Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush

Oh yes, I’ve managed to obtain it. I’ll let you sigh over the photos for a while before you come back and read my post.

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush – in Natural Light

Done? Moving on…  For Guerlain’s Summer 2012 collaboration with Pucci, the star of the collection has to be this Bronzer / Blush duo. Everything about it is stunning – the packaging, the colors, even the fragrance. As with the Terracotta gloss and the Perles d’Azur, the Terra Azzurra compact is housed in a smokey, tortoiseshell box, that when opened reveals Pucci‘s ‘Winter Capri’ print. What makes this all the more delightful is that the compact comes wrapped snugly, like a delightful present, in a silken pouch bearing the same print, marked on the inside with “Guerlain by Emilio Pucci“. The pouch is one of the factors in making this compact an instant collector’s item – who hasn’t secretly dreamed of owning a fabulously retro Pucci silk dress? This compact makes that just a little bit attainable, and isn’t that the point of owning luxury makeup in the first place – a touch of couture in our everyday routine?

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush

A Gorgeous Riva Aquarama, circa 1960s

The compact itself simply floored me, however – encased in varnished ebony wood, it is described as having been inspired by the luxury of the Riva Aquarama, a legendary wooden yacht used by the St Tropez Jet Set for decades. The case of the compact, engraved again with “Guerlain by Emilio Pucci“ does not open or twist off, rather, it is attached by three small magnets that ensure the lid is always securely on – an ingenious idea I have yet to see in another compact. The wood is heavy and sturdy, but incredibly smooth to the touch, and the compact is larger than my palm. It almost feels as though the product inside is just a bonus in possessing this gorgeous collector’s item.

Taking the lid of the compact off, one finds a large mirror on one side, and of course, the bronzing powder and blush on the other – half bronzer, with three streaks of vibrant blush in increasingly bright colors. Though the four colors can be mixed together, I have found that they are gorgeous used separately as a bronzer, and a blush.

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush Swatched in Direct Sunlight

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush Swatched in Indirect Sunlight

The bronzer, a light, slightly orange based shade with a golden micro-shimmer, is very finely milled and incredibly smooth. There is no product that blows away when attacked with a brush, and it covers the face in a fine, natural, easy to blend veil. The powder is best described as silky, with an incredibly appealing texture both to the eye and to the touch. Guerlain are known as the masters in the domain of bronzing powders, and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint, suiting nearly everyone. Whilst some bloggers have complained that the bronzer is orange based, I actually find that its light color makes it look peach, and therefore more natural on my pale, pink toned skin – it doesn’t look tangerine like certain other bronzers, nor does it make my skin look dirty and brown. I do think that the bronzer itself would be perfectly suited to those with medium skin tones, as it is too light of a color to work effectively on those with dark skin (though the blush, bright and cheery, appears to be universally flattering). The bronzing portion takes up slightly more than half of the compact.

The blush side is of an even finer texture, and divided into three “stripes” of color – a pale iridescent pink for highlighting, a bright cool toned candy pink, and finally an oranged coral. All three shades are filled with shimmer – while I’ve swatched them alone, practically speaking they would be used together, as each strip is too narrow to get a proper dose of powder onto a blush brush. The colors, swirled together, create a fresh looking pink-coral that seems to glow more than it does glitter. As with all of Guerlain’s powder products, there is more than what meets the eye – visibly sparkly in the pan, this blush does not deposit the obvious glitter that other similar shades do (I’m looking at you, NARS Orgasm) but rather a slight shimmer that keeps color looking bright and natural.  The powders are heavily fragranced, so those with sensitive noses will be displeased to be hit with a wave of  frangipani, lilies, and summer sweetness – absolute heaven for me, total hell for others.

On Cheeks – Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzura Bronzer, Blush. On Lips – Guerlain x Pucci TerraCotta Lip Gloss in Porto Azzurro

On Cheeks – Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzura Bronzer, Blush. On Lips – Guerlain x Pucci TerraCotta Lip Gloss in Porto Azzurro

I have found this product to be most effective when the blush and bronzer are used separately – swirled together, they created a bronzed peach shade, but it tends to look muddy on my skin. I have worn this over the last several days with the bronzer on my temples, cheekbones, and chin, with the blush on the apples of my cheeks only. As you can see in the photos (taken in appropriately summery sunlight, and paired with the TerraCotta Lip Gloss in Porto Azzurro), this duo, despite the orangey undertones, looks subtle and pretty on my NW20 skin, with the appropriate blending – I’ve been using the NARS Bronzing Powder Brush and buffing it into the skin, taking advantage of the powder’s nearly creamy texture.

On Cheeks – Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzura Bronzer, Blush. On Lips – Guerlain x Pucci TerraCotta Lip Gloss in Porto Azzurro

On Cheeks – Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzura Bronzer, Blush. On Lips – Guerlain x Pucci TerraCotta Lip Gloss in Porto Azzurro

The Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush is priced at $75 and is decidedly a luxury item. With that being said, this item is not only covetible and highly collectible, it is also incredibly useful, combining the need for both a summer bronzer and blush (which, purchased seperately from a comparable brand, would cost easily $75+ up total) and is therefore an investment piece. The only problem I have with this product? It’s just too damn pretty to use !

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush available on counters now for approximately $75 USD / 63 Euros.

Poppy King x Boots

There is little that can make me feel so feminine as a fabulous lipstick. The gesture of uncapping a tube of color is just so wonderfully retro, the sort of thing that makes me want to shout “Put on your pearls, girls!”.

Poppy King x Boots in No. 5 Intrigue

Poppy King x Boots in No. 5 Intrigue

When a lipstick queen collaborates with a British drugstore giant, you know the results are going to be perfection – and so is the case with the Poppy King for Boots collaboration. I recently picked up a tube in “Intrigue“, as much for the wearable color as for the polka-dotted yellow packaging (and we all know how I feel about adorable packaging). If you don’t know Poppy King, she is the Australian, New York based self-proclaimed ‘Lipstick Queen‘ who has created some of the most unique shades on the market. Her products are highly coveted and she has collaborated with giants of style such as J. Crew. Boots, on the other hand, is a British drugstore chain known for its excellent selection and formidable, affordable in-house brand No. 7 – I have personally witnessed foreigners at Boots stores in Central London clearing off entire shelves –  it’s a spectacle to be witnessed. It should come as no surprise, then,  that their collaboration is nothing less than a hit.

Poppy King x Boots in No. 5 Intrigue, Swatched in Natural Light

Inside the box is a surprisingly small tube of lipstick, housed in a brushed lavender tin emblazoned with No7 and Poppy King, but fortunately, the formula did not disappoint. This lippie is moisturizing, pigmented but without being over the top bold with color – the effect is simply perfect. The formula wears more like a lip balm than it does a drying lipstick, and so my lips looked lush and hydrated. I was able to choose one coat for sheer color, or more for a bolder look. The color itself, Intrigue (No. 5), is incredibly wearable and natural. A nude, slightly warm pink, this color creates a perfect ‘lady’ look for daytime, all while feeling slick and pleasant on my mouth. The wear time is not exceptional – I got perhaps 3 hours of wear – however the adorable tube makes reapplication a pleasure. As you can see in my photos, this lippie pears well with pearls, but also a multitude of makeup looks. Here, a swipe of bold eyeliner, a bit of bronzer and the Poppy King x Boots lipstick in Intrigue were all I needed to pull together a polished look.

Poppy King x Boots… and Pearls !

Poppy King x Boots… and Pearls !

Poppy King x Boots is available at Boots in the UK, and at selection Target stores in the US, for about $9.99 USD / 12 GBP. There are complimentary products in the range including lip crayons and glosses, though the lipstick is genuinely the standout in this collaboration.

Sephora x Pantone – Color of the Year Nail Enamel Set

I finally had a chance to snap up one of the sets of Sephora’s collaborations with Pantone , and surprisingly, not a single item was sold out, several weeks after the collection’s launch !

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel Collection

I was desperate to try this collection out, as mentioned in a previous blog – the packaging, the concept, and the bold hue legitimately “spoke” to me – so imagine my disappointment to discover these four shades for nails were more suited to a Halloween costume than a chic summer look.

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel Collection

The packaging is lovely – really, truly, lovely – the box is substantial and heavy cardboard, printed with a range of orange shades, all echoing the orange of 2012′s color of the year, “tangerine tango”. The top of the box slides off to reveal four variations on one shade, each housed in a square glass bottle with a white plastic cap. While the cap is lovely, underneath, the brush itself (which detaches from the cap) is flimsy, ridged plastic, which I found relatively hard to manoeuvre.

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel Collection

The shades – a shimmer,a matte, a cream and a glitter, are all inspired by “Tangerine Tango”, but unfortunately, they come across as more Jack-O-Lantern than the rich red-orange of the shade they’re based upon. The formulas were ok – the cream and shimmer took 3 coats to apply opaquely and evenly, the matte was difficult to apply and chipped off easily. The worst, however, was the glitter shade, which contains cheap looking, chunky orange glitter suspended in clear polish. I have, admittedly, been spoiled by the more refined glitter enamels on the market, and found this one reminded me a great deal of the Halloween makeup I bought at the local drugstore as a kid.

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel Swatches

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel Swatches

I really and genuinely wish the color in this collection had stayed more faithfully true to “Tangerine Tango”, which is, in my opinion, eminently more wearable. On my pale skin, these shades look frightfully bright and a bit 80s cheap, and a better, more wearable shade might have justified the mediocre formulas.

Sephora x Pantone Nail Enamel - CREAM

The bottles, however, are well priced at $24 USD for four full-sized nail enamels in wonderfully luxurious packaging, so if you are a fan of brights and neons, by all means, go ahead for this set. As for me, I’ll be returning mine, with a sigh of disappointment for the exciting collaboration that didn’t live up (for me, at least) to its hype.

Guerlain x Pucci Terra Azzura Collection for Summer 2012

Be still my heart – When I saw the images of Guerlain’s collaboration with Pucci for their Terra Azzura Summer 2012 collection, my NEED for these items was palpable – gorgeous packaging, warm colors, and a vibe that reminds me of lazy summers on the French Riviera.

The collection doesn’t come cheap, but the packaging is legitimately incredible, particularly that of the Terra Azzura Bronzing Powder & Blush ($75), pictured below – it’s encased in ebony wood, recalling the Riva boats so treasured by the chic Saint Tropez crowd.

Guerlain Terra Azzurra Bronzer Powder & Blush

The Meteorites for this collection are what I have my eye on the most – housed in a tin printed with Pucci’s iconic Winter Capri print. The pearls ($58) have shaken off their usual pastels for beiges and oranges that warm the complexion and bright Riviera blue that wakes up the skin.

Guerlain Meteorites Perles D’Azur

In addition to the gorgeous face products, included in the collection are a range of glosses($30.50) – including a blue that looks bold but applies delicately, a warm eyeshadow quartet ($59) in Capri (shell pink, tangerine, deep brown and shimmering white), a bright aquatic Le 2 de Guerlain blue mascara ($36), and two bold nail varnishes ($22). For collectors, there is also a limited edition Meteorites Brush, with its midnight blue bristles, embossed Pucci printed metal and wood handle, all stored in an exclusive Pucci pouch.

Guerlain Le 2 Mascara

Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs Eye Shadow Palette in Capri

Guerlain Terracotta Gloss

Guerlain Terracotta Gloss

Guerlain x Pucci Meteorites Pucca Collector’s Brush

 

The collection will be available for May, and I do believe I’ll have a difficult time resisting – this collection reminds me of bronzed 60s sun seekers on the Riviera, clad in Pucci jerseys and hobnobbing with the most glamorous of all Saint Tropez residents, Brigitte Bardot (despite having been inspired by the Italian riveria).  The bronzing + blush duo is certainly sure to become a cult collector’s item, and as always, another gorgeous offering from Guerlain with a perfect dose of French chic.

Source and Images : Musings of a Muse

Sephora x Pantone

If you don’t know Pantone, they are a company that invented the “Color Matching System“, which is a color standardization system used in everything from marketing to press, and beyond through fashion and makeup. It basically exists to codify and identify colors, for selection and communication. Every year Pantone releases their colors of the year – colors you’ll find on the catwalks and in your tube of lipstick.

Sephora x Pantone Gloss

Sephora x Pantone Nails

Sephora x Pantone Color of the Year Set

 

Pantone has started releasing products and collaborations of their own, but for us makeup lovers, this is the most exciting one yet – Pantone has collaborated with Sephora to release a range of products in their color of the year, Tangerine Tango.

Sephora x Pantone False Lashes

Now, I’m not an orange girl – my reddish hair, pink skin and freckles simply don’t do well with such bright hues – but Tangerine Tango, a vivid reddish-orange, is hard to resist. What’s even harder to resist is such a cool collaboration with minimalistic packaging and products ranging from gloss to feathery false eyelashes. The whole collaboration gives me a really mid-century feel, for some reason. I legitimately want everything in this collection – despite the fact that I’m not sure I can quite pull off this shade.

Everything about this launch makes my heartbeat fast and my pulse quicken – what about you?

The collection launches this month, exclusively on Sephora.com, and ranges in price from $16 – $68 USD.

If Tangerine Tango isn’t your bag, check out some of Pantone’s other amazing collaborations – I particularly love these folding chairs, which my friend Patrick Noyon picked up in a few colors last year.

Pantone Folding Chairs

 

Dior’s Garden Clutch Palette – Granville Garden

I’ve finally obtained the object of my cosmetic lust…. Dior’s Garden Clutch palette for Spring 2012.

As I mentioned in my post when the collection for Spring was announced, this is the first time in many years I’ve been excited about a Dior product, and this palette doesn’t disappoint.

The palette is beautifully crafted but smaller than I expected – slightly larger than my hand – though somehow that adds to the charm, as everything is in perfect, miniature detail. If you’re looking for something more feminine you’d be hard pressed to find it! The small clutch is covered in pink woven leather, with a silver Dior plaque and a sculpted silver rose closure. The small tag attached to this product, marked with Dior’s Parisian address gives this palette the feel of a piece of couture, a Dior bauble or a Dior handbag, and one has the impression of holding something rare in their hands.

Inside the palette are three eyeshadows and two glosses. On the left are the shadows, embossed with roses, the recurring theme for the Garden Party collection (the two eyeshadow quads are embossed with the same). The colors are a medium cool toned shimmering brown, a cool silvered pink and a sparkling mint, that applies more shimmering white than green. The shadows are very sheer but rich and apply smoothly, and full of sparkles. For those who enjoy matte eyeshadows, these are not for you. I was expecting to love the mint color (on the right) the most, but found myself drawn to the pink, which is complex and beautiful, looking alternately smokey silver, alternately cool pink.

On the right side of the palette, housed under a small silver ‘door’, are two glosses; on the left, a sheer pinked apricot and on the right, a lip plumper that looks bright pink but applies sheer with only a slight hint of color, giving a lovely sheen to the lips. The palette also contains a dual applicator, with a sponge tip for eyeshadow on one side and a lip brush on the other. Though the applicator is silver metal, I was disappointed with the sponge tip side, which I think cheapens the rest of the palette – Dior could easily have included a real eyeshadow brush with this luxury palette.

Natural Light, with 3 eyeshadows on left, 2 lipglosses on right

Swatched Indoors with flash, with 3 eyeshadows on left, 2 glosses on right

While the quality of the shades in this palette are beautiful, they are very sheer, which is appropriate for a spring color collection. I, like many who purchased this palette, however, feel that this is more collector’s item than anything else – I’m hesitant to use something so beautiful ! It’s a pleasure to see the craftsmanship of the house of Dior so expertly combined with their cosmetics, as it feels special, and personal. I’m so elated with this purchase, which with it’s pretty pastels, seems to harken to sunnier days in this very cold month of January.

The Garden Clutch palette is also available in Milly Garden, which includes shades of silver shadow. The availability depends on the retailer – mine was purchased at Neiman Marcus, for $75 USD.

Dior USA

Natural Light, with 3 eyeshadows on left, 2 lipglosses on right

Swatched Indoors with flash, with 3 eyeshadows on left, 2 glosses on right

Object of Desire – Dior’s Taillieur Bar Eyeshadow Palette

This isn’t exactly a new product, but it certainly is a tempting one. If you, like me, are attracted by anything vintage, and anything Paris, this might be a great collector’s item for you:

This actually popped up in my inbox today via MyLittleParis ! Presenting the Tailleur Bar, Dior‘s 5 color eyeshadow palette immortalizing the work of Réné Gruau, Christian Dior’s favorite fashion illustrator. His iconic illustration of the Bar Suit, from the legendary 1947 ‘New Look’ Dior fashion show, is immortalized in this palette and in his fetish colors – Anthracite Black, ‘Sighing Gray’, and ‘Happiness’ Pink.

At 82,50 euros, this little compact is a splurge, but certainly a collector’s item for fans of both Christian Dior and Rene Gruau.

Available on the Dior website:

www.dior.com

Duty Free Beauty – Dior Cannage Couture Collection

When I saw the products in Dior‘s Holiday 2011 collection, I was aghast. Dior, which is such a glamorous brand, actually released hideous palettes covered in grandmotherly TWEED. When I think Holiday makeup, I instantly (and like many of you) think of red, shiny, shimmering, glamorous, or at least unique (Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit collection for this holiday season is the perfect incarnation of a unique take on holiday looks with its ethereal blues). So I was a little bit comforted to see Dior’s Duty-Free exclusive palette, the Cannage Couture Collection.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to swatch this for you, as it is a gift for someone, but since there is little information on the web about this lovely palette, here are the details:

The box the palette comes in is fairly substantial – I took a photo here next to my ukulele, and the box (which considering the lack of sound when shaken appears to be about the size of the palette itself) is nearly the size of the body of the ukulele, so about 7 inches long.

The palette itself is covered in a black patent cannage  embroidered material, echoing the Lady Dior bags, and closed with a zipper.

 

Inside you’ll find 6 eyeshadow, 4 lip colors, a Diorshow Extase mini-mascara, and two double-sided applicators.

There are more colors and options in this than the Dior Holiday 2011 Palette :

The eyeshadows come in 6 versatile shades, including a deep eggplant, a gold flecked khaki, a pale shimmering gold, a beautiful glistening wine, a pale petal pink, and sheer polar white. The shades are actually marked on the side of the box and part of their permanent collections . 739, 602,  562 from their iridescent 5 color palettes (these appear to be the shades on the left), as well as mono eyeshadow pans of  951 , 670,  105. I do find that Dior eyeshadows are wonderful quality and highly pigmented, though I don’t use many of them, and their larger palettes seem to present the same quality as their 5 shade eyeshadow palettes.

The four lip colors include two lipbalms, one in a bright sheer pink and the other in a pretty baby pink, and two pans of lip color in  674, a pinky brown full of sparkles and a dusty rose color that reminds me a bit of Nars‘ Dolce Vita.

There is also a pan of DiorSkin Nude powder, described as ‘natural glow sculpting powder makeup’ in color 020, Beige Praline – this is a bit frustrating because, as a pale skinned girl, this color is WAY off for me, and would be many darker skinned girls as well. Besides that, I don’t like Dior’s foundation or powder, but I suppose this is still a great idea to have in a travel palette. The powder includes a sponge for application.

The Diorshow Extase in black is, in my opinion, a great addition – mascara is the one product I use religiously from Dior, and the Extase formula is purported to plump and grow the lashes. If it doesn’t hold up to these claims exactly, it has the merit of looking absolutely fabulous, and so many travel palettes forget mascara, which is such an integral part of a made up face. This kit is described as an ‘All Over Makeup Palette’ with both Prêt-A-Porter and Couture Looks, and I’d have to agree with them (for once).

In all, I wouldn’t buy this palette for myself (not being a huge fan of Dior cosmetics in general), but I do think it outshines the Christmas palettes by far. The packaging  (with a panoramic mirror inside) is beautiful, the colors, with the exception of the powder, are versatile and present both dramatic and natural options. The person receiving this palette is a fan of Dior, and I know she’ll be thrilled to receive it. This retails for about 60 USD, which is a great deal when you consider that one of their eyeshadow quintets alone goes for about the same.  I personally haven’t been excited about anything that Dior has released in the past few years, so it’s nice to see them release something so versatile and appealing. If you’re travelling internationally for the holidays or know someone else who is, this is a good, affordable palette to pick up.

XX La Coquette

 

Exciting Updates on the Nars Holiday 2011 Collection

Last week I hurriedly and excitedly posted about Nars‘ new holiday 2011 collection, featuring a revamped version of last year’s Bento Box lip paints.

Now, as of yesterday, Nordstrom is carrying the entire collection in the US – great news for beauty mavens across the pond, as it was first reported that the pots of lip color would only be available at the counters of the Bon Marché in Paris.

Taken directly from Nordstrom’s website, here is a detailed description of each set in the collection:

1. NARS Kudoki Kabuki Lip Set ($125)
NARS captures the drama and beauty of the kabuki lip in this exquisite coffret, named for the graceful, feminine dance of kabuki theater. Takebue, Ougi and Botan, three richly saturated shades, are accompanied by an elegant hand-spun wisteria-wrapped kabuki lip brush. A keepsake wooden bento box encases this specialty limited edition item.

Kudoki Kabuki Lip Set

2. NARS Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette  ($65)
NARS interprets the dramatic Kabuki eye with a modern and magnificent palette of high-impact, richly saturated hues for highlighting, shading and lining the eye. Accompanied by a hand-spun, wisteria-wrapped Kabuki eye brush and encased in an elegant pouch.

Hanamichi Kabuki Eyeshadow Palette

Also included in the collection are the ‘Karuko Kabuki’ nail polish quad (cherry red, deep black, pure white and sheer gold – which looks similar to the gold Nars polish used in the S/S 2012 Thakoon runway show) and a sextet of chubby color crayons, entitled ‘mei kabuki’ for the pivotal moment in traditional Japanese theatre of peak emotions and action.

It looks like everything is already sold out on Nordstrom’s website, but stay tuned, as hopefully they will restock ! Visit their site for more information:

Nordstrom US / International

My heart is fluttering at the mere sight of the eyeshadow compact and lip pot bento box… Are you reading this, Santa ? !

XX La Coquette