Laura Mercier Spring 2013 Collection - Arabesque

This spring, we have been seeing many collections that are based around pastel hues and will be perfect to flatter pale complexions.  Since my complexion is always the palest shade of foundation that I can find, I take note of any makeup collection that will work best for those of us with skin similar to mine.  Laura Mercier has often created great pastel color collections in the past and therefore it is no surprise that her newest spring collection is a series of beautiful pastels for every facial feature.  I wear pale pink blush all year long and I am looking forward to seeing what shades are released from this company for the next season. 

Arabesque is the first spring collection of 2013 from Laura Mercier, I still fully except a second collection later on in the spring.  This collection is all pastels and will work in the very beginning of the spring and then all throughout the rest of the season, this collection will contain some great choices for the time when my winter complexion is still in place but the warmer days are calling for a different types of makeup shades. 

The Laura Mercier website is not working well for some reason so I am pulling all the product and shade information from the Nordstrom website (while I stalking it to see if MAC has slowly released any new items from Archie's Girls yet).  "Soft and fresh, Arabesque features a poetic blend subtle pinks highlights, serene neutrals and blue hues, accented by full, fluttering lashes for a serenely romantic palette."  This collection starts out with an eye palette that is sure to sell out and will help to create all kinds of romantic, pastel eyes for the ernd of the winter months and into the spring.

The spring collection from Laura Mercier...

Arabesque Baked Eye Color Palette - Laura Mercier Baked Eye Color Palette perfectly pairs five baked eye colors into one convenient compact. Create endless looks using each shade dry for a more natural look or wet to add intensity and drama to the eyes. Contour and define eyes with the mini double-ended brush for on-the-go glamour. The palette contains Champagne, Sepia, Mink, Malt and Sterling Baked Eye Colors.
- Champagne - pale champagne with shimmer finish
- Sepia - medium taupe with cool shimmer finish
- Mink - deep brown with cool shimmer finish
- Malt - off white with shimmer finish
- Sterling - pale slate blue with cool shimmer finish

Arabesque Eye Pencil - Provides precise definition and easy, smooth application. Goes on evenly without 'dragging' or pulling the delicate eye area.
- Charcoal Gray - medium slate gray
- Midnight Bleu - deep navy blue

Creme Cheek Colour - Laura Mercier Creme Cheek Color is a long-wearing cream blush that provides natural-looking color with sheer, buildable coverage and a soft, velvety finish.
- Blaze - deep warm rose cream
- Canyon - medium tan
- Praline - deep tan

Arabesque Lip Stain - Laura Mercier Lip Stain provides the visual effect of a stain with the comfort and sheen of a lip gloss. The long-term wear with a satin, balmy finish leaves the look of effortless polish and understated sophistication.
- Mulberry - sheer deep red stain
- Shy Pink - neutral medium pink stain

Arabesque Lip Glace - Laura Mercier Lip Glacé is a high-shine, perfectly pigmented lip gloss that makes lips appear fuller, virtually enhancing any skin tone by creating a subtle contrast in texture. Containing the Laura Mercier Lip Complex, Lip Glacé hydrates and protects lips, leaving a wonderfully smooth surface. The non-sticky formula plumps and conditions lips, adding a glamorous touch without looking too heavy.  For sheer translucent coverage, try Crystal or Lilac. For medium (soft pigment) coverage, try Baby Doll, Bare Beige, Bellini, Sparkling, Opal, Petal and Violet. For full opaque coverage, try Ambre Rose, Blush, Bonbon, Brownberry and Rose.
- Bare Pink - pale blue pink

Arabesque Creme Smooth Lip Color - Laura introduces a luxurious lipstick that gives lips the ultimate in color, texture and finish. In one smoothing swipe, the cream formula envelops lips in rich color with a semi-lustrous finish. The cushiony, lightweight texture feels comfortable, while pure olive oil and vitamin E nourish. Features an elegant, modern case with a metalized finish.
- Arabesque - pale neutral pink cream

Arabesque Nail Lacquer - Laura Mercier Nail Lacquer creates beautifully manicured nails with long-lasting, chip-resistant, protective color and high shine. The ultrasmooth pigment enhances any nails and a fast-drying element expedites the drying process.
- En Pointe - pale pink cream

Faux Lash Mascara - Open your eyes to Laura's luxurious new mascara, created specifically to give eyes the look of false lashes. As a renowned makeup artist, Laura really knows the dramatic impact of false lashes. With that in mind, she created Faux Lash to give real lashes extreme volume and length for intense exaggeration and drama. The formula is extra-smooth, glossy and good-for-lashes, created with a blend of waxes and absolutely no fibers. Build rich, exaggerated lashes that are extraordinarily thick, super-shiny and conditioned. You'll never need to bother with false eyelashes again!  The key ingredient to getting the look is the Faux Lash Mascara brush. The oversized brush builds thick, beautiful lashes. The dual-sided brush head has short bristles on one side that provide maximum color deposit and long bristles on the other to allow for maximum, buildable coverage.
- Black - black

I am not quite sure how these Blush shades work with the rest of the collection, I wonder if the Nordstrom website put the wrong shades up since they don't match the model or any other piece in this collection.  Barring the blushes, I find this to be a very pretty collection for spring and it will work very well on any one with pale skin; if your skin is really any deeper than pale-medium, this collection will not be the more flattering that you could buy for the spring.

This collection has some very high points for me and some products that I plan to skip over.  First the products that I really love.  My favorite piece of the collection is the Creme Smooth Lip Color in Arabasque, this shade will work perfectly in a conservative office environment, with a natural look, and also with any eye makeup look that I could come up with.  In addition to the Creme Smooth Lip Color, I want to order the Lip Glace in Bare Pink.  All of the same comments that I just made on the Creme Smooth Lip Color apply for this shade also and I must order both of these shades.  The new shade in the Nail Lacquer is my last must have from this limited edition shade range, En Pointe is a lovely pale pink that I will use all the time.

I am not really excited about the eye shadow palette, I was truly expecting to be blown away but it but I find it to be quite ordinary.  I don't believe that any of the shades are limited edition and I could get them anytime, even if any of them are limited edition, none of them are so unique that I couldn't find a very similar shade from either Laura Mercier or another company.  I know that I would never use the slate blue shade in this palette so it might just make more sense to buy the other four shades by themselves.  I want to try this mascara formula but I can buy this anytime so it isn't at the top of my shopping list for this collection.

I was really going after some great eye makeup from this collection but the exact opposite ended up being the case and I found some great lip products instead.  I do wonder how many lipsticks and glosses have been added to my shopping list over the past month...

photo courtesy of Nordstrom