How to steal Reese Witherspoon’s flawless look

Laura Mercier is the ‘Queen of the Flawless Face’ so when she releases new skin-perfecting products, people sit up and take notice.

When Reese Witherspoon stepped out at the 2014 Golden Globes, everyone wanted to steal her look. The star was fresh-faced and flawless, but didn’t look too “done” (unlike certain celebs who look like they’ve been floured in the face. Those looks aren’t just “done,” they’re finished).

The secret to Witherspoon’s look was a product so new it was launched here only last week: Laura Mercier’s Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide foundation.

In the beauty industry Mercier is known as the “Queen of the Flawless Face,” so when she releases new skin-perfecting products, people sit up and take notice.

Laura Mercier global makeup artist Michelle Draper flew in from New York to teach us how to achieve that same sun-kissed glow with a few simple steps.

• Prep your skin and perfect your “canvas” with primer.

Draper started with a new oil-free foundation primer, Radiance Bronze, which has a universally flattering golden tint that can be used to contour certain areas under foundation.

• Massage primer and foundation into skin with your fingers. “Don’t use a brush because Laura says we’re not painting a house,” chuckles Draper. Stipple the product on with a sponge, pressing it into skin, or just use your fingers.

Not only does it warm the product and make it easier to work with, the product will melt in and look like part of your skin, not like a mask.

• Apply Radiance Bronze under your cheekbones to make them pop. You can also apply it on areas the sun normally hits: across the forehead, down the bridge of your nose and the tip of your chin. Draper says she uses Radiance Bronze at the gym to get a healthy glow.

• Apply Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide only to areas that need coverage. Mercier doesn’t believe in a full face of makeup but only camouflaging imperfections. Smooth Finish Fluide is particularly suitable for our climate because it’s basically “water with a lot of pigment,” according to Draper, making it extremely lightweight and breathable. “The technology gets better and better all the time. This foundation has Hydro-Brilliant technology with reflective water.”

• Get a safe, sun-kissed glow via body-bronzing makeup. Your neck and décolletage have to match your face, or your head will look like it’s floating, Draper says. Dust Laura Mercier Radiance Baked Body Bronzer on the sides of your neck, collarbone, shoulders, and even legs to mimic stockings. It has sparkle for added radiance.

• Apply concealer only on dark areas under the eye. Draper warns against the “reverse raccoon” eye that so many women fall victim to when they apply concealer a little too enthusiastically. Laura Mercier’s High Coverage Concealer is so concentrated that a little goes a long way. “A pin drop is enough,” says Draper. It has honey to nourish, vitamin E and malic acid for antioxidant protection. Using a brush for precision, “apply feather strokes just to see darkness going away.”

• Keep a powder compact in your purse to blot away shine. Many women are under the misconception they have oily skin when they see a little shine break through their makeup, but it’s perfectly normal, assures Draper. “Have a compact of translucent powder to reset makeup without adding pigment,” she advises. “It’s great for humid climates like yours.”

• For bright eyes that draw attention, experiment with little pops of color at the lash line. Many Filipinas are afraid of eyeshadow colors other than brown, but Draper, whose expert eye for color she inherited from her artist mom, says that brown shadow paired with brown hair and brown eyes is boring. Using Laura Mercier’s Caviar Stick Eye Colour, she put a wash of shimmery Rose Gold on the model’s eye — “It’s waterproof and gives something for the shadow to cling to all day” — before applying a light baby blue powder eyeshadow from the Flawless Eye Essentials palette from lid to crease.

“It just looks fresh, it doesn’t read as blue,” she said, and I had to agree. With a smudge brush, she then ran some black shadow across the lash line and up at the corners to achieve a smoky eye for daytime.

• For long lashes in a flash, apply Faux Lash mascara. Mercier tested multiple formulas before hitting upon one so effective it gave lashes extreme volume, length and shine in half the time women normally took to apply mascara.

• Want a sexier pout but are afraid of committing to brights? Try a Lip Glacé instead. Laura Mercier’s lip glosses have just enough pigment to make your lips look fuller and there are 26 shades to choose from, from Bare Baby pink to bright Poppy and deep Black Cherry.

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Laura Mercier cosmetics are available at Rustan’s The Beauty Source.