Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator ($42.00 for 0.35 oz.) is described as a “soft rose-gold.” It’s a warm, champagne-shimmered copper–it doesn’t really look pink on me, like a rose gold, it’s a little warmer, more orange. On cooler skin tones, the rosiness may be more apparent. NARS Luster is more orange, more pigmented. MAC Poised is less shimmery, more pigmented. MAC Barefaced is warmer, less shimmery. MAC Light Year is pinker. See comparison swatches.

Spellbound is supposed to highlight the face with “buildable long-wearing color.” It has a soft, smooth texture that makes blending a breeze. The color just diffuses and softens with ease and doesn’t look on uneven on the skin. It does have buildable color, so if you have a medium or lighter complexion, you’ll see some warmth and color added as well as a reflective sheen. I have normal-to-dry skin, and it does emphasize pores slightly when I used it on my cheeks, which wasn’t surprising, given the finish has such a high-shine. If used very lightly (like with a fan brush) just over the high planes of the cheeks, then I didn’t see any emphasis, so it will depend on how much you apply, where, and so on. It lasted eight hours well on my cheeks, and after nine hours, it started to look a bit faded and patchy.

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator

Laura Mercier Spellbound Face Illuminator