Guerlain Perles du Paradis

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 The traditional correcting colors (blue and green) have been replaced by pink to brighten dull areas, and silver to reflect ambient light for a one-of-a-kind glow.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.

The Body Shop Smoky Moonstone Palette, Dazzling Rocks and Slanted Kabuki Brush

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.

cheekylicious update.

i was drooling over Jetties Blushalicious Deluxe Tag Post when i noticed that my own last blush-overview is more than 1 year old and a lot has happened in this area. so much that i was too lazy to dig all of them out to do a photographic update but i only did this for the newcomers of my collection.

so here they are, the new additions to my stash within the last year...

CARGO

1 - Cargo Prague
2 - Cargo Siena
3 - Cargo Key Largo
4 - Cargo SuedeBlush in Gold Coast
5 - Cargo Polynesia

i also did own (and sold) Cargo SuedeBlush in Montebello, Cargo Topeka, Molokai and Louisiana during the last year. am undecided whether to sell Key Largo or not.
i still love the Cargo range - i reviewed each of them, click here to get to the overview page (or on the sidebar). my favourites are (in no particular order) Echo Beach, Siena and Tonga.

NARS

only three new Narsies in the last year:

1 - NARS Torrid
2 - NARS Oasis
3 - NARS Luster

here you can get to my complete NARS blush review series. my favourites are Orgasm, Luster and Gilda.

EDWARD BESS

bought 2 of the now 3 Quad Royales: these are Summer In Capri & South Of France.
will review them soon (hopefully).

BURBERRY

i also had the pleasure of trying the fabulous blush formula by Burberry - here are No.07 Earthy Blush and No.08 Misty Blush. really really want to get some more!

GUERLAIN

1 - Parure de Nuit
2 - Météorites Perles de Nuit
3 - Blush 4 Éclats in #05 Rose Plein Vent

CHANEL

Joues Contraste in #68 Rose Écrin
Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base/Bronze Universel
Ombres Tissées in Beiges

BEAUTY IS LIFE

blush palettes for professional use - well, i just bought them for the price advantage compared to the single pots - but don't they look lovely altogether?

warm/cold palette: upper row - Palace, Close Up, Tibet, Almond Soft Glow
                            bottom row - Poesie, Chelsea, Denver, Bolero, Opera

cold palette: upper row - Stage, Swing, Joy, Vendetta, Lido
                  bottom row - Scarlet, Baroque, Sugar, Cassis, Geisha

big review series in the next month!

EDIT: here it is: Beauty Is Life blushes x 20.

LE MÉTIER DE BEAUTÉ

1 - Crème Fresh Tint in Tenné
2 - Crème Fresh Tint in Ginger Lily
3 - CFT in Coral Nymph
4 - CFT in Poppy/Coquelicot
5 - CFT in Mystique
6 - Radiance Powder Rouge in Echo
7 - True Colour Eyeshadow in Tuscan Sunset

another new and addictive brand in my life: Le Métier de Beauté.
i have a review series of their Crème Fresh Tints going on - i own them all ^^.
click here to see an overview.

CREAM BLUSHES

a few more cream blushes:
1 - Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric #1
2 - Giorgio Armani Blushing Fabric #3
3 - Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub

CREAM HIGHLIGHTERS

1 - Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Nectar - sample
2 - Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Tranquility - sample
3 - Jemma Kidd Make Up School All Over Radiance Cream in Rose Gold

i'm getting some use out of my samples of Rouge Bunny Rouge's Sea Of Illumination Highlighting Liquids, maybe i should do a comparison to my full size shade in Sea of Showers.

MISCELLANEOUS

1 - Paul & Joe Blue Horizon Bronzer
2 - Estée Lauder Michael Kors Very Hollywood Shimmering Loose Powder
3 - Becca Mineral Blush in Flowerchild
4 - Dior Healthy Glow Summer Powder in Aurora
5 - Clé de Peau Blush Duo in #4
6 - MAC Blush in Style

i'm surprised that there's only 1 MAC product in this whole year.

READY TO LEAVE

a few products i bought during the year but that are already packed for current/future blog sales.

Chanel Loose Powder in Féerie, Smashbox Fusion Soft Lights in Blushing Pink and a Giorgio Armani Face Highlighter.



if i'd compile the past blush-year my highlights were Burberry, Le Métier de Beauté, Dior Aurora and Paul & Joe bronzers. but what truly made my heart beat faster were definitely and absolutely the amazing blush brushes i could try. this was my best brush-year ever. and i thought i was set for life when i went out of a parisien Sephora 3 years ago and held a big bag of MAC brushes in hands ;D
now i have experienced the softest softness there could be as far as brushes go (MAC brushes i would almost consider as quite scratchy now that i'm stuck on squirrel hair ones) and am overly happy to call a selection of probably the best blush brushes on the market my own. could only top it with a range of Chikuhodo Z brushes, but the year is not over yet ;)

unlike Jettie (whose blogpost i linked above) i think it's the experience of the heavenly soft brushes of the best quality pampering your skin that puts my blush application onto a whole other level of joy and delight. for me, it's not only about the final result, but also about the process of applying the refined colour to your cheeks. but that's another ramble. now -

... MHHH, THE BRUSHES!

a selection of the best blush brushes of my last year - intimidating that these are not all of them, but hell yeah, i love brushes!

1 - Lunasol Powder Brush N sometimes for bronzer
2 - Lunasol Blush Brush N
3 - Hakuhodo B505BkSL Blush Brush M round and flat
4 - Hakuhodo G5519BkSL Blush Brush
5 - Hakuhodo G5552 Powder & Liquid Brush round/angled for cream, gel & liquid formulas
6 - Ipsa Brush 2 sometimes for contouring
7 - Ipsa Squirrel Brush L
8 - RMK Cheek Brush
9 - Chikuhodo Z4 Blush Brush
10 - SUQQU Blush Brush




37 products are gone or almost gone since May 2011 (plus about 15 that i'm undecided about). i have sold them in blog sales, have them prepared for future blog sales or gave them to friends and family. there's also a bunch that i just stored away and now that i see the photos of them again i realize that i don't reach for them anymore and also haven't missed them (mental note for the "to sale"-box). makes my balance quite humble with "only" 37 new blushes - ok, not so humble anymore if you count each Beauty Is Life blush from the palettes individually = 55 products.


and this was my stock 1 year ago...
(copied from my "Cheek product heaven"- post. products that i don't own/use anymore are crossed out, products, that don't get much love are bracketed)

first come the peachy blushes: 

1 - Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Orange Blossom
2 - MAC MSF in Stereo Rose
3 - Chanel Joues Contrastes in Espiègle
4 - theBalm Hot Mama
5 - Illamasqua cream blush in Rude
6 - Estée Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush
7 - NARS blush in Gina
8 - MAC Hipness
9 - MAC Melba
10 - Chanel Joues Contrastes in Candy
11 - NARS blush in Gilda
12 - MNY 301
(13 - Kryolan TC 2)
14 - Benefit Coralista
15 - Cargo The Big Easy
(16 - Maybelline Pure Blush in Mineral Coral)
17 - P2 Home Sweet Home Cream Blush Stick in Fresh Apricot
18 - Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in 02 Peach
19 - Cargo blush in Cannes

the red/coral blushes

1 - MAC Highlighting Powder in Marine Life
2 - NARS blush in Amour
3 - NARS Orgasm
4 - NARS cream blush in Cactus Flower
5 - Kryolan blush in R 6
6 - Cargo blush in Rome
7 - Cargo blush in Mendocino
8 - Rouge Bunny Rouge Blush in Orpheline
9 - Essence eyeshadow in It's Up To You
(10 - Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Cardinal)
11 - Yves Rocher liquid blush in Coquelicot Léger
12 - MNY liquid blush in 112A

the neutral blushes

1 - Guerlain Blush 4 Éclats in Rosée du Printemps

(2 - Catrice blush in Light Burgundy)

3 - NYX blush in Taupe

4 - MAC Harmony

(5 - NARS Madly)

6 - MAC Mineralize Blush in Happy Together

7 - NARS Zen

8 - Guerlain Blush 4 Éclats in Caresse de l'Aube

9 - MAC Cubic

10 - Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in #2

11 - MAC Blushbaby

12 - Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush in #10

13 - MAC Mocha

14 - Cargo blush in Tonga

15 - Cargo Beach Blush in Echo Beach 

16 - Cargo Beach Blush in Cable Beach

17 - Cargo Beach blush in Miami Beach

the pink blushes

1 - NARS Deep Throat

2 - Guerlain Blush G

3 - Benefit Bella Bamba

4 - MAC Dollymix

5 - P2 Home Sweet Home Cream Blush Stick in Soft Pink

(6 - NARS Angelika)

(7 - Top Shop Cream Blush in Pinch)

8 - NARS Desire

9 - MAC Mineralize Blush in Gentle

10 - oops, i somewhat forgot this number, so we'll go on with:

11 - NARS Mata Hari

12 - MAC Pink Swoon

13 - MAC Well Dressed

14 - MAC Pinch O'Peach

(15 - Top Shop Cream Blush in Flush)

(16 - Top Shop Cream Blush in Neon Rose)

17 - Clinique Tuxedo Plum

18 - YSL Crème de Blush in Powdery Pink

19 - Bobbi Brown Pink Coral

20 - Chanel Joues Contrastes in Pink Explosion

21 - MAC MSF in Petticoat

22 - Essence eyeshadow in Go All Girlie

23 - MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty

24 - MAC Mineralize Blush in Rhapsody in Two

25 - MAC Mineralize Blush in Hang Loose

(26 - Maybelline Pure Blush in Moonlight Mauve)

27 - Cargo Beach Blush in Sunset Beach

28 - Cargo Blush in Catalina

29 - Yves Rocher liquid blush in Corail Nude

30 - Essence Blossoms etc. Liquid Blush in Flowerkissed

31 - MNY 111A

(32 - Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink)

some bronzers

1 - Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Bronzer in Daydream

2 - Chanel Bronze Rosé

3 - NARS Bronzer Multiple in Cap Vert

(4 - Terra Del Sol bronzer in #4)

5 - Rimmel matte bronzer in Sunlight

6 - Benefit Hoola

one is still missing and on its way - the Dior Aurora Bronzer.

highlighting products + some shimmery finishing powders

1 - Dior Amber Diamond

2 - MAC Beauty Powder in Shell Pearl

3 - MAC MSF in Blonde

4 - Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Mosaic

5 - MAC MSF in Perfect Topping

6 - MAC MSF in By Candlelight

7 - Kanebo Transparent Loose Powder

8 - Chanel Poudre Libre Universelle in 50 Peche

9 - Guerlain Météorites Pressée in 01 Mythic Parfait

10 - Guerlain Météorites Pearls in 01 Teint Rosé

11 - Guerlain Météorites Pearls in 03 Teint Doré

12 - NARS Albatross

13 - MAC Beauty Powder in Too Chic

(14 - Lorac Perfectly Lit highlighter in Spotlight)

(15 - Shiseido blush in BE206 Soft Beam Gold)

16 - Essence eyeshadow in Mystic Lemon

17 - Manhattan highlighter from a LE

18 - Rival de Loop young highlighter pearls

19 - FAKE benefit high beam

20 - The Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer in 02

21 - real Benefit High Beam (to go version)

22 - Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl

23 - Rouge Bunny Rouge Seas of Illumination Liquid Highlighter in Sea of Showers

24 - Guerlain Perles D'Or Highlighting Pearls

25 - Guerlain Terra Inca

26 - MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder in Truth & Light

Guerlain Meteorites Perles D'Azur by Emilio Pucci

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.