It's a foundation showdown between Laura Mercier and IT Cosmetics! Two that seem to be very similar but one may have something a little extra, so who will take it? See the details on each below!

First up -- 

LAURA MERCIER Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide ($48/1oz @ sephora.com and lauramercier.com)

What It Is: A 12-hour wear, oil-free foundation that blurs the appearance of imperfections for a smoother-looking complexion. What it does:Laura Mercier’s lightweight foundation leaves skin with a natural-looking matte finish. It works on all skin types, visibly evening skintone and minimizing the appearance of pores. Infused with Hydro-Brilliant Technology, featuring reflective waters and natural silica that create brilliant color-true shades, it is humidity-proof, sweat-proof, and water-resistant for longer, carefree wear. Available in 24 shades. 

 

 

My Take: When it comes to this foundation, the one thing you need to remember is this song by KC and the Sunshine Band, “Shake, shake, shake…” yup, you need to shake this one really well before using. And just be careful after your 10 second shake session as the formula seemed to come out of the top every frikkin’ time I used it, making for a messy start.
 
I have not used a true liquid foundation in some time so apply this one took a minute to get used to. As far as application, I’ve alternated between using a damp beauty sponge and a brush and I think the sponge gives the better overall coverage with this one.

So how did it work? Really well actually! It made my skin look polished, not overdone, which I like, and it feels so light on the skin, it’s like I’m not even wearing any foundation. This one falls under the, “wearing is believing,” category.  

Moving over to the … gosh, I’m not even sure what this form of foundation is called, so let’s explore!

IT COSMETICS CC+ Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation SPF 50 ($38 @ ulta.com, itcosmetics.com)

What It Is: CC+ Veil has an ultra-lightweight, breathable beauty fluid formula that is infused with pure color pigments for buildable coverage that lasts! Drops of Light Technology® is infused with liquid crystals, brightens and color corrects your skin to provide a hydrating, luminous finish and SPF 50+ UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum Physical Only, Non-Chemical Sunscreen protects your skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays. Great for all skin types, Clinically proven to absorb excess oils and minimizes the appearance of pores. Plus your skin is quenched and nourished with Anti-Aging Peptides, Niacin, Algae, Vitamins A, C, B, E, Hyaluronic Acid, and Hydrolyzed Collagen that not only give you instant benefit of beautiful skin but the long-term benefits of clinically proven treatment as well! The included non-absorbing puff applicator soothes the skin while optically blurring away imperfections and fine lines. Paraben-free, Talc Free, Cruelty Free!

My Take: First of all, I don’t know what to call this but upon reading up a little, I see it is called a cushion makeup form. The only time I’ve ever seen this was with one from Stila many moons ago (and I still have it!). It seems to be a liquid, or fluid as the name states (like the LM one above), inside this cushion or sponge, and they advertise it like this one in that it is a serum and foundation morphed together. So you get the coverage of a foundation and the anti-aging goodness of a serum like peptides, niacin, Hyaluronic Acid, and quite a few vitamins.

So how did it work? Also really well! The coverage is pretty sheer but it is buildable and I really love when a foundation does double duty as I just don’t think our skin can ever get enough anti-aging ingredients put on them. Available in 5 shades.

So now the big question – which do I prefer better? Well I shouldn’t have even put these two in a same feature as they really do give off same kind of natural and sheer velvety finish but I think the IT ones wins by a nose because of the anti-aging ingredients it contains.

Are you going to try either of these? Do tell in the comments! 

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.