Guerlain

Guerlain’s Got the Flava, and It’s Way Two Spicy: The New Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in Two Spicy

August 7th, 2013 by Karen 8 Comments

That’s Two Spicy… (Guerlain Two Spicy, that is)

Was it a shout-out to ’90s pop music girl bands (SIDE NOTE: I like to think of myself as a hybrid, half Sporty, half Posh) or a reaction to a habaÃ±ero pepper?

Was it a love poem hidden between bottles of paprika and nutmeg in the back of a medieval pantry, perhaps?

The world may never know…

Truth is, we may never know how Guerlain’s new Two Spicy Ecrin 2 Couleurs duo acquired its name, but you know what?

Who cares? 🙂

I’m just glad somebody cooked it up, because I kid you not, I’m tired of bland. All I’ve had to eat this week are tuna fish sandwiches on sourdough bread (well, mostly), and the only thing spicing up my life right now is this eyeshadow duo, one of eight new permanent shades in Guerlain’s Violette de Madame fall collection.

Guerlain Two Spicy pouch — And it comes with a tiny sleeping bag!

Inside each of these luxurious, trim treats (the gold packaging’s killer!) live two powder shadows — one, an intense matte, and the other, either a metallic or glitter. Wear them separately, or layer them on top of one another for a more intense look.

Guerlain Two Spicy pan closeup — A closeup of the pan, live and in 3D! The matte shade’s on the left, and the glitter’s on the right.

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Guerlain Aced Black Jack Eye Pencil

August 7th, 2013 by Karen 14 Comments

The new Guerlain Black Jack Eye Pencil ($30)

You know I’ll always be your wing-woman, right? When you need a second opinion on that pair of bedazzled purple pumps (THE ANSWER IS YES!), or if you’re just in the mood to shoot the sh*t online from a Starbucks?

There’s just one thing: gambling. If you’re looking for a partner to play anything involving cards or dice, I’mma have to peace-the-eff-out, because I’m absolutely, positively the worst gambling buddy ever.

I was at a Blackjack table in Vegas a few years ago with my friend Jen when I noticed Jen’s cards, which she was holding secretly, and blurted out, “OOooh! That’s a really good hand, right?! YAY!!!”

I don’t even know if that was a faux pas or not, but everyone at the table suddenly stopped and glared at me. 🙂

Now, whenever we go to a casino together and Jen wants to play a card game, she parks me in front of Kitty Glitter and says me she’ll be back in half an hour…

So, cards aren’t my thing, but I’m glad I still took a chance on Guerlain’s Black Jack retractable Eye Pencil.

Why?

Because it’s all that and a bag of (Trader Joe’s Baked Potato) chips! Granted, it’s $30…but man! — it’s a contender for Best Eye Pencil of the Year. Like, you might unintentionally let out a pervy, “Oooooh!” when you see the deep, dark black swatch on the back of your hand.

Black Jack is one of five new retractable Eye Pencils in the new 21-piece Guerlain Voilette de Madame fall collection, which introduces new eyeshadow duos and eyeliners to the permanent line, along with new limited edition lip, cheek and nail products.

The formula is water-resistant and lasts for hours (from 8-10), even on my water lines, and it glides across my skin as if its sole purpose in life is to refrain from skipping.

I can’t handle liners that tug, and Black Jack doesn’t. It’s just so, so smooth…

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These Meteors Shower Skin With Iridescent Pink and Gold: Guerlain’s MÃ©tÃ©orites Perles Les Ors Primer

April 24th, 2013 by Karen 33 Comments

Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer Review — The new limited edition Guerlain MÃ©tÃ©orites Perles Les Ors Primer ($71)

Snow globes.

You know snow globes?

That’s what Guerlain’s new $71 MÃ©tÃ©orites Perles Les Ors Primer reminds me of — a snow globe. And meteoric pearls.

Sometimes I just tip the bottle up and down, back and forth, to watch the shimmery pink, white and gold highlighting beads slink through the clear gel…

Fascinating.

Guerlain’s good about sumptuous details and design, aren’t they? I think it’s just neat, like makeup eye candy. Amazingly to me, the fragile little beads don’t break down in the gel. I guess they’re just waiting to be loved.

The limited edition face primer bursts through Earth’s atmosphere with the Terra Ora collection next month. They’re designed to extend the wear time of face makeup when worn underneath it (handy in hot weather!), or to be worn alone on bare skin to impart a pinkish golden iridescence while making pores appear to softly fade away into the background…

The bottle comes with a pump. Pressing it magically mixes the pearls with the clear base, and out comes an oil-controlling shimmery pinkish golden gel.

I think it works okay as a primer — maybe as a “diet primer” or “primer light.” It feels nice and light on my skin, which I like, but it is awfully expensive.

You can definitely find other primers that soften the appearance of your pores and control oil more effectively for less, and I feel like it’s almost a shame to cover its iridescent pink and gold with foundation…

I prefer to use MÃ©tÃ©orites Perles Les Ors more to spotlight bare skin. The primer smooths and softens my pores and fine lines just enough — just shy of mannequin skin — and the pink and golden tones look breathtaking with just the faintest bit of bronzer dusted on top.

Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer Swatch — Guerlain Meteorites Perles Les Ors Primer unblended on the left and blended on the right (see the luminous hint of pink, yellow and gold?)

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Well, Khol Me Kajal! It’s Smooth Sailing When It Comes to Guerlain’s Latest Luxury Liner

April 23rd, 2013 by Karen 21 Comments

Guerlain Khol Me Kajal — Guerlain’s Khol Me Kajal

“May your hair reach the highest of heights, may your heart be filled with love and laughter, and may your eyes remain richly rimmed with black liner, forever and eternity.”

I’m seriously thinking about making that my new standard goodbye…like a makeup nerd’s version of “live long and prosper.”

Way better than a boring old “see ya!” or “peace out,” right? 🙂

Speaking for myself, I’d love to get a greeting like that. I mean, black liner well wishes? I’ll take that.

Black liner’s one of those things that I hope never goes out of style. If it’s good enough for cats and Cleopatra, then hell! — it’s good enough for me. And it deserves a spot in my makeup bag.

Guerlain Khol Me Kajal Packaging — The pretty packaging

These days, Guerlain’s new deep, rich matte black $37 Khol Me Kajal pencil in Noir Volcanique (“Black Volcano”), from the brand’s Terra Ora summer collection, has been keeping me company, both as a liner and an eye shadow (it doubles as both).

The crayon-shaped tip is fixed — doesn’t twist up or down — so you just use it down to a nub.

You probably could try sharpening the tip, but I wouldn’t recommend it (I actually tried and mangled the tip).

The pencil formula itself feels hard to me, and yet, surprisingly, the liner glides along my skin, almost like a gel.

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Guerlain’s New Terra Nerolia Face and Body Bronzer Stuns with Striking Design and Tantalizing Tiare Flower Scent

April 23rd, 2013 by Karen 51 Comments

And the ref counts, “…seven…eight…nine…10!” Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding!

That’s it, folks. It’s over. The new $69 Guerlain Terra Nerolia is a knockout!

But seriously, in what world is $69 reasonable for a bronzer? My accountant mother certainly wouldn’t approve. She likes to walk places because of the stray coins she finds along the way (love you, Mom!).

Of course, she isn’t obsessed with bronzer, either, so there’s also that…

To even consider Guerlain’s new Terra Nerolia, you should probably love bronzer (like, you wear it every single day and feel naked without it) and have a debilitating weakness for luxe brands.

Because sh*t’s really, really expensive…so you’re going to want to love it on every single level.

And that’s exactly what Guerlain wants.

They started with the presentation and Terra Nerolia’s sunburst pattern. The first time I opened the over-sized 0.67-ounce pan and saw that gold, peach and bronze, I thought two words: Ancient Mayans.

Guerlain Terra Nerolia swatch — Guerlain Terra Nerolia from the left: both shades blended and applied with a blush brush, the tan powder, and then the peach powder on the right

Then I caught a whiff of the tiare flower scent and thought, “Hawaiian vacation.” 🙂

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Guerlain’s New Cuivre Casts Metallurgical Magic on Lids: Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow

April 18th, 2013 by Karen 44 Comments

How do you feel about shiny baubles? Personally, I’m a fan (especially costume stuff).

Guerlain feels pretty good about ’em, too, and their new coppery Cuivre (which means “copper” in French) Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow works like a shiny bauble in some visually arresting ways.

Shiny like a copper keepsake — and intense! — it jazzes up whatever else you’ve got going on, in my case, a simple black eye liner, bronzer and a gloss in peachy gold.

Part of the new 10-piece Terra Ora summer makeup collection, Cuivre quivers on counters next month. 🙂

Guerlain’s got serious game when it comes to bronzers and bronzing makeup, so it makes sense that they’d release something like Cuivre.

I really how it looks with a tan and just the overall liquid metal effect. I think it’s also more intense when I press or glide it directly on my lids with the sponge-tip applicator instead of a separate brush.

Blink, and you see a flash of shimmer, which looks super cool, like sunlight on a polished piece of gold, and you don’t need multiple layers, either. Nope, it’s that pigmented and intense.

Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow swatch — Guerlain Cuivre Ora Loose Powder Eye Shadow on my NC 42 skin

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I Can’t Think of a Better Way to Mourn the Loss of the Chanel Aqualumieres Than With the New Guerlain Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shines

April 3rd, 2013 by Karen 19 Comments

What’s a Chanel lip gloss lover to do when she still feels a throbbing hole in her heart where the Aqualumiere Glosses once lived?

The lightweight, shiny Aqualumieres have been gone for years, and yet I still shed sparkly tears whenever I think about them…

Oh, the sweet, sweet misery!

R.I.P., Candy Glow. *sniffs*

Next time I get all emo for an Aqualumiere and feel the urge to pour a 40 on the ground (or in my case 6 ounces of chai latte), I’ll just grab one of these new splurge-worthy Gloss D’Enfer Maxi Shines from Guerlain.

For a polished chrome shine a mirror would envy, just whip out the flat flocked applicator (ergonomically shaped for easier application), and slick your lips with one of 20 available shades, which vary from shy girl quiet sheerness to HAAAY BOO! — we’re going full-on drag-caliber opacity tonight.

What’s more, these glosses look and feel exactly like the Aqualumieres!

Well, darned near. Same crystal ball-like finish, same smooth, non-sticky texture, lightweight formula and two-hour wear time.

Heck, they could almost pass for identical makeup twins.

Almost.

Guerlain’s Maxi Shines do have a rosy scent and flavor the Aqualumieres didn’t have, but I like it. It’s not overpowering. I think it’s quite elegant, in fact.

Guerlain Gloss D'Enfer Maxi Shine Swatches — Top row: 400 Gold Tchlack, 460 Rose Splatch, 402 Browny Clap, 463 La Petite Robe Noir and 468 Candy Stripe; bottom row: 467 Cherry Swing, 471 Prune Zip, 420 Rouge Schebam, 441 Tangerine Vlam and 421 Red Pow

Guerlain Gloss D'Enfer Maxi Shine in 421 Red Pow — Guerlain Gloss D’Enfer Maxi Shine in 421 Red Pow

Guerlain Gloss D'Enfer Maxi Shine in 471 Prune Zip — Guerlain Gloss D’Enfer Maxi Shine in 471 Prune Zip

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Blasting Counters With Brightness This April: The New Guerlain Le Vernis Maxi Shine Nail Polishes

March 20th, 2013 by Karen 13 Comments

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine — Guerlain’s new Le Vernis Nail Lacquers ($23 each), for when you get over your matte nail polish phase

Maybe it’s the glittering wet rooftops I’ve been gazing at from my office window today, or the dream I had last night (Surfing at daybreak in Waikiki. Between sets I’d plunge my hands into the water and check out how shiny my nails were, haha! I’m a nerd.), or perhaps I’m just tired of the whole matte polish trend.

Lately, all I’ve wanted to wear on my tips and toes are super shiny finishes. Shiny, like Kate Spade spring patent-leather shoes gleaming on a pristine shelf, or shirtless Ryan Gosling’s oiled torso and glistening white teeth.

I want a maraschino cherry-like shine so blasted bright that passersby whisper, “Did you see her nails? Is she wearing three layers of Seche Vite? Who has the time?”

“NO MORE MATTE NAILS!” I yell to the universe, arms wide and head tilted back. “I want shine like I’ve never seen before!”

Of course, I suppose I could patiently wait for a shiny top coat to dry, but my schedule’s pretty packed. I have to budget time for episodes of that dumb-@ss celebrity diving show (Splash) and the slow-slow-quick-quick-slow-ing on Dancing With the Stars. (Who knew Lisa Vanderpump could werk like that?)

No, I’d rather have the polish do all the work — have it harness the high-voltage brightness of the sun — and I’d also like it to dry quickly.

Blasting counters with brightness this April

Ideally, I’d like something like the 10 new $23 Guerlain Le Vernis nail polishes coming to Guerlain counters (and the permanent line) at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman stores next month.

Part of the Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection

The polishes are part of Guerlain’s Gloss d’Enfer Maxi Shine collection, a family of 20 glosses and 10 polishes with a wet-look finish inspired by classic ’60 pink-up girls.

Mirror-like shine

The biggest draw for me? The glistening finish, which still looks wet after it dries, gleams so brightly that I could probably wave my hands and flag down a plane (I kid you not).

Quick drying

Guerlain doesn’t market these as quick-dry polishes, but they probably could if they wanted to. Each of the shades I’ve tried dries within 10 minutes (two coats).

Granted, that’s not 30-40 seconds, but still. Not bad. Next time I have a nail polish emergency (you know what I’m talking about), I just might grab one of these.

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 165 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 165 (two coats)

Guerlain Le Vernis La Lacque Couleur Maxi Shine 143 — Guerlain Le Vernis in 143 (two coats)

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