“Passport to Beauty,” featured the latest products for late Summer/Fall 2010, from Guerlain, Givenchy, Acqua di Parma, Kenzo Parfums, Parfums Givenchy, and Emilio Pucci fragrances. Now that’s an event you simply don’t miss (and I didn’t). Since there was so much to see, I’m splitting this sneak peek into two sections. The first is just about the Givenchy and Guerlain cosmetics. The second post will contain a peek at the new fragrance items. Most of these items are just hitting the stores about now, so you’ll want to visit, and shop right away!
My camera failed at the event, so these are taken with my Blackberry, so I apologize for the lack of quality. If and when I do a more formal review, I’ll be sure to get better photos to work with.
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| Givenchy Le Prisme Eye Shadow quartets |
There are also five new Guerlain Écrin 6 Color Eyeshadow Palettes that arrive in August. At $84.00 each, they are a splurge, but they’re gorgeous and you’ll get a lot of fashion mileage out of each and every one. There are several textures in each compact (iridescent, matte and satin). The compact itself looks like a lady’s minaudiere from the 1920’s, with it’s fancy, filigree cover. The collections will let you make a bold, sultry or subtle eye look, using the same colors for day as for night. I didn’t actually get to try these (yet) so all I can do right now is show you the colors and the names. Each palette has the name of a Guerlain boutique in Paris. How cute is that?! 93 Rue de Passy (pink, smoky pink, grey, taupe); 10 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois (beige, golden bronze, brown); 29 Rue de Sevres (taupe, light gray, turquoise); 2 Place Vendome (iridescent ivory, deep grey, intense indigo, navy blue); and 68 Champs Elysees (gradations of brown & vibrant violet).
I have long been a fan of Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss lip items, but now they’re launched eight colors of Kiss Kiss Essence de Gloss $31.00. You’ll get sexy color, tons and tons of shine, and something else even better: an anti-aging active including Vitamins A and oligoelements (to stimulate cellular renewal and Vitamin C to protect. Mother of pearl helps make lips look better, immediately. There are eight shades aptly named after fragrance notes: Vemillion, Grenat, Myrrhe, Tonka, Cuir, Anmbre, Baie Rose and Violine. With repeated use, your lips won’t just look great with glossy whine, they may actually be better — smoother, plumper, younger looking, too. And the tall tower of shiny metal with just a peek-a-boo collar to show the color, will make your feel like a princess whenever you use this gorgeous gloss.
Also new is Guerlain’s Lingerie de Peau $56.00 that will launch in September at select Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman stores. The formula is supposed to be like wearing silk stockings, or a second skin. The formula has a number of high-tech innovations, so that your skin looks much better than bare, but not mask-like. It also has a nice SPF 20, to help protect your skin from daily sun exposure. This is a liquid foundation that I haven’t tried yet (but you can see it in the photo) in nine shades: Beige Clare, Beige Natural, Beige Moyen, Beige Fonce, Rose Clair, Rose Naturel, Dore Naturel, Dore Moyen, and Dore Fonce. I did try the Lingerie de Peau . The foundation is a melange of four different pigments, made of ultra-fine and crystalline pigments that look different at different angles and in different lights, so you always look your best.
Although I don’t have a photo, Les Violettes Mineral Loose Powder $56/– comes in a stunning, round, shiny gold jar with the elegant Guerlain logo embossed on the top. But inside, there’s a surprise. The shaker top rotates slightly to “shave” pieces of powder so you always get a small amount and it’s fresh and ready for use. The powder is sheer and super-super silky and blendable, so you can use it on bare skin just to even out and mattify your complexion, or use it over foundation to set it. There is a soft, romantic, violet scent, but it’s barely there so it won’t assault your senses, just soothe them. There are five shades: 01 Beige Clair; 03 Beige Naturel; 04 Beige Moyen; 012 Rose Clair, and 13 Rose Naturel. I tried Rose Clair, and it simply blended into my skin, blurring discolorations and fine lines. It is perfect if you don’t want to wear makeup because it is sheer. Since this is a loose mineral powder, you can pick more than one as long as it is close to your skin tone, and it will look right. And that golden jar! It is so dressing table worthy!
Finally, Guerlain is launching something truly royal: Abeille Royale – An Infinite Life Source $140.00. This one launches exclusively at Nordstrom in September, so save your pennies, starting now. Click the little bee on the top of the elegant flacon, and you will get a very nourishing serum that features the honey of the Black Bee from Ouessant Island (French Brittany). This place is free of the usual pollutants most of us deal with on a daily basis. It is a product that is definitely worthy of your consideration (and I’ll try to get a sample to review for your benefit), but you should know that it is a fact that bee products are exceptionally healing and nourishing. This product claims to actually help regenerate your skin over time. If your skin really needs TLC, and you’re not going in for serious skin care treatments, Abeille Royale could actually look like a bargain.
The Givenchy products are available at Sephora, Sephora.com and Givenchybeauty.com
The Guerlain products are mostly available at select locations of Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and Sephora.com *exclusives are mentioned in my blog post