Review: Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Color in Blaze

I’ve been a little iffy so far about doing reviews for products that aren’t new, because let’s face it, brand new things just photograph so much better. So apologies that this one looks so… well-loved, but that’s because it is! It’s one of those products that I just think everyone should know about.

The Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Color comes in a compact that’s just a hair bigger than its powder-format sisters – maybe a couple millimeters longer in each dimension. It also has a slightly rounded top. The compact is small, not too thick, and made of sturdy plastic – no fear of breakage here. My only possible gripe with it is the push-button that opens it protrudes from the front a little bit and it has a hair trigger. Seriously, the slightest amount of pressure will pop it open. I’ve found it open in my blush drawer once or twice where I bumped it with another product, but that’s never caused it to dry out. I don’t really take it traveling with me for that reason. Aside from that, I love the packaging. It’s also worth noting that I think the packaging has been updated since I bought mine – the compacts on the Laura Mercier website look more in line with the powder blush compacts that snap open.

In the pan the blush appears as a deep reddened pink, which can be slightly scary if you’re new to cream blushes, which I was when I first bought this. It was recommended to me by one of my favorite SA’s though, so I decided to give it a shot. On the skin, it applies as a beautiful warmed-up rose hue.

The most gorgeous thing about this blush is the texture and application. It applies smoothly and blends beautifully. Just a few circles with my brush and I’m done. Like most of the LM products I have (and I have quite a few), it does its thing without screaming for attention. It goes on a bit sheer for a natural flush, and you can build it up easily if you prefer a stronger blush look or have a deeper skin tone. It has a slight sheen that looks dewy, not oily – a fantastic choice for dry or dull skin. My skin is much less oily now that it was several months ago, but it never separated or slid around even on my oiliest days. It wears well throughout the day, with just a bit of fading after 8-10 hours. I’ve used a few different application methods – fingers, dense goat brushes, loose stippling brushes, and my Wayne Goss 01 – and it goes on evenly and blends out well with all of them.

In Short: It’s an essential in my natural-look routine.

Laura Mercer Creme Cheek Color ($24) is available at nordstrom.com, lauramercier.com and Laura Mercier counters.