This week I am pleased to (finally) bring you an updated review of Lorac Cosmetics. I had tried the line at least a year ago when I was writing for America Online, but never had a chance to post my review on Cosmetic Connection. When Michael Pierce, National Makeup Artist for Lorac, contacted me, I was excited at the chance to have another look.

First, a little background. Lorac Cosmetics' creator Carol Shaw created these products with sensitive, acne-prone skin like hers in mind. The colors are designed to accentuate a woman's natural beauty without being heavy or looking made-up. The foundations and concealer were formulated to cover without hiding the skin. I think there are some great colors in this line, and I hope to see some unique products from Lorac in the future.

Now on to the reviews! I have made the name of each product a link to where you can find it online, so you can check colors more easily.

Oil Free Makeup ($30) in S1
This is the one Lorac product that gets more press and has a bigger following than any other. InStyle magazine has named it as their number one oil free foundation so many times it's in their Hall of Fame. It has very nice, natural looking coverage that is incredibly light and imperceptible. The thing that does perplex me is the ingredient list; considering that Carol is very aware of the concerns of acne-prone women, I can't understand why this makeup contains the acne-causing ingredient isopropyl isostearate (a fatty acid). Without it, I would feel confident recommending it for any skin type, but at this point I can't.

If acne is not an issue for you, this is a terrific lightweight makeup that comes in 10 yellow-based shades. It is not overly matte or oil controlling, so you don't have to have oily skin to wear it.

Satin Makeup ($35) in M1
For normal to dry skin, I like this makeup better than the Oil Free. It is safe for acne-prone skin, comes in 8 great colors, and has a light, dewy finish. It is definitely more emollient (thanks to sunflower oil), so a setting powder is a must to keep the makeup from settling into fine lines.

Cover Up ($14) in C1
This is yet another concealer that I've had to add to my "under-eye only" pile. The second ingredient is isopropyl palmitate, a fatty acid that can cause breakouts. At least half of the time I use concealer for a blemish, so there is no way I would cover it with something that might make it worse. For the eye area, Cover Up is creamy so it blends well, but it has a tendency to crease and doesn't have quite enough coverage for darker than average dark circles. I would sooner choose Shu Uemura Mark Cealer, Bobbi Brown Professional Concealer or T. LeClerc Concealer instead.

Face Powder ($22.50) in P1
While I was happy with the color of this powder (comes in 5 yellow-based shades), it didn't do the best job of controlling shine, and I don't even have oily skin. By mid-day my forehead needed some blotting, which doesn't happen when I use Sonia Kashuk or T. LeClerc. I think I'll stick with my favorite Sonia Kashuk powder (at almost one-third the price!).

Blush ($14)
I've been using Lorac blush in Plum for quite a while and have always liked its sheerness and natural finish. I also tried Desire, Rose, and Tan, but I still like Plum the best. Desire looks like a very bright pink in the container but goes on sheer with a bit of shimmer. If you use a light touch it looks soft and pretty for spring, especially on cool skintones. Rose is a very sheer pale shell pink, almost too subtle even for my pale skin. Tan is a light tan (duh!) that would work best as blush for light, warm-toned skin, or as contour if you like to use one for definition. I've been happy with Lorac blush and I think at $14 you get a great product at a good price.

Eye Shadow ($16)
Lorac's shadows also have nice texture, go on smoothly, and are easy to blend. I tried Cappuccino (soft light brown), Blue Ice (sheer pale blue), Innocence (cool shimmery pink-lilac), Lilac (cool shimmery lilac with a hint of gold), Moonstone (pink-peach pearl), Joy (sheer pink gold), Gold (warm copper penny orange), Pewter (cool purple-silver), and Olive (medium green with gold), and liked Cappuccino, Moonstone, Innocence, and Lilac the best to complement my blue eyes.

Mascara ($17)in Black, Brown, Auburn (looks more like plum)
I was not too happy with the mascara. I had problems with clumping and flaking, and I even tried wiping the wand down to reduce the amount of color. It made my lashes look a bit fuller, but they were also spiky and stuck together. I don't recommend this.

Lipstick ($17.50)
Aside from the Oil Free Makeup, Lorac is also very well known for their lipsticks, mostly named after celebrities. I like the creamy texture, semi-matte finish, and long wear that requires minimal retouching. I tried Laura (medium neutral caramel), Jennifer (cool shimmery rose-red), Claire (very pale cool salmon pink), Catherine (vibrant cool magenta pink), Pleasure (sheer cool lilac brown), Susan (warm copper brown), and Ashley (cool beige-brown, a bit like Laura only pinker), and Jennifer is my favorite.

Lip Pencil ($12)
The lip pencils are nice but nothing too terribly special. I do like the colors, but the texture is not consistent. Some were dry and crumbly while others were smooth and easy to apply. I tried 06 (pink-brown like MAC Spice), 03 (brownish maroon), 04 (warm brown), 14 (deep plum) - all great colors.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Lorac and would not recommend the entire line (which is usually true of most lines). Some of the products are great, while others are average and rather over-priced for what you get. If you stick to the foundations, eye shadows, and lipsticks, I think you'll be happy with the quality and wearability of the colors.

Lorac products are available online at Sephora.com.