Review: Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color Set - Holiday 2014

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colors have been on my wish list for a while. For some reason, I never got around to grab any of them. So when the brand released a limited edition set of 6 mini eyecolor sticks, I jumped at the opportunities. 

The set ($55 for 6 sticks of 0.03 oz/1 g each) contains Rosegold, Amethyst, Moonlight, Copper, Khai and Cocoa. They are all lovely and beautiful. I love how these colors work well together among themselves and are neutral enough to compliment bolder colors in my stash.

- Rosegold: a shimmery warm champagne. It matches my warm skintone NC20-25 perfectly, neither too warm nor too bright. I love it on its own as a wash of color that will radiate a subtle sheen.
- Amethyst: a shimmery taupy plum, also a great lid color. It looks pretty on by itself or as a base color for your mauve, plump or taupe laid on top.
- Moonlight: a highly shimmery cool taupe. It's the most shimmery of the bunch and a great highlighter. I love to apply it in the inner corners of my eyes then blend it out to soften the metallic finish for a more natural result.
- Copper: a shimmery warm peach.
- Khaki: a satin green khaki that looks pretty as a sheer wash of color or when built up for intensity. I love it for a soft smokey eye looks, something more interesting than a ever-predictable black/grey theme.
- Cocoa: a satin deep brown that works well as a crease color and an eyeliner. It ain't just another brown. It brings depth and definition to the eyes without looking too warm nor too cool.

All the colors glides on the skin so effortlessly that requires minimum blending. They all dry fast yet I still have enough time to blend the colors. I would recommend you blend the first color as soon as you apply it before moving on to the next, though. Once the colors set, they won't budge for good 6 hours (without a primer) to 8 hours (with a primer) on my lids.

These caviar sticks are mechanical so you won't need a pencil sharpener. No product will be wasted. I apply the colors directly from the pencil then blend them out with my clean fingers. It's really easy and fool proof.

Now let's chat about the value of this set. A full size caviar stick is retailed at $28 for 0.05 oz. You have 6 x 0.03 oz (0.18 oz) for $55. This amount would have been worth $100. The nice thing is you have 6 color variations. This set by far is my favorite holiday set from any brand this year. The value is awesome but more importantly the quality is superb.

Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Stick Eye Color set will be a perfect gift for makeup beginner as it's so easy-to-use, color-wise and application-wise. And your makeup connoisseur friends will love it too. Don't let the shimmer concern you as it's subtle and buildable accordingly to your taste.

One more close-up

Bottom line. Big love. If perfection exists, this is it. I can't say enough good things about this set.

You can find this set at department stores Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman. Sephora has a set of 4 (minus Copper and Khaki) that get sold out quickly. It showed up online for a while then disappeared again. So if you're patient, you might be able to get it.

Have you tried Laura Mercier caviar stick eye colors? How do you like them?

Burberry Haul

Finally. I have the budget for Burberry!

Every year, I saved for one or two beauty lines that receive phenomenal reviews yet less well-known or less accessible. Last year's exploration were Paul and Joe Beaute and Edward Bess, in case you're curious.

Burberry Beauty in the US is available on burberry.com, nordstrom.com, saksfifthavenue.com and selected Nordstrom and Saks stores. To take advantage of the cashback on ebates, I placed half of my order online. I purchased the rest that was unavailable online via phone at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza. My thoughts on the line will come soon:) For the moment, let's enjoy Burberry incredible design!

First row: Midnight Blue, Taupe Brown, Midnight Brown (Left to Right)

Second row: Pearl Grey, Rosewood, Pale Barley (Left to Right)

Gift with purchase from Nordstrom South Coast Plaza

And this giant makeup bag 

The girl at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza didn't mention anything about GWP so this was a nice surprise. I heard Nordstrom San Francisco offered GWP with $125 order. Mine didn't reach this threshold, though. Gotta love Nordstrom customer service! She also gave me the samples of Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation in No. 5 and No.7 and their fluid makeup base.

Samples of Burberry Sheer Luminous Foundation in Trench No.5 and Trench No. 7 

and Fresh Glow Luminous Base

First impression

Burberry check pattern is omnipresent. The case, the velvet pouch, the products themselves. It doesn't bother me at all although I'm not a Burberry admirer.

Luxe packaging and actually functional! I tend to not paying much attention to the packaging as long as it's sturdy and handy. Yet my jaw drops at this elegant luxurious case. Exquisite! I much prefer this metal case to the plastic from other designer brands like Dior or Chanel.

My Burberry adventure doesn't end here. I need the foundation for the winter and two blushes in Cameo and Tangerine. But they have to wait a little for my wallet to recover....

Until next time, have you tried Burberry beauty? What else will you recommend me to try?