A native of Provence, France, Laura Mercier began her career as a makeup artist after a stint in painting school. She began attending the Carita Beauty Institute and eventually became a teacher for the institute.

Mercier later moved to New York City in the 1980s to launch the American edition of Elle magazine, and began working with local brands such as Allure, Vogue and Vanity Fair, focusing on flawlessly capturing natural beauty. She launched her own namesake brand in 1996, which is still going strong after nearly 30 years.