Laura Mercier Cheek Mélange in Canyon Sunset for Fall 2011

Laura Mercier has introduced her Canyon Collection for Fall 2011. For weeks after seeing it in the store, I considered the pieces I had to have vs those I'd like to have. There comes a point (usually when paying my credit card bill) when I realize I cannot have everything I want.

When I first saw the collection in person, I nearly swept four eye shadows into my "buy pile." Out of necessity, I finally narrowed it down to one limited-edition shade, which I will feature tomorrow. That was tough! There were lipstick and lip gloss shades that called to me - until I opened the caps. The fragrance in the lip colors was just too strong for my taste.

The limited-edition superstar of the collection, though, Cheek Mélange in Canyon Sunset ($40) would not be denied its place on my bathroom counter. It's even prettier in person than it is in the advertisements, and I swear there are variations of the compact that lean cooler and pinker (better for my skin) than the warm, Mediterranean tones I've seen in the testers. Call me a crazy lady, but these swirled blended shades cannot all be exactly the same from one compact to the next.

The imagery of a canyon sunset, with pink, peach, and mauve shades punctuated by a gold overspray, gives this compact an undeniable appeal. On the skin, when blended, the shades become a warm hybrid - warm pink-peach in some settings, mauve-peach in others. Like the changing of the colors that grace the sky as the sun sets, the blush will highlight your cheeks with variations of color, all flattering.

I took two swatch photos, purposely with different backgrounds, to show you the blended colors on my arm and how pretty - and variable - they can appear. As usual, I applied the cheek color way too heavily to get a good representation of the shade in my photos. Against pink flowers at right, the shade displays its pink personality. Against a dark red, almost invisible, Japanese maple background below, it's warmer. The angle against the morning sun was almost identical when I took these photos, proof of my belief that the shade is a chameleon. It's actually a perfect shade for now, as July melts into August.

Have you ever wondered why Laura Mercier doesn't seem to receive the same amount of beauty buzz as other established brands? I've noticed it for a few years, and I can't figure out a reason.

Laura Mercier is a lovely lady. I took a master class with her once, a bazillion years ago, and was struck by her warmth and "one of the girls" approach to beauty. Because my skin is so Northern European, sometimes I think her shades are designed for women whose skin derived its tone closer to the Mediterranean Sea, like hers. Even so, there's always something for me to love in her collections.

I hope you'll check out the new Canyon Collection. I'll bet there's something there for you too. You can find it at the Laura Mercier Web site and all Laura Mercier counters in the department stores. I bought mine at Neiman Marcus.

Photo at top courtesy of Laura Mercier; other photos by Best Things in Beauty