Filed In: Guerlain

Guerlain – Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres, Spring 2014

March 10, 2014

The Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres eyeshadow palette from the Guerlain Spring 2014 collection, is not only a beautifully curated selection of shades, but also happens to be my first such product from this venerable brand. From the stunning compact to the outstanding quality of the powders, there is a definite air of “Printemps” seen in the colours.

Guerlain – Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres

Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres (CAN $67.00) – The four shades of the Les Tendres palette have been carefully selected to not only work harmoniously together, but are also comprised of varying textures:

Iridescent – tiny pearly particles that release luminous colour with an iridiscent finish
Matte – an extra-matt, ultra-soft finish for ultimate comfort
Velvet Satin – perfect glide for a velvety result that feels soft and delicate
Alcantar’Eyes – a metallic finish with unbelievable softness

The compact bears a luxuriously heavy casing, embossed with the Guerlain logo and comes with its own protective velveteen sleeve. I get the slightest hint of the brand’s signature violet scent upon opening the compact, although there’s no discernible fragrance once applied.

One thing I noticed from the outset, is that there really is no powdery kickback when I swirl my brush in any of the four shades – neither did I experience any fallout with the application itself. The colour payoff is mixed, with the 2 lightest shades offering surprisingly a touch more depth than the darker hues, although I suspect that may be as a result of their more shimmery nature. A colour breakdown (going clockwise from the left):

ivory/champagne (Alcantar’Eyes finish) – incredibly smooth and leaves a luminous glow, highlighter
seafoam/mint (Iridescent finish) – can be applied as a sheer wash of colour, or layered over the other hues to make them pop
taupe/nude (Velvet Satin finish) – perfect crease shade & a universally flattering colour
raisin/plum (Matte finish) – applies lighter than it appears in the pan & the perfect counterpoint to the other hues – buildable for more intensity

None of these shades are incredibly deep/dark, despite what you see in the pan, but that’s a good thing as it then opens the door for several layering possibilities. With the prevailing Spring theme of “lightness”, I found the Les Tendres palette to perfectly exemplify this concept as the incredibly fine-milled quality of each and every shade can give an almost watercolour-like effect upon the eyes. In particular, the iridescence of the seafoam/mint hue creates an unusually complex dimension when layered over the taupe. The more I use this palette, the more I discover about it and what I’ve come to appreciate the most, is just how wearable each shade is – an important factor when you consider the somewhat hefty price tag.

Guerlain – Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres

Guerlain – Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres, swatches in sunlight

Guerlain – Écrin 4 Couleurs #503 Les Tendres, swatches in natural light

If high-impact eyeshadow colours are more your speed, then this palette may not be for you. What Les Tendres offers instead, is a grouping of four beautiful and slightly quixotic group of colours, which nonetheless all manage to work so well together, and in a quality that is unparalleled. I find myself reaching for this palette more often than any of the others (and that’s saying quite a bit, as there are a LOT to choose from. Perhaps even too many …), which just emphasizes how versatile it really is. If I initially wished the colours were more pigmented, I’ve definitely changed my mind about that now. If you’re at a Guerlain counter, I highly recommend you give this beauty a look – but have it swatched on your eyes to get the full effect (hand swatches do NOT do this justice).

Available through The Bay (Canada) and Sephora stores. Find more info via:

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*Disclosure: Product sample provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Guerlain – Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder (LE) Holiday 2013

January 9, 2014

For a [self-professed] makeup aficionado, I realize almost daily how much I still have to learn; take for example finishing powders. Once considered totally unnecessary in my beauty routine, I have come to understand how beautifully they complete my look. The House of Guerlain, renown for their sublime bronzers (read my review here) and highlighters (read my review here), has attained a cult-status following for their Météorites range of luminizing powder balls (read my review here) where several shades are part of the permanent lineup, with seasonal limited edition versions throughout the year.

As part of the limited edition Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 Collection, the brand changed things up by releasing not only a pearls version, but also its counterpart in compact form (reviewed here) – something they’ve never done before. Paying homage to the exuberance and illumination that the City of Lights is known for, along with a celebration of the reopening of 68 Champs Elysée, the legendary Guerlain flagship boutique, this collection of vivid pieces beautifully manages to capture the colour and essence that is Paris.

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder – love the hot pink blanket stitching on the velour pouch …

… and the embossed logo!

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder – stunning compact exterior

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder label

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder

Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder (CAN $82.00) – The resin compact was full of surprises: in some angles, the tortoiseshell finish reveals the number 68, almost 3D-like. This ultra-finely milled and multi-hued finishing powder is designed to add subtle illumination (the white & nude shades), help correct any uneven tones (the green and purple shades), plus add an overall youthful brightness (the pink shade) to your face, while providing a flawless finish. The soft violet scent synonymous with this brand, is more apparent upon initial application, but which doesn’t linger too long upon wearing. As is the case with most translucent-type powders, staying power is more often than not determined by layering this product over your existing makeup (foundation), and photographing it solo can be tricky, at best. Note that the cool pink colour seen on my arm swatches (below) translates quite differently on the face, where it actually appears to meld more with my skin tone, becoming almost invisible. At the moment, my preferred brush to use with this powder is the #1 CHANEL Powder Brush which has a medium-large head, with rather dense and slightly tapering bristles.

Incredibly, I experience no powdery kick-back when I swirl my brush in the pan, and while the hot pink colour initially gave me pause, I’ve come to realize that it’s possibly the reason why this product looks just so amazing on; my skin looks fresh and healthy, with a very subtle luminosity – not enough to “glow”, but neither is it in the background. It’s as though you appear brighter somehow, in the “did-you-have-something-done?” kind of way. My husband, who is my true mirror, notices when I’m wearing this powder, because he always tells me how nice my makeup looks. I’ll take it. Applied over foundation, I would have to say that this powder goes easily past the 9 hour mark, with no oxidation or apparent oiliness. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that my skin seemed to produce less oil whenever I’ve worn this powder, although the brand makes no mention of that as being one of its perks.

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder

Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder, raised logo

left: natural light, right: with flash

I’ve learned that setting one’s makeup with powder (whether it’s bronzer, highlighter, or finishing), goes a long way in not only giving you a flawless finish, but helps to set everything in place and more importantly, keep it there, that much longer than going without. The beauty of this Guerlain Crazy Météorites Radiance Powder, is that it does exactly that: provide a gorgeous radiance along your skin, without appearing obvious. I even stopped caring about the CRAZY price tag once I saw the effect with my own eyes, but it definitely falls on steep end of the scale, which is pretty much what to expect from the higher-end brands.

Still available at some counters – but definitely not for much longer as the Spring Collections have started trickling in, this is a powder that’s worth investing in. Just look the other way when paying.

Guerlain Météorites ‘Perles du Paradis’ Spring 2013

January 30, 2013

It’s no secret that I have a “thing” for high-end cosmetics (I’m guessing quality & pretty packaging may have something to do with it), but Guerlain is one brand that I only began exploring last year (see earlier reviews here, here, here, and here). For years, I’ve heard raves about their Terracotta bronzing powders and Météorites illuminators, but always resisted the call – until I saw the Spring 2013 release, and just like that, I fell hard. Then there’s the pink powder puff … everything about this beauty needs to be proudly displayed on a vanity table, calling to mind the days when women lavishly indulged their subtly powerful feminity!

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis (ingredients list)

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis

Météorites Perles du Paradis Illuminating Sparkling Powder (CAD $67.00) – beads of illuminating powder for the face, in 6 varying tones – pearl white, baby pink, lavender, pink, dark rose, and silver – all in Guerlain’s signature violet scent. The pearls come housed in a black cardboard container with a pale pink ribbed outer cover, printed with the brand’s floral emblem on top, and includes a black beribboned pink powder puff as well. The beads are apparently oversized, although I personally don’t have others from Guerlain for a complete comparison (but I can attest to the claim, having seen them at the counter). In one of my photos (below), note that I’m showing only 5 of the 6 coloured beads; mainly because I mistakenly thought the pale pink ones were the darker ones, with the outer coating rubbed off – so wrong!

Breakdown:

pearl white – 13
baby pink – 9
lavender – 8
pink – 10
dark rose – 5
silver – 4
Total: 49 beads

I have a confession to make: up until now, I could not understand the hype & fuss over these little balls (sorry – “little balls” cracks me up!). Even swatching this product at the counter, I still hesitated – because I couldn’t see anything happening. For anyone else who has resisted getting on the Météorites bandwagon, here’s an important lesson: department store lighting does NOT sell this product; you need to see yourself first in natural light, to truly understand the effect.

As the container has a nice wide opening, it’s very easy to swirl your brush through the beads; sometimes I even gently toss them (before opening) to get a uniquely different distribution of colours. The powder is exceptionally fine-milled – almost invisible to detect, while the silver balls are the only ones to give off a slightly more discernible shimmer. From the “ball breakdown” (keep your laughter to a minimum, please) the white & lighter pinks dominate, while the lavender acts as a colour-corrector, the dark rose gives depth, and the sparser silver flecks impart an extra little kick.

Once applied to the face, however, is when the magic truly begins; the first thing you notice is a gently diffused overall look, then it’s almost as though imperfections are somewhat softened, and you’re left with this beautiful luminosity. Not an obvious glow, this is more a product that imparts a certain vitality to your skin – I would never have believed it, had I not experienced it first hand. Eight hours later, I could still see traces of this effect, and I even felt like my skin’s natural oils were well absorbed as well – kept the shine at bay longer than I expected from a face powder.

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis (closeup detail)

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis swatch (natural light)

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis swatch (blended, natural light)

Guerlain – Météorites Perles du Paradis swatch (blended, with flash)

Final thoughts: For those who tend to shy away from anything labelled “illuminating” for fear of the dreaded disco-ball effect, then this is the product for you. If you want a face that looks lit from within (looks better than that sounds, actually), then you NEED this. I was worried that the predominantly pink hues of this grouping would totally clash with my skin tone (light medium with yellowish undertones), but instead it served to balance everything out – colour me impressed!

The star of Guerlain’s Spring 2013 Collection, the Météorites Perles du Paradis Face Powder is also limited edition – just a friendly reminder. I’d love to hear who else has fallen in love with this beauty!

The ommorphia Beauty Vault: Highlighters – creams, powders & hybrids

January 25, 2013

When I began the process of inventorying & sorting my cosmetics collection, I assumed the highlighter category would be a relatively short write-up, but a quick scroll through the photos in this post, clearly shows how wrong that thinking was. Indulging and using highlighters is a rather new fascination for me, and I’ve come to rely on a well-placed dab of this product to add that little extra something to my finished look. Like emphasizing the killer cheekbones I wish I was born with. If only.

While many of the products shown in this post are no longer available, you can use the information provided as a general guide for your future highlighter purchases.

The Creams (and one liquid) – all by MAC, only Shell (far right) is part of the permanent range, as well as the most neutral of this group. The 3 shown here impart the most colour, as far as highlighters go, as well as the highest level of shimmer/sparkle. Easiest format for blending, the warmth of your fingers helps these creams glide seamlessly along the skin – with the liquid applying in an even more effortless manner.

Bearing less pigmentation than the above cream highlighters, the 2 shown here share a similar nude base, although their application and final look is completely unique.

The breakdown:

NARS Copacabana Multiple – the only one in stick format, coolest leaning and more silvery with apparent ultra-fine shimmer
Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora (reviewed here) – the creamiest & sheerest of them all, champagne toned, most subtle gleam
MAC Shell Cream Colour Base – drier texture, pale silvery-pink iridescence
MAC Playmate Pink Glitter Cream (2003 MAC for Playboy Collection) – driest texture, deeper pink hue with visible large golden sparkle
MAC Sun Rush Lustre Drops (2010 To the Beach Collection) – highest gleam but easiest to blend, a deep golden/copper tone

The Powders (pink hued) – what binds the three of this group together, is that they all share varying levels of pink in their base, which serves to bring a fresh & youthful flush to the skin.

The breakdown:

Laura Mercier Rose Rendezvous (reviewed here) – the deepest pigmentation and shine factor, ultra-finely milled powder, most coppery
Guerlain Cruel Gardenia (reviewed here) – the softest powder with more of a rose-gold tone, sophisticated gleam
Guerlain Perles du Paradis (full review forthcoming) – palest, sheerest and slightly pink-tinged, superior blending capacity

The Powders (neutral/gold hued) – with some light tan hints in this grouping, along with a few gilded touches, these all share a more easily wearable gleam.

The breakdown:

CHANEL Poudre Lumière Sculptée (2011 Holiday Collection, reviewed here) – the palest toned, most subtle glow, slightly powdery
CHANEL Lumière d’Artifices Beiges (2012 Fall Collection, reviewed here) – most flesh toned, finely milled, subtle shimmery glow
MAC By Candelight Mineralize Skinfinish (2009 Warm & Cozy Collection) – most visible shimmer, drier texture, hints of rose
Giorgio Armani Madreperla Face Palette (2011 Holiday Collection, reviewed here) – most golden, dry but ultra-fine texture

Poudre Signée de Chanel Illuminating Powder (Spring 2013 Collection) has just recently joined my collection, so it hasn’t been fully reviewed yet, but from initial wearing, it imparts an absolutely amazing glow to the skin, exceptionally fine-milled and with subtle golden hints – no visible sparkle. Full review to follow.

The Highlighter/Blush Hybrids – some products seem to straddle the line between purposes; looking like blush but with definitive highlighter overtones, these impart both colour and a gleam – you just need to use a lighter hand in application.

Note that the two decorative MAC products shown were not swatched; I still haven’t been able to bring myself to use them (apart from a tiny touch on one of the palettes) – sounds crazy, but there you have it.

The breakdown:

NARS Orgasm Multiple – creamy finish, most easily blended, peach toned
MAC Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish – subtle shimmer, fine-milled, rose-gold overall tone
MAC Marine Life High-Light Powder (2010 To The Beach Collection) – most intense pigmentation, gold only an overspray
MAC My Paradise Cheek Powder (2011 Surf, Baby! Collection) – most coral hued with a light golden layer (mainly overspray)

The Face Powders – I’ve included these 4 powders in this category, primarily because they each bear too much colour to be used as true face powders of the type meant to invisibly set your look – but rather impart a lightly diffused tone to the skin when applied, more sheen than shimmer.

The breakdown:

CHANEL Rose Merveille Poudre Universelle (2011 Spring Collection) – most visible shimmer of the group, but still quite subdued
Shu Uemura Luring Powder in Rose (2008 Fall Collection) – deepest tone, some powdery kickback, softest texture of all reviewed
MAC Tahitian Sand Beauty Powder (2009 Hello Kitty Collection) – most neutral toned, drier texture
MAC Alpha Girl Beauty Powder (2008 Heatherette Collection) – pink tinged and cool leaning, drier texture

Final thoughts: When I purchased MAC’s Playmate Pink Glitter Cream (from the Playboy Collection) back in 2003, I had absolutely no idea how to use it properly, and so it’s lain languishing in an obscure corner, almost forgotten until I began preparing for this post. My next “real” highlighter was the Copacabana Multiple from NARS, mainly because I had heard/read so many makeup artists raving about it and therefore I added that to my makeup collection as well.

Fast forward a few years later, and while I’m amazed at how many highlighters I presently own, I’ve also realized how much I have come to rely on them, from layering under foundation to provide a luminous “lit-from-within” kind of glow – a great way to wear this product during the day, to adding drama to my upper cheekbones for deeper impact on an evening look, or an overall lightly diffused sheen to provide radiance. And thus, the addiction to highlighters is born …

*Disclosure: Some products provided by the company/PR for my unbiased consideration

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Limited Edition ‘Powder Brush’ Spring/Summer 2012

July 18, 2012

When Guerlain’s limited edition Pucci inspired collection hit counters, I wanted every single item in the collection … when belated reality kicked in, I opted to streamline my wishlist to the items that I felt I would get the most use out of: the bronzer/blusher that came with an adorable Pucci-print pouch (previously reviewed here), and the khol kajal (previously reviewed here). But just knowing that there was yet another item in this collection that also came with a Pucci-print pouch … well, I couldn’t rest until I made it mine. Makes perfect sense, right?!

The first thing that stands out about Guerlain’s limited edition Emilio Pucci ‘Powder Brush’, is undoubtedly the deep sapphire-coloured brush head. This compact brush, measuring 4 1/4″ in length total, bears a softly lush yet dense head of natural bristles that have enough flexibility to accommodate the contours of the face, yet not so floppy that it fans out too much. The shorter size of this brush along with its rather large head (but still in proportion), makes it the perfect tool for using with either the matching bronzer/blush compact, or for application of the matching ‘Météorites Perles d’Azur Illuminating Powder of the same collection (still thinking about picking this up …). Another bonus is how convenient a quality brush like this is for travelling – plus you get to take the little Pucci-print pouch out every time you want to use it!

streamlined outer packaging with its elegant embossed gold lettering

love how the back of the box clearly shows what’s inside

the opened box reveals the Pucci ‘Winter Capri’ motif printed on the inside

the beautiful Pucci pouch with its midnight blue satin lining

the first glimpse of the brush nestled inside!

closeup detail of the deep sapphire-coloured natural bristle brush head

the sturdy wood-composite embossed handle with the patterned metal ring at the top

the beautiful & versatile brush

The following video is well worth watching – one of the most breathtaking collections I’ve seen in a long time! PS: I literally covet every single article of clothing shown … le sigh …

Emilio Pucci spring/summer 2012 (source)

Final thoughts: I was surprised to find how amazingly well this brush works, especially when used in conjunction with the matching Terra Azzurra Bronzing powder – able to pick up just the right amount of product for an excellent application. If it’s a more diffused effect you’re going for, then you might find that this brush is too dense for that, although I prefer this kind of “compactness” for the blending control it affords. Overall, this is probably the most useful item of this collection, as the brush is of superior quality and even its heft & balance in the hand, is well thought out. Retailing for CDN $66.00, the collection is still available wherever Guerlain products are sold and online through Sephora, although once the fall products start rolling in, this little gem will disappear – and with it your shot at owning a little piece of [affordable] Pucci!