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I've had Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in my makeup bag — and my travel makeup bag, and occasionally my desk drawer — for longer than I've known my husband. (Impressive, considering our courtship lasted a full decade.) It's my most trusted beauty product: It makes my cheekbones look dewy but not obviously highlighted, and it evens out my redness and sun spots without seeming makeup-y. So I was totally unprepared for the news that it would be discontinued and replaced by a new formula in stores this month.
My first thought was, How many tubes should I stockpile to keep me covered until 2080? (I'm planning a long life.) My second: Maybe I could give the new one a chance?
Changing a brand-defining product is a high-stakes game — Laura Mercier herself rejected the first 67 iterations of this new formula. But because the original's sunscreens skewed chalky, its range of medium and dark shades was limited; an update was necessary. Turns out, updating the sunscreen technology expanded the range by five shades and made a higher SPF level possible (30, not 20). Chemists also tinkered with the base, adding moisturizing oils and removing parabens and silicones.
When the new Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfectors finally arrived at our office, I gave samples to two fellow Allure editors. One whose golden medium-brown shade didn’t exist in the old line immediately found a perfect match; the other hadn't been a fan of the OG — the formula didn't blend well over her very dry skin — but warmed off the bat to this more hydrating version.
Feeling optimistic, I did a split-face test of the formulas. The difference was almost imperceptible, except that the new version made my cheekbones a little glowier. I have to admit — I might, possibly, like it better than the original.
The reformulated Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector is now available for $47.
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