Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser vs Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint

Having been a massive fan of Armani Hydra Glow Foundation for many years , when it was discontinued I was in disbelief and very disappointed , as it really was the best foundation I had ever used and left my skin with a gorgeously subtle glow and was the perfect shade and just the right coverage for me.

Now that it had been discontinued worldwide and I could not get it ANYWHERE , and believe me I tried , my search began for the next "perfect" foundation for me . I tried them all ( I was savvy enough to get samples instead of buying!) Christian Dior , YSL , Chanel , Estee Lauder , MAC , Shu Uemera , Shiseido , the list is endless. . you get the idea!
Not one even came close to the results Armani Hydra Glow gave me. I was gutted-they all seemed to be dull and grey looking, even the ones that were yellow toned and promised to deliver radiance etc, etc. I then came across Lancome Teint Renergie Lift R.A.R.E which finally was able to give the radiance I had so missed from a foundation, firmness to the skin , plus the right coverage but all that was missing was the exact shade. It was a shade or 2 lighter than my skin tone and the next shade up was a tad too dark! Damn, almost there! So I opted for this and applied a little more bronzer to my cheek bones and temples to make up for it's lightness .
Not long after I then decided , as I am blessed to have very good skin (thanks mum!) , and rarely suffer from breakouts , to not cover my skin up and wear something fresher and more sheer. I decided to give Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser another go. Previously I had found it to be too sheer and it would just slide off half way through the day and look patchy. Plus the shade Sand had been a little too dark for me . Never a good thing! I explained this to the Laura Mercier consultant and she suggested I try the non oil free formula as for some reason the Sand shade is lighter in colour than the oil free version .
I couldn't believe the difference it made . The colour was spot on and the texture felt richer and creamier than when I had used it previously . Maybe the non oil free version makes all the difference!
I played about with different application techniques at home to find the ultimate finish and felt that fingers were by far the best. Over flat a foundation brush or a Stippling brush . For the best finish , after cleansing and moisturising (and sometimes using Laura Geller Spackle which is a great primer) I squeeze a 20 pence piece sized amount into the palm of my hands , rub together lightly, then apply in gentle downward stokes onto my face , following down onto my neck . I then blend in thoroughly with my fingertips until I have a fresh , flawless , slightly dewy finish looking back at me . If I want slightly more coverage I repeat a second time just using a pea sized amount and smoothing just across my nose, forehead and around my nose . This helps it stay on for longer and if I'm going out in the evening I might add Lancome Teint Renergie Lift R.A.R.E Foundation to it in 50/50 measurements , then rub lightly in palms and apply.
On a day to day basis I use one layer of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser and it is perfect . It makes my skin look amazing without looking like I'm wearing makeup which is the ideal really .People regularly comment on how great my skin is as opposed to how good my foundation looks, which is the ultimate compliment . I would absolutely recommend this to anybody who likes the no makeup makeup look!

Recently Liz Earle Skincare launched a tinted moisturiser . Their first foray into makeup having previously only sold award winning skincare, which I am a big fan of -especially the Skin Tonic , Superskin Moisturiser and Superskin Concentrate . As I know the care and time Liz takes with all her products I knew it would be a good 'un and couldn't wait to try it. I am fortunate that they kindly sent me one
The Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint is available in 3 shades. My shade is Beige 02 for the winter but I could use Beach 03 in the summer months. I have a light olive skin tone which is sometimes darker as I like to self tan . The texture is fairly thick for a tinted moisturiser , and again I played about with application techniques for this and chose fingers as the best choice . I squeeze a pea sized amount in the palm of my hands (as this has more coverage than the LM tinted moisturiser) rub lightly , then apply in gentle downward strokes . It gives the most INCREDIBLE glow and sheen to the skin . It makes you look like you've a month of good night's sleep and as though you've had the best facial of your life . I am very impressed! I love the dewy look which is not greasy , and love that is cares for your skin too containing natural source vitamin E , Borage and Avocado oils. It looks beautiful with a cream blush blended gently in and takes years off. Which , let's face it is what most women want!
All in all these two tinted moisturisers are the best on the market and I would highly recommend either .

Here are some facts about both to help you choose which one to go for!

Laura Mercier Non Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser:
SPF:20
RRP:£33
Coverage:Light-Medium. Buildable
Shades Available:9
Available From: Selfridges , Harrods, Harvey Nichols, House Of Fraser , John Lewis , Space NK and online.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint:
SPF:15
RRP:£21
Coverage:Medium
Shades Available:3
Available:John Lewis , Peter Jones , Liz Earle Store Duke Of York Square, Chelsea and online.