Mercier has a knack for creating extraordinary foundations, and Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide doesn't break with tradition! Those with oily, breakout-prone skin, pay attention: This may be your perfect foundation! The reasons are many: An elegantly fluid texture that blends like a dream, gorgeous, natural-looking matte finish and considerable yet not obvious-looking coverage most skin flaws (such as red marks from past breakouts).

This is best for oily skin because the finish is strongly matte and a bit powdery; it wears for hours but how long it lasts on you will depend on what else you apply first and how oily your skin is. The matte finish will absolutely exaggerate any degree of dryness, including around the eyes, so be sure to prep any dry spots with a good moisturizer (or eye cream) first.

In terms of describing the coverage, it goes from light to almost medium, but you can layer this for a bit more coverage without a too-heavy look. Unless you have very oily skin, you can skip setting this with powder—it'll only make an already impressive matte finish more matte, which most people probably won't need.

Turning to the shades, wow! The range of 20+ colors runs the gamut and are mostly beautiful. There are some good shades for light skin, but not for porcelain or very fair skin with a pinkish undertone. The range favors warm, often golden tones, with most of the medium to deep shades being noticeably golden (but still worth considering). The darkest shades are stunning and do not look the least bit ashen or drab.

There are a couple shades to avoid, particularly Ecru, which is strongly rose and the slightly pink Dune, though this may be suitable for some skin tones. Be careful with the Suntan shade, as it tends to go on and stay orange-ish—which isn't the color of a natural tan on any skin tone!

Although technically not fragrance-free because the formula contains lemon fruit extract, the amount is low enough so that no citrus scent is detected, thus the risk of irritation is very low. And no question lemon fruit extract poses a reduced risk of irritation compared to lemon oil, which this foundation does not contain.

All told, another star foundation from this formidable line. Those with breakout-prone skin can apply this over a matte finish sunscreen and be all set—just don't forget to apply that SPF to your neck, too!

Note: Due to the nature of the formula, you must shake the bottle well before use. We noticed that even after vigorous shaking, some of the shades showed slight signs of separation.

PROS:

CONS: