Showing your true face

It's a bit annoying that men, even in these modern times, like to tease women about the thickness of their makeup. It seems that you guys out there haven't noticed the innovations in cosmetics that are giving a more natural look.

Sharon Collier, president of the world-famous "flawless face" of the US cosmetics brand Laura Mercier, points out that rapid advancements mean that after just a single application, lipstick stays on the lip longer and feels smoother.

"I think women look more appealing with a little colour," says co-founder of the company, Collier. "So it's a big challenge to make sure that the customer has the newest, most innovative products, while at the same time staying true to what we believe in."

Laura Mercier is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary, buoyed up by big-name Hollywood customers like Sarah Jessica Parker, Madonna, Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mandy Moore, Jennifer Garner, Beyonce and many others. Over the past two years, the brand has also become quite a hit in Thailand, too. 

"Our average customer has been incredible loyal. She may buy lipstick or eye shadow from our competitors, but she comes back for our primer, foundation and Secret Camouflage."

Collier adds that the name behind the brand is a French makeup artist famed for being ahead of her time in her work for magazines like Vogue, Seventeen, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar and Allure, as well as a host of celebrities and designers.   

"Laura has said that she has just an hour to create a flawless complexion - she can't rely on skincare or treatment products. So she takes a unique approach."

Key to this approach is the insight that what makes a woman beautiful is her imperfection.

"It's really about the beauty of the individual woman," says Collier. "True beauty, Laura believes, doesn't belong to the typical types we might normally think of: models and gorgeous celebrities. Rather than classic looks, she prefers the individual character of a face, and enhancing what is inherently beautiful in a woman.    

With her 35 years of experience in the cosmetics business, working for famous brands like Calvin Klein and Yves Saint Laurent, Collier says that right from the very beginning she knew that the Laura Mercier look was going to be a big hit.

"It appeals to me  because it's a beautiful, really natural, fresh look, and there's so much fun to be had with makeup.

"If you want to go for all-out glamour, there's a step-by-step way of achieving it. On the other hand, if you just want to run out of the door in the morning with a fresh look, devote a little time to makeup and you can achieve that, too. What I love  most is the diversity possible with all the options."

Collier also stresses that women should be comfortable when it comes to applying their own makeup. And a little education here goes a long way. In Bangkok, the brand's tips and tricks can be learned at Laura Mercier counters at Central Chidlom and Central Lad Phrao department stores, and through her latest book, "The New Beauty Secrets, Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face".

"Putting on makeup shouldn't be that difficult. It should be fun," enthuses Collier. Like Mercier, she is also a makeup artist, and fascinated by the process of using the face as a canvas.

"It was so interesting when we first launched the line. I went to a photo shoot and watched Laura spend most of her time on the foundation and Secret Camouflage. She changed the model's looks four different times, but never changed the foundation. She applied a lot of powder and eye shadow but didn't touch the 'canvas' of the skin."

As well as Thailand, Laura Mercier products are now available in twenty five  countries around the world.