Laura Mercier Satin Matte Eye Colour- Tempting Green, Plum allure

Laura Mercier released four eye shadow colors in the limited edition Satin Matte Eye Colour range as part of the Sensual Reflection collection for Fall 2014. I chose two, Tempting Green and Plum allure (the other ones are Sensual Pink and Gold Seduction, which I decided I could easily live without). The Satin Matte is a different texture and finish than Laura Mercier regular matte eye shadows (Matte Eye Colour), mostly because it's decidedly NOT matte.

Don't ask me why the good people at Laura Mercier decided on this name. These are beautiful satin eye shadows with unique pigments that make them appear somewhat blackened. Just not matte. On skin (at least on mine) the colors appear more muted and less vibrant, yet still very intense. The texture is very soft and smooth, though not as creamy as the marketing blurb claims. It's easy to work with, though, and the colors stay put and last for at least 14 hours.

As I mentioned above, the colors are kind of sooty. Tempting Green is a blackened hunter green, while Plum Allure is a purplish dark chocolate on skin (none of the copperiness that appears in the pan shows up on me). These are dramatic colors, each can be the foundation of a stunning smoky eye, but I suspect that if your skin tone is significantly darker than mine it can look a bit drab. It's that almost-charcoal base. In any case, I highly recommend using a brightening eye primer that will help bring out more of the color.

Bottom Line: Beautiful concept but not a must-have.


Laura Mercier Satin Matte Eye Colour- Tempting Green, Plum allure ($24 each, made in Italy) are a limited edition. Currently available from lauramercier.com.