I've received a lot of communication from other rosacea sufferers who swear by Laura Mercier Products. Naturally, I simply HAD to give them a try. I headed out to the Laura Mercier counter a while back, and there I was introduced to the concept of the Laura Mercier Flawless Face. It is a series of products and application tips for creating a smooth, even, and, well, flawless finish. Since 'flawless' is hardly the word that leaps to mind when I consider my reddened complexion, I was intrigued to know if Laura Mercier could help me make it look otherwise! So I had a seat and they walked me through the process.

Foundation Primer ($28)
This is a lightweight gel product that they suggest you apply to the entire face after moisturizing. The idea is to give a smooth finish to the skin, which is supposed to help your foundation last longer. I'm always a little jumpy about extra, unnecessary layers being added to my face (for fear of a flare-up), but found that the primer is non-irritating (to my enormous relief!). It does give a nice, satiny texture to the skin. I was unconvinced about its ability to make my makeup stay fresh all day, so they sent me home with a sample. I honestly can't say that I've noticed any difference in the way my makeup wears with or without this product. I like the silky texture it gives, but won't pay $28 just for that.

Moisturizing Foundation ($38, 1 fluid ounce)
Since we were headed into the drier months of the year when I made this little excursion, I chose the moisturizing foundation. A few of the ladies in my support group had recommended it. The suggested method at Laura Mercier for the application of their foundation is with a slightly moistened sponge ($14 per 4 pack). These sponges are quite nice - they are thick, yet don't retain too much water. They are washable and last forever! The moisturizing foundation glides on smoothly and easily with this technique. It is slightly sheer, which I was worried about at first, since coverage is what I need. But the saleswoman told me that the coverage was coming later, so I relaxed a bit. The finish of the moisturizing foundation is smooth and natural without looking dewy. When we were done, minor imperfections were gone, while my reddest areas persisted. Overall, this is a nice foundation. When used with some of the other products in the line, it is quite good. They suggest that the coverage with this product is buildable, but I've found that when I try to build coverage, I end up with a thicker, less natural look to my face. It is better, I've found, to go with a sheer layer of this foundation to even my skin tone, then fix up other areas of my face with the following steps.

Secret Concealer ($20, 0.08 ounce)
I have discovered that Laura Mercier really excels in the field of concealers. Secret Concealer is a rich, moisturizing concealer that comes packaged in a small tub. It is designed for use around the eye, where skin is delicate. The smooth texture allows for easy application without tugging or pulling on the fragile skin of the eye area. They suggest applying it with the Secret Camouflage Brush ($26). Simply dot the concealer on discolorations and under eye circles and blend in. It is very easy to blend and gives good coverage without caking. It is also quite hydrating - an added bonus for battling fine lines! I really love this stuff and will certainly pick it up again.

Secret Camouflage ($27)
This is it - the big gun, the granddaddy of the Mercier concealers. I've read a lot about this product. It is one of Allure's top picks year after year. Secret Camouflage comes in a compact with 2 colors. They can be blended together to achieve a perfect shade. This takes a little practice. The first few times, I got it a little too pale and created ghostly little haloes in various areas of my face. Yipes! Anyway, with the Secret Concealer brush, they showed me how to blend the colors together and apply in short strokes to the redder parts of my face. I then blend it in with my fingertips. With the sheer coverage of the foundation, this essentially means that I have to apply Secret Concealer over the entire apple of each cheek, as well as my chin and nose. That's a lot of Secret Concealer. The coverage, however, is superb. Redness simply vanishes under this stuff. But take a lesson from me and don't get carried away. At first, I found myself just painting merrily away with this product, awed by how it banished every trace of red. The result was cakey and unnatural. Start out with a little and build as necessary. You'll feel much better about the result. This product will also do a good job with the most persistent of undereye circles.

Loose Powder ($30, 1 ounce)
The final step in my Flawless Face was Translucent Loose Setting Powder. They recommend application with their large velour puff ($12). The technique is to rub the powder into the puff, then blot over the entire face to set your makeup. This powder has a fine texture and natural finish. Again, go easy with this product. We rosaceans who have a lot to cover have already applied a great deal of makeup to our faces at this stage of the Flawless Face game. A thick layer of powder will ruin it all by leaving a heavy, unnatural finish. I use just enough to leave a matte finish across my entire face. This is a good, high-quality powder. Laura Mercier powders also come in a few colors. Next time, I may try beige, which has a nice yellow undertone to it and would probably also help in concealing redness.

In summary, the face that I left the Laura Mercier counter with did look pretty darn good. The Flawless Face is not something you're going to slap on in a hurry when you are running late for work. It is time-consuming and requires practice. There is a lot of room for error for those of us who need to do a lot of concealing. The products however, are all excellent (except, perhaps for the Primer) and the concealers are the standouts of this line. I will definitely continue to use both concealers on a regular basis.

More information about these products and the Flawless Face technique can be found on the Laura Mercier website. Products can be purchased directly from the web site, but if you have not used them before, I would suggest going to a Laura Mercier counter to get the proper match and some instruction.