Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Wild Bouquet Review and Swatches

Keeping on my "hey self, let's remember that you're a beauty blogger and should maybe, like, blog about beauty or something" kick, here's a lovely nude blush! Liz had suggested it, and I bow to her in all things blushy. She did not lead me astray!

untouched pan porn! It's very wee, and the compact is correspondingly small,
which makes it excellent for travel. You can also pop it out and stick it into a palette
(LM makes some, but I'm sure a Z palette or something similar would work, too).

Wild Bouquet is a slightly peachy light neutral-warm nude (or "neutral brown rose", if you want something less complicated). 

two finger swipes Wild Bouquet (left) and applied heavily with a blush brush (right)

I picked it up because I wanted a neutral blush for warmer-toned makeup days (I reach for CARGO Tonga as a cool nude blush), and while BECCA Fig is the right shade, I rarely wear cream blush, as I'm always afraid it will mess up my foundation. Wild Bouquet is perfect: slightly browner than Fig, but a very close cousin, in an incredibly silky, finely milled formula. In spite of its light hue, it doesn't lack pigmentation, and it applies easily and blends out beautifully.

left to right: BECCA Beach Tint Fig, CARGO Tonga, NYX Marbella bronzer half,
Laura Mercier Wild Bouquet. Tonga and Wild Bouquet are two swipes each,
the NYX is, like, 6, and the BECCA is just smeared on. (Also, why do so many
brands feel the need to capitalize their name? I feel like I'm shouting!
"BECCA! NYX! Come clean up your mess!")

There's no shimmer, but it's not a flat matte, either, and applied, it gives a lovely sun-kissed...not glow, since there's no sheen, but...aura? Sure, whatever. My religious application of sunscreen and naturally pale complexion mean that bronzers aren't a great product for me (I mean, I'm super drawn to some of the beautiful ones, but I know it'd just be too much work to get them to, well, work), but Wild Bouquet gives a similar "I've just been lounging in a fabulous tropical locale drinking fabulous tropical cocktails, don't you wish you were me" effect. It's also ideal for "no makeup" makeup days, if you are the sort to do those. 

Wild Bouquet on cheeks, Urban Decay Naked Basics on eyes,
Lancome Corail Cabriole on lips (reviews of latter two to come)

I like it. A lot. I've been reaching for it a lot during the recent heat wave, and I anticipate getting much wear from it this summer and beyond. The texture is just fabulous, and the satin matte finish is great on my oily skin. While this shade is best suited for the pigment-deprived among us, I definitely recommend swatching the next time you're near a counter to see if there are any others that suit your particular needs. I'll certainly keep my eyes peeled for others to add to my stash! Grade: B+ (I wish it had more product [or were cheaper!])
$25.00 for 0.13 oz, available from Nordstrom and Laura Mercier (Sephora used to carry the blushes, but they're no longer listed online)

What do you think of Wild Bouquet? What's your favorite nude blush? Are there any other Second Skin Cheek Colour (haha, silly foreigners) shades you think I should try?