Bon anniversaire, Guerlain!
Foreword
To celebrate its grand 190th (!) anniversary, Guerlain have released a limited-edition collection, which I am so excited to review for you guys today. So without further ado, please keep on scrolling!
"Electric Look All Eyes On You" Palette
Electric Look All Eyes On You Palette (80 USD; Made in Italy) literally screams holidays and sophistication. Here you get eight eyeshadows (a mix of matte, matte-meets-shimmer and metallic finishes) and two highlighters.
Packaging: sleek black compact palette, that comes with a large mirror and three different applicators (one for highlighter, two for eyeshadows). Personally, I do not really care about little tools that normally come with high-end palettes, since I am using professional makeup brushes anyway. But if you are on the go, they might come in handy. Palette is quite lighweight and will be great for traveling. Shadows have a bit of kick up, so you might see some powder residue on the mirror.
Please click on images to zoom in. All swatches are unedited and raw.
Texture & Formula: formulas here differ. Metallics are my absolute favourite - they are buttery smooth, uber pigmented and glide on like a dream. Mattes are less pigmented (yet buildable) and feel drier. I would say there is only one true matte here (top row, off-white nude), while the rest still have finely milled shimmer in them.
As for the highlighters, while both feel incredibly smooth to the touch, they do vary in finishes (metallic/glittery). The glittery one quickly turns into"all over shimmer" type of a product, that looks quite wet/sparkly and reminds me a lot of Rihanna's newest Diamond Bomb All-Over Diamon Veil highlighter in "How Many Carats?". It is a bit chunky, however, blends like a dream.
Colours: I feel like this colour selection is very holiday-appropriate. You have your rich warm shades mixed with neutrals; plus you get an icy white (it actually has a stunning peachy/pink sheen to it, similar to Becca's Pearl highlighter) and a pop of Christmassy green. My favourite shade here is the cranberry-red; it is so foiled and delicious, I think it would look spectacular on beauties of all colours and ages.
Application & Wear: while all of the metallics apply and blend like a dream (you can even use them wet), I find that satin/matte shades with shimmer are a bit hard to blend. The only semi-naughty shade here is the dark purple; it requires quite a bit of blending and finessing. Minor fallout aside, I have zero complaints. Shadows do not oxidize, stay true to colour and wear well for 10+ hours on me with a primer (I do notice a bit of fading towards the 7-8th hour).
Verdict: although I do wish you would get an extra blush/bronzer here instead of the empty space used for disposable applicators, overall I am happy with the quality of Electric Look All Eyes On You Palette. I find this colour selection to be quite modern and trendy; both highlighters are universally flattering and you can mix them in with either the white or the gold shadow in the palette (to lighten/deepen the tone). The only shade here, that I do not reach out for often, is the green. Other than that, I give this palette my solid A.
Face Products
The most unique item in this entire collection is the brand's Ladies In All Climates (Made in France) universal mattifying/blurring powder. This is a rare collectible inspired by Guerlain original powder, that was first introduced back in the 19th century. Modern version has that nice high-end makeup weight to it and looks exactly like its vintage predecessor. This powder has a lovely [light] floral scent to it and would be a wonderful gift for someone, who is into collecting one-of-a-kind makeup gems.
Another interesting product here is Terracotta Electric Light Copper Bronzing Powder (Made in France), which comes in a chic golden compact, that reminds me of a retro [metallic] jewelry box. Unlike the first powder, this one has got shimmer in it and heavier perfume scent (think oil-based gardenia perfumes). Again, another product that I would rather keep as a memorable souvenir.
But there is one contemporary face product that I like quite a bit. I am talking about Precious Light Illuminator And Concealer (52 USD; Made in France). I think this little guy is better than Touche Eclat (yes, I said that).
While it doesn't offer a ton of coverage (light-buildable), it truly is like three cups of coffee in a tube. As long as you realize this is not a traditional concealer, but merely an additional illuminating pen that visually "lifts" deep/sunken nooks and crannies - you will really like it. As a human-panda, I do enjoy using it at the very inner/outer corners of my eyes (i.e. areas that regular concealer fails to camouflage). My under-eye is quite dry, but this creamy formula will never accentuate that. I also find that as long as you use a small amount of product and blend it in properly, it will not move/crease.
Verdict: compared to its rivals, Precious Light Illuminator And Concealer is the best of its kind. It offers more coverage than other illuminating pens, while still being weightless and luminizing. It doesn't help that it costs an arm and a leg, but if you wonder whether it is worth it - it is. A from moi.
Lip Products
I just mentioned in my Tom Ford review (read here) that I am not into metallic lips; so when I realized that all of the 190th Anniversary lip products were frosty/metallic, I had a bit of a sad face emoji moment. But! I have realized that if I ever go down that metallic road, then only hand in hand with Guerlain.
Reason being - this is as sophisticated as metallic lip trend will ever be. Let's start with Maxi Shine Lip Gloss (32 USD; Made in France): pigmented, ultra moussy, comfortable, hydrating and it smells like an actual lilac ice cream, which I love. Unlike most metallic lip products I've tried before, these do not make me look like a robot; they glide over my natural lip lines, creating a kissable pouty look that I am so into at the moment.
While I am not sure about shades 921 Electric Red and 903 Electric Copper on my skin tone specifically, I must say that shade 862 Electric Pink is the most perfect lavender pink ever invented and I would definitely recommend it to those of you, who are into mauves and cool-toned lip products in general.
Verdict: I can wear this gloss all day long and it always looks/feels amazing. If you find a colour you like, give it a go! A.
Please click on images to zoom in. All swatches are unedited and raw.
Guerlain have also introduced three limited-edition Rouge G Lipstick shades (32 USD; Made in France) with a metallic finish. I would personally describe it as more pearlescent, rather than frosty. These feel creamy and uber smooth, having that delicious signature vanilla-lilac scent to them.
My favourite is the shade 092 Metallic Nude - it is the loveliest opalescent pink/nude that will truly compliment fair-light complexions. If you have a deeper skin tone, then I would definitely look at the other two shades: 091 Metallic Red and 093 Metallic Pumpkin. If you are not into this year's metallic lip trend, then I would still try this formula yet in a different finish (there are 26+ shades available).
The best part is that these little guys come with legendary 1870-inspired double-mirror caps, that are now sold separately (17.50 USD; Made in PRC). There are a ton of various designs to choose from and the one you see here is this year's limited-edition Electric Gold case, which feels like a soft gilded leather to the touch.
Verdict: absolutely luxurious! A+
Lastly, if you have been wondering this entire time "what is that gorgeous bright pink-red lipstick there?" - it is the brand's limited edition KissKiss Matte Lipstick (37 USD; Made in France) in the shade Electric Ruby.
This formula is packed with nourishing ingredients, as well as hyaluronic acid (my bae!) and is certainly one of the most comfortable mattes I have tried in a while. It is rich in pigment; neither bleeds nor accentuates lip lines. Colour goes on smoothly and lasts for up to 5-6 hours (you do need to touch it up after meals). Just like all Guerlain lip products, this one too has a lovely scent to it.
Verdict: if you are after comfortable mattes that turn your lips into velvety rose petals - look this way! A+.
The Look
For this 190th Anniversary inspired look I have used every single product mentioned in this post (except face powders). On my lips I am wearing a mix of Rouge G Lipstick in "092 Metallic Nude" and Maxi Shine Lip Gloss in "862 Electric Pink".
To highlight my face I have actually mixed gold highlighter from the palette with the white/duochrome eyeshadow. As for the eye makeup - I am wearing every single shade from the palette (except the green).
What do you guys think? I hope you liked this review + makeup look.
If you are interested in any of these limited-edition items, definitely visit Guerlain counters first (since most products are already sold out online).
PR Samples; full disclaimer here
