Monday, August 24, 2009

Creme de la Mer - The Radiant Concealer SPF 25

The new Creme de la Mer Radiant Concealer with SPF 25 ($65) was a must-have. La Mer makes most of my miracle products, and the idea of a new "radiant" concealer was too good to be true. So, I headed over to Saks as soon as I learned that it was in stock.

Advertised to instantly even the skin's appearance while adding radiance, the concealer promised a lot. Not only that, here's what added to its allure.

• Gemstones capture light energy to camouflage dark circles and blemishes, optically erasing imperfections to create a smooth, even finish
• Precious marine and plant extracts help reduce the appearance of undereye puffiness, lines, and wrinkles and minimize pores
• Redness and discoloration are diminished as skin is continuously calmed and soothed
• Fine layers provide buildable coverage
• Skin stays naturally flawless all day

A brush is included with the concealer. It is available in three shades: light, medium, and dark. I selected light with a bit of trepidation, given how dark it looked in the pan. However, it was indeed light and added a light, bright look to my undereye skin.

So, after a few days of use, I like it, but I'm not sure I love it. I found (at least on me) that it didn't apply well with a brush. Even with an eye cream under it, I found it hard to blend and ended up with a few teeny tiny balls of product that I had to brush off and a bit of "sinking" into fine lines. Switched to fingertips. Much better! It blended well and I was able to gently pat it into my skin with the warmth of my fingertips. So, that's the way I will use it going forward. I haven't tried it yet on my nose and surrounding skin, so I may get the hang of the brush application eventually.

Did it brighten my undereye area? Yes. Was the color good? Yes. Does it have buildable coverage? Yes. Does it offer coverage without an artificial look? Yes. Did it last all day? Yes. Did it diminish fine lines? No, and I really didn't expect it to do that. That's a tall order for a color product.

I'll report in again after a few more weeks of use. For now, I'd give it an 8 on a scale of 1-10.

You can purchase the Radiant Concealer at La Mer, Saks, Neiman Marcus, and other department stores.

Photo courtesy of La Mer.

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