The Big Switch
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 obvi-
ously highlighted, and evens out my red-
ness 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
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCT GETS A
MAKEOVER? FIRST YOU PANIC. THEN YOU PUT IT TO THE TEST.
dark shades was limited—an update was
necessary. Turns out, updating the sun-
screen technology expanded the range
by five shades and made a higher SPF
level possible (30, not 20). Chemists also
tinkered with the base, adding moisturiz-
ing oils and removing parabens and sili-
cones. 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 for-
mulas. The difference was almost imper-
ceptible, except that the new version
made my cheekbones a little glowier. I
have to admit—I might, possibly, like it
better than the original. —ELIZABETH SIEGEL
That sleek, midnight blue
tube? It’s Secret’s latest
antiperspirant and
deodorant, and it’s ready
to hold its own in your
next #shelfie. It’s cooler
on the inside too. Instead
of relying on typical deo
aromas (powder fresh!
spring blossom!), the new
Secret With Essential Oils
line taps (you guessed
it) essential oils to scent
the traditional Secret
formula. The result is four
deodorants—Lavender
+ Eucalyptus, Coconut Oil
+ Mandarin, Rose +
Charcoal, and Cedarwood
+ Citrus—that smell like
their namesakes, and not
like a synthetic cloud.
We tried Rose + Charcoal,
which smelled not so
much like charcoal but
very much like sticking
your nose in a real
rose bloom. One caveat:
Essential oils can cause
irritation, says New
York City dermatologist
Marnie Nussbaum. The
levels in these sticks were
kept to about 1 percent
of the formulation to be as
gentle as possible, but
those with sensitive
skin can test it on their
inner forearm for a few
days in a row before going
all in. —GABRIELA THORNE
EXCLUSIVE
Stick Shock
32 ALLURE SEPTEMBER 2019
FROM LEFT: GETTY IMAGES;
JOSEPHINE SCHIELE
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