From the Guerlain spring collection, the only product that caught my eye was the Meteorites Perles du Paradis. This comes in a cardboard container, unlike the metal containers of the past couple of limited edition Meteorites. At this price point, surely Guerlain need not stinge on the packaging material.
This is an extra-large version containing 53g, similar to the Meteorites Butterfly Perles (60g) from Holiday 2008. It comes with a super plush puff that makes this easy to use on the decolletage.
Each time I open the Meteorites, a cloud of shimmery dust wafts up. It gets messy easily, as you can see from the dusty rim of the pot.
According to the official description, there are six skin-toned and pastel shades. The traditional correcting colors (blue and green) have been replaced by pink to brighten dull areas, and silver to reflect ambient light for a one-of-a-kind glow.
The bottom of the pot is covered in a fine silvery pink dust.
The six shades are a rosy pink, plum pink, lavender, pearl white and pearl beige and glittery silver.
The silver balls provide a more lustrous finish than the usual Meteorites.
The heavy glittery swatch below was made by swiping the lid (which was covered in powder after taking the above photos) against my arm.
When sheered out, the silver micro shimmer flecks become more sparse but are still noticeable under a bright light. When applied using a face brush, the effect is much more subtle with the silver shimmer being hardly visible unless one is looking extremely closely. I think this still can be used during the day but if you do not like any shimmer on your face, you would be better off considering the Meteorites from the permanent range.
I tried swatching the six shades individually without much success. The only one that showed up well was the plum pink ball.
Overall, I think the applied effect is a tad more shimmery than the other recent limited edition Meteorites. Whether you like that depends on your own makeup style. I wouldn't say this is a must-have, especially if you already own several Meteorites. Indeed, I think I'm reaching a saturation point in terms of collecting Meteorites although I still like them a lot. You can read more reviews on Best Things in Beauty, Cafe Makeup and Makeup & Beauty Blog.
Recently, the Body Shop UK website had a 40% discount promotion so I took advantage of it to pick up the Smoky Moonstone palette, Dazzling Rocks in Golden Copper and Slanted Kabuki Brush from the holiday makeup collection.
I loved the two Smoky Eyes Palettes released last year so I had high expectations for this year's new offering. Unlike last year's version which included a cream shade and three powder shades, Smoky Moonstone contains four powder eyeshadows, plus a slanted eyeliner brush and an eyeshadow brush. Made in Thailand, it contains a generous amount of product with each of the eyeshadows weighing in at 1.8g/0.06oz.
The pair of brushes work nicely for applying the shades, blending and lining. Like the Body Shop's other brushes, these cruelty-free brushes are synthetic and feel soft against the skin with no scratchiness.
However, the eyeshadows didn't impress me as much as last year's palettes. When swatched on bare skin without any primer, these required 2-3 layers to show up well. The taupe grey and pale gold shades were less pigmented than the other two shades.
For the first look, I applied the taupe grey shade from the lash line to the crease, the shimmery brown shade in the crease, the muted medium gold shade at the inner corners and along the lower lashline, and the light gold over the browbone area.
For the second look, I applied the shimmery brown shade at the inner half of the upper lid, the taupe grey shade along the upper lashline and outer corners, the medium gold shade in the crease and the light gold over the browbone area and along the lower lashline.
Used over a good primer, the eyeshadows lasted well throughout the day without smudging or creasing. However, the shades just lack a certain intensity and richness that would have made this a truly stellar palette for creating smoky eyes. They need to be paired with a dark eyeliner for a more dramatic effect. It's still a nice enough combination for the daytime, just that it didn't knock my socks off. In that respect, I'm glad I didn't pay full price for it. It retails normally for £14 in the UK and S$39.90 in Singapore.
The Dazzling Rocks 01 Golden Copper (60g, £16) are a mix of shimmery brown and pale gold balls.
I swatched the brown and gold balls individually on the left side of the pic below, and used the brush to dust a light coat on the right side.
When applied with the brush, the pearl shimmer is ultra refined and sparse. This would work well if you prefer a very subtle sparkle. The Sparkler in the glass bottle provides a much more glittery effect.
The Slanted Kabuki Brush (£16) is limited edition and well worth snapping up, if you were to pick only one item from this collection. It's ultra soft against the skin (but not floppy), densely packed with a well cut shape that makes it perfect for use with finishing or highlighting powders for the face and body.
For this summer, Guerlaine teamed up with Italian fashion house Emilio Pucci to create the Terra Azzurra collection. Taking inspiration from the Italian Riviera, the collection features a signature Pucci print, “Winter Capri". This is actually the second collaboration between Guerlain and Pucci. The first was in summer 2007 for a pink-themed collection (see the first Pucci Meteorites on MakeupAlley).
When swirled together, the Terra Azzurra Powder and Blush is a light brown. The two strips of peach and pink have sufficient color payoff to be used individually as blushes.
The Ecrin 4 Couleurs in Capri looks pretty but I think this can be duped with the Too Faced Summer Eye Palette. Perilously Pale has reviewed the Capri quad.
The collection also includes three lipglosses and two nail polishes in electric indigo blue and coral hues. The blue gloss is highly translucent and darkens the lip color just slightly.
The only item that appealed to me was the Meteorites in Perles D'Azur. The accompanying powder brush with blue bristles is a scratchy dud and totally not worth the price.
I'm glad that Guerlain has switched from the cardboard pots to a much classier metal packaging. With the prices that Guerlain charges, one simply expects sleeker packaging than mere cardboard.
The Meteorite balls comes in a muted blue and pink to correct yellow tones; beige and orange for a warm healthy glow; and pearlish ivory and white-gold to add radiance. Beauty Reflections has swatches of the individual shades while Blondy Candy has a breakdown of the shades in her pot.
Below is a heavy swatch, taken under a spot light so the shimmers show up more obviously than they do under normal daylight. When applied lightly all over the face, the effect is much more subtle and the tiny shimmer particles are obvious only if you look very closely.
The Meteorites are meant to be used as a finishing powder for a polished effect and very subtle glow. If you already own several Meteorites, you probably do not need this as the applied effect is quite similar to other Meteorites. I purchased this more for my collection and the special Pucci theme. With a generous 30g of product, a pot of Meteorites can last years with daily usage.
Below is my current collection:
Top - Butterfly Pearls (Holiday 2008)
Middle - Perles D'Azur (Summer 2012) and Perles de Nuit (Holiday 2011)
Bottom - Pearly White (Spring 2009), Perles D'Or (Holiday 2010) and Perles Imperiales (Holiday 2009).
To see other Meteorites from 2006 and earlier, do check out MUAer Carolineswing's collection.
Here's another pic of the Bobbi Brown Brightening Finishing Powder in #1 Porcelain Pearl and #2 Brightening Nude, which will be released in March as part of the Brightening Nudes Collection.
Earlier today, I wandered into the Holika Holika store at Wisma Atria in search of sponge tip applicators but got distracted by the new Midnight Owl compacts. According to the SA, these just arrived less than one week ago.
I'm not an owl or bird enthusiast but the whimsical design and gorgeous mix of shimmery shades were just too adorable to resist. I love the intricate design details like the speech bubble with the heart inside and the stars in the background.
#1 is a standard highlighting powder, similar to the earlier Merry Holika highlighting powder with the cat motif. Blended together, it applies as a soft glowy powder with very refined silver shimmer (no big chunky glitter bits).
#2 has more of a pinkish tint and can be used as a blush or on top of blush for a more glowy effect. With a generous 10g of product, each compact can probably last many moons even with daily use. The included brush feels soft and gentle on the skin. I also like the fact that there is a protective plastic tray on top of the powder.
While the Midnight Owl compacts are quite expensive at S$49.90, you can get a 10% discount on the spot if you spend more than S$50 to become a member. There is no membership card or points/rewards system. The staff simply take down your personal particulars and you just need to quote your IC number for future purchases to enjoy the 10% discount. On your birthday, you get a 30% discount. According to the Holika Holika website, the Midnight Owl compacts retail for just 20,000won (about S$23) in Korea. The immense price difference is annoying but I can't be bothered to navigate through GMarket.
Holika Holika is currently having a Great Singapore Sale promotion under which you can get 20% off with purchase of 2 products, or 30% off with purchase of 3 products. However, this promotion is not applicable to new products like the Midnight Owl compacts.
