Since I’ve been pretty impressed with the Laura Mercier products I’ve tried, I was really looking forward to trying this one. The Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation contains radiant-pearl mica to mimic the glow of candles, while lightweight oils seal in moisture to leave the skin soft and radiant with a flattering finish.
I really wanted to love this, but sadly, I didn’t. 🙁 I got the shade Cashew, which proved to be much too light for my medium-toned skin. One would think “cashew” would be more medium, but it wasn’t- this is more of a macadamia shade. But, I still got a really good idea of how it performed. Even though this wasn’t for me, I think a lot of people will really like it!
Wearing Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation without primer
It’s supposed to be medium coverage, but I think it’s a bit less than that. If you have any major issues, this won’t work; but if you have decent skin, this will be great with just using concealer as needed.
Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation in Cashew
The foundation did spread easily, but it took a while to blend- not difficult, but a little more time-consuming than with other formulas I’ve tried. The problem I had was with the “glow.” It didn’t seem so much of a “glow” as it did flat-out SHINE. (To be fair, I went to the salon and asked the opinions of a couple people there, and they did not think it looked shiny.) After using powder, twice, it still looked shiny to me. It also settled into my pores, and made them more obvious. Wear time wasn’t very good, it only lasted a few hours.
When zooming in closely, the foundation seemed to look shiny and settle into my pores, even with powder.
I usually test foundations for the first time without using primer so that I get a true idea of performance. So, I tried it again today with Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector- which usually works great for this type of thing. There was a definite difference, and wear time increased to about seven hours. But, it still looked shiny and settled into my pores- just not as much as it did without the primer. With my skin type, the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is still the best I’ve found.
Wearing Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation over Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector
Overall, the Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation is a very good quality product. Keep in mind, I have oily/combination skin, so this just didn’t work for me. If you’re interested in trying it, don’t let my experience scare you- I’ve read several fantastic reviews, and it works very well for many people. If you purchase at Nordstrom, you can get free shipping and free returns, so no worries if you don’t love it! If you click either of the banners in this listing, you can also get three free samples with your order, while supplies last.
Still a little shiny and some settling into pores, even with a mattifying primer.
Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation retails for $48.00 for 1 oz.
