if that's less wasteful, but I like it better, because the bubble mailer fits in my mailbox and I don't have to trek down to my apartment office to pick it up (and the small box inside still protects things).

I think the theme of the last three months (or at least the last two) is Weird Shit I Wanted to Try Because What Even is It? That, combined with Is This Product Really Like This or Did This Happen When They Depotted It?

September

Nars Dual Intensity eyeshadow in Tarvos

This is a stunning, shimmery mint. I wonder if there is a NYX single similar to this (Mermaid?). On its own, Tarvos is sheer and glittery and lovely. It's also gorgeous over a darker shadow. The swatches below are over regular eyeshadow primer on the left (because it desperately needs a primer to adhere) and on the right over NYX's glitter primer (awesome stuff, btw), which makes it look amazing. It's a little chunky/flaky, and here's the first place where I wonder if the actual product is like that or if it's something that happened when it was repressed. I haven't read anything like that in reviews, so I'm guessing it's the latter. It doesn't really cause problems, anyway.

Nars Audacious lipstick in Liv

When I first tried this on, I thought, "That's weird, I didn't think any of the Audacious lipsticks were sheer." It turns out that the lipstick was slightly separated in the pan with a sheer layer on top. Once I got through that, there was a more accurate (I assume) layer underneath. But see, weird things can happen when lipstick is melted down and repotted, so keep that in mind, though it's the first time I've seen it in this subscription. Liv is a nice vampy purple but nothing really special. You have the typical settling into lip lines that dark purples tend to do.

A messy application in need of some lip liner.

Estée Lauder matte lipstick in Shameless Violet

This lipstick, on the other hand, is amazing. It's a little patchy on the first layer, but you can quickly build it up to be opaque. It's comfortable and a true purple shade that actually looks good on me. You can see it on my face in this Instagram shot (sort of). It's very comfortable and wears well.

Good enough close up, but from a normal distance it looks totally even.

Comparison swatch (taken from this post).

Left to right: Revlon Berry Haute, Urban Decay Revolution Rapture, and Estée Lauder Matte Shameless Violet.

Nars Sheer Glow foundation in Gobi

This is a decent foundation, though I would argue that it's neither really glowy nor sheer. More like semi-matte and medium coverage. It's a little too yellow to me, which is good news for pale folks on the warmer side. The main problem I had with it was that it highlighted flaky skin really badly, and that it settled into lines and creases. So it's not the one for me. Here is a swatch (second from the right) with comparisons (from this post).

Left to right: UD One & Done in Light, UD One & Done in Medium Light, TheBalm Balm Shelter in Lighter than Light (reviewed here), Maybelline Dream Pure BB in Light (reviewed here), Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Gobi, and Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer in Buttercream (reviewed here).

Benefit Porefessional

Um it's a primer? I think I'd tried a sample of it before, but I didn't remember how well it worked. I guess that's probably because for me it's neither better nor worse than most other primers I've tried.

October (box pictured above)

Laura Mercier powder foundation in 1-Shell

I've been looking for a powder foundation to replace my mini Pür 4-in-1 powder when it runs out, because, although I like the finish, it doesn't last very long on my oily-combination skin. I'd heard that the Laura Mercier was a good option. I wasn't very impressed. It's pretty crumbly and doesn't provide much coverage at all (and this shade also happens to be too yellow for me--I probably should have chosen 4).

Dior Addict Lip Glow

This is one of the products that I chose with extreme skepticism, because I hate these "your perfect shade" color-adjusting lip products, in principle. (Here's how they actually work.) It did nothing at all on my lips. Looked completely clear. There was a light pink tint on the end of the finger that I used to apply it, but that's it. I actually took a photo, but since it shows nothing, I won't bother including it. Again, I don't know if melting it down and repotting it affected it, or if it just "intuited" that my perfect lip color is nothing at all. Also, it was drying, but my lips are pretty picky.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light

I'm working on completing the set, since I've tried three others. Ethereal Light does have something of a blurring/light reflecting effect, but it's also very white. It makes me look paler, so I can imagine that it could show up as chalky on certain skin tones. I was wearing it in the photo above of Nars Liv, if that shows you anything.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Burnished Copper

Neither burnished nor copper! Maybe they were thinking of tarnished/patinated bronze? These eye shadows are interesting, because they're very slick and they don't dry down. They're tricky to apply. They go on a bit patchy with a finger, but if you stick a small brush in the pot, it slides out without any product on it! You have to sort of scoop it. Despite the slickness, it didn't crease excessively over primer, and the color is stunning.

Here's a thick swatch, though it sheers out somewhat when blended. Gorgeous color.

Left to right: Tom Ford Burnished Copper and L'Oreal Infallible Gilded Envy (reviewed here).

Note the packaging for this on in the photo at the top of the page. A big improvement from how the Nars cream eyeshadow was sent during the summer (discussed here), which dried up immediately! This little pot is actually air tight. Well done, So Choix. I appreciate that they regularly reevaluate how they package their samples.

I also want to take this opportunity to show you another of the Tom Ford Cream Colors for Eyes in Sphinx, a sample of which Sarah very generously sent me. Thank you! I posted a shitty video of the shiftiness on Instagram, in which you can't really see all the pink and green. It's also a tricky product, because it's a sheer but very complex multichrome. I am determined to make it work. The best luck I have had so far is in patting it on over a grey powder eyeshadow like so:

Please ignore my rushed eyebrow and bloodshot eye.

That's the same product over the entire lid. And this is about the level of creasing you can expect from these creams.

Benefit Shy Beam highlighter

Yet another sample I ordered because I didn't understand what it was. I still don't get it. It looks like a sheer, matte, pink concealer, or something. It's supposed to be a matte highlighter, but it just added a little pink to my skin. It works ok as a color corrector for under the eyes if you're fair, but highlighter? Maybe if you have cool-toned skin just a couple of shades darker than this, it would work, but otherwise, I assume not. And why not just buy a concealer or foundation a couple of shades too light for the intended effect? Bah. Humbug.

Top to bottom: Benefit Shy Beam, Benefit High Beam (reviewed here), Sephora Gel Serum Concealer in Buttercream (reviewed here).

November

Kevyn Aucoin The Exotique Eye Gloss in Moonlight

Another WTF sample. There weren't many reviews out there when I requested this and, still, the ones that exist are pretty vague. I was curious if this brand had somehow come up with a miraculous gloss that can be worn in some realistic way on the eyelids of normal people. But no, editorial only. There's no real difference between smearing this on your eyelids and use a clear, glittery lip gloss. They say you can/should apply it over eyeshadow, but that just makes a mess of the eyeshadow. The sparkle is sparse, so even if you want drama, there's not much to recommend it.

Notice that they took one of those airtight tubs like the Tom Ford came in, cut off the lid, and stuck in inside a screw-cap jar. But why???

Laura Mercier matte eyeshadow in Plum Smoke

Love, love, love, love, love! Remember when I was looking for a powder alternative to the abysmal Maybelline Color Tattoo in Vintage Plum? I'd ruled Plum Smoke out because it looked too warm in swatches and tried Makeup Geek in Fairytale instead, which was a bit of a fail. Well, THIS IS IT. I love it. It's works as an interesting neutral on me. Now I'm considering getting the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette, which includes Plum Smoke and a bunch of other gorgeous shades. The palette is $55 and the Plum Smoke single is $25, so it seems like maybe a better choice. Maybe.

It looks pretty brown next to Fairytale (right), especially in this photo, but it really is purple.

Benefit Fake-up concealer in 01

This concealer claims to be non-creasing, which I think is always, always a lie. At least for me. But this one is actually worse than most. It comes as a stick with a translucent outer ring and a pigmented core, but the sample I got is the two components mixed together. I think probably the two-colored stick is just a gimmick, but it's possible that mixing them in the pan affected the performance in some way. As it was, this was very slick, almost greasy, with sheer coverage. Probably best for someone with dry skin and not too much to hide.

Nars Blush in Dolce Vita

A pretty rosy-plum blush that somehow isn't very flattering on me. It's also extremely pigmented, and since I'm pale I find hard to apply it lightly enough that it will blend smoothly. It tends to end up a little blotchy, and that combined with the wrongness of the color kind of makes me look feverish. But on the plus side it does not fade at all during the day. Well, the plus side for someone else--if you want a very pigmented, long-lasting blush, this would be a good one to try.

Smashbox matte liquid lipstick in Stepping Out

I have no idea how I came to choose this shade, since browny-nudes never look good on me, and this is no exception. I swatched it next to Maybelline Touch of Spice (right) just to make the color obvious.

I'd heard that Smashbox's formula for liquid lipsticks was better than most others, but it seems about the same to me. It's on the thicker side, more like Stila than Colourpop, but it's no more comfortable, less drying, or more attractive than any other brand I've tried. I'm just not really a liquid lipstick person (with the exception of Stila Fiery, which you can see here and here).

So those are my fall So Choix samples. Out of everything, while several things have been fun to play with, there's only one product I would want to buy: Laura Mercier Plum Smoke. I guess Nars Tarvos is tempting. Ok, and Estée Lauder Shameless Violet. But really, this is what I like best about the subscription--it eliminates products that I might be tempted to buy based on hype alone or that I might pick up on a whim. And it provides variety in my life at minimal expense. That said, I'm kind of running out of things I really want to try. Maybe I should just get five more pans if Hourglass Dim Light.

Right now you can get an annual subscription for $120 ($10 a month, obviously), which is what I paid. Use the code SAVINGS at checkout. (Ordinarily it's $16/month.) You can cancel at any time during the year and get a pro-rated refund of what's remaining.

Do you have any of the products I tested here? What do you think?

Choix Subscription Box #3 (with mini reviews of Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer, Chanel Le Vernis in Vamp, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow, Tom Ford Matte Lip Color in Pussy Cat, and Laura Mercier Baked Eyeshadow in Black Karat)

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For more information about this subscription, take a look at the detailed review of my first two boxes. For now, I'm going to jump right in to the products I sampled in June (I'm already way behind, since I got my July box over a week ago already). This subscription is a fun way for me to test and review some higher end products that I normally wouldn't pick up.

My third box was full of surprises--things I liked more that I expected, and things that made for disappointing swatches but worked much better in actual use. Here are the samples I picked this time:

Chanel Le Vernis in Vamp and Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in Sx01.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow, Tom Ford Matte Lip Color in Pussy Cat, and Laura Mercier Baked Eyeshadow in Black Karat. They actually managed to preserve the "bacon" marbling in the Hourglass blush when repressing it! Impressive.

I also got these applicators, which as usual I could pretty much do without. I actually have no idea what the third thing is. This is the second time they've sent one of those. Any ideas?

Many, many photos below!

OPI (including liquid sands) $6.50 on HauteLook (and Laura Mercier makeup also on sale)

Like Essie, OPI seems to never go on sale, so this is decent. I've been wanting Don't Touch My Tutu for a while now. Maybe now is the time.

Laura Mercier is on there too, and I know it's well-liked, but I haven't tried anything myself.

Laura Geller is still there too, if you want to stock up and make the shipping ($6) worth it.

Just keep in mind that it can take a few weeks to get your shit when you order from flash sale sites like this.

You need an account to browse HauteLook, so use my invite link, if you like.

Laura Mercier on sale on Gilt (up to 50% off)

This looks like a better selection and better prices than what was on HauteLook earlier this week. For example, 5 mini smoky eye pencils for $12 or a variety of eye and lip colors for $13-14.

You need an account to browse Gilt, so here's my invite link.

Laura Mercier is on HauteLook today (up to 45% off)

I've never tried anything from this brand. Have you? I've heard good things about the tinted lip balms, which are $11 here. An $11 lip balm had better be pretty fucking special. There's also some other lip stuff and nail polish. Anything worth trying?

You need an account to browse HauteLook. Here's my invite link, if you want to use it.