Guerlain Crazy Paris Christmas Make-Up Collection
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It’s arrived! The highly anticipated Guerlain Crazy Paris Christmas Make-Up collection has landed at Escentual, and it’s a veritable feast of texture and colour for make-up magpies.
Considering Guerlain’s usual classic styling, it’s safe to say that this collection may at first appear a tad off the wall. It has good reason to break out of the box a little, though. This collection pays tribute to the celebration-filled reopening of Guerlain’s iconic flagship store at 68 Champs-Elysees, and as such is inspired by the party season in the city of lights. The result is a range of luxurious textures and timeless shapes with a soupçon of cheeky styling – and very cheeky it is, too.
From the glittering whimsy of the La Petite Robe Noire Perfumed Shimmer Powder, to the smouldering pewter La Laque Nail Colour in Sulfurous, it’s quite the eclectic collection. Take a look at the range review below, and let me know your favourites in the comments box…
La Petite Robe Noire Perfumed Shimmer Powder
The star product of the Christmas collection is the Guerlain Petite Robe Noire So Crazy Powder, a luxurious, limited run atomiser designed to provide a generous puff of powder, scent and iridescent shimmer for the hair and body. Last year’s edition – the Liu Perfumed Shimmer Powder – was a huge hit. Added to this the best-selling La Petite Robe Noire fragrance of black cherry, almond and Bulgarian rose, and I’m predicting big things for this little number…
The styling of this limited edition is so striking. The usual curves of the perfume bottle have been coated in inky lacquer, while the familiar silhouette of the La Petite Robe Noire LBD has been reworked in bright pink and yellow to recall a neon sign shining on a dark Parisian night. Finished with a bright pink atomiser puffer, it’s a stark meeting of traditional Guerlain with youthful insouciance.
I’ve experimented a little with the application of this (all in the name of research, of course… although I did enjoy turning the office into a glitter haven!) Above is the result of spraying directly onto the skin, which you can see gives a healthy dose of concentrated, ultra-fine glimmer. My favourite way to apply is to spray into the air and walk beneath for all over glimmer and scent. One puff releases a generous amount of feather-light powder, which floats in the air as though it weighs nothing at all. It’s absolutely beautiful, and so very Christmassy.
Shop the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire So Crazy Perfumed Shimmer Powder here.
Crazy Paris Eye Palette
The other star product of the collection is the Guerlain Crazy Paris Eye Palette. Like last year’s Liu palette it’s packaged in a timeless and sleek black signature compact complete with panoramic mirror, and arrives in a protective velveteen pouch with hot pink top stitching.
Despite the name, the palette is actually quite sedate – with the exception of that glorious bright pink, of course! On the left we have two ultra pigmented liner shades, and snuggled in the centre are four eyeshadows in a variety of textures. Also included in the palette are two applicators, one dual ended for applying shadow and liner, and the other a miniature brush for applying concentrated touches of colour.
From left to right, the Guerlain Crazy Paris Eye Palette includes a matte black lining shade, a slate grey lining shade, a bright pink with silver glitter, a pearlescent white, a pearlescent pale gold and a rich, tonal copper. Each of the shades can be applied with a dampened brush for intense colour – in fact, the liners will look best applied that way!
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Paris Eye Palette here.
Meteorites Crazy Pearls Illuminating Powder
If I could name one can’t-live-without product from Guerlain’s core make-up range (aside from the Noir G mascara… oh, and the Rouge G L’Extrait), it would be the Meteorites Pearls, aka soft-focus skin in a pot. I know many people would agree! This year’s special rendition of the cult product comes in the form of the Guerlain Crazy Pearls Illuminating Powder, packaged in lacquered black with bold neon lettering.
The new colourway is all about boosting dull winter skin, with pink and mauve to banish greyness, white to brighten, peach and rosy beige to even the skin, and a little touch of gold to add luminescence. The pearls come in a range of satin and matte finishes for natural-looking radiance.
Though they appear pigmented in the pot, the colours are subtle on the skin. Swirl together to create a flattering universal shade that sets make-up and makes skin glow with a beautiful satin finish.
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Pearls Illuminating Powder here.
Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder
If you know your Meteorites, then you’ll know that the pressed Meteorites Voyage powder usually arrives in a luxurious, heavyweight metal compact priced around the luxurious end of the scale. If you’ve ever lusted after the mythical powder then hold on to your hat, because you’re in for a treat. The limited edition Guerlain Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder takes all of the Meteorites brilliance and presents it in a more travel (and pocket) friendly format.
Open up the beautiful compact and you’ll find a pick ‘n’ mix of skin brightening colour akin to the Crazy Pearls, but with a more of a colour correcting focus. There’s the same grey-banishing blend of white, pink and mauve, but the golden accents are swapped for redness-reducing mint green and a shimmering rose beige. The texture of this powder is so ultra-fine that its almost impossible to achieve a cakey finish. For this same reason, though, if your skin is really oily this probably isn’t the most oil-absorbing option for you. What it does do, though, is to provide a flawless, almost blurred effect on the skin that instantly makes the complexion appear more radiant. It’s my personal favourite product of the collection.
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder here.
Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder
If your idea of banishing winter dullness is more about adding colour than correcting it, then the Guerlain Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder is the perfect early Christmas present. Based upon the sheer, lightweight texture of the Terracotta Light Bronzing Powder, Healthy Glow is designed to offer the perfect hint of winter bronze.
There are five shades in all: deep bronze, medium bronze and deep beige to provide a healthy glow, pearlescent peach to brighten, and bright pink to perk up tired skin. The Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder has the same ultra-fine texture as the Crazy Meteorites Radiance Powder so it’s perfect for use all over the face, not just as a contour.
When swirled together, the colours create a warm shade of rosy beige. Alternatively, you can pick out the colours for a more tailored glow. Miss out the pink for a traditional bronzed look, or focus on the pink and peach for a complexion-pepping blusher.
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder here.
Crazy Paris Rouge G Lipstick
Finally we have the Guerlain Crazy Paris Rouge G Lipstick, which comes in just the one shade this year: 863 Provocative. Like the rest of the Crazy Paris line, the familiar curves of the Rouge G Lipstick casing have been cloaked in black lacquer, while the monogrammed clip that holds the lipstick closed is finished in neon pink. If you’re not familiar with the genius mechanism of the Rouge G lipstick, see my review of the Voilette de Madame edition here.
Were you expecting a fluorescent pink lip shade? I must admit, I sort of was! I’m happy to say, though, that Provocative is an infinitely more wearable deep pink shade. There’s not a hint of shimmer in this and it’s fantastically creamy.
The pigmentation is fantastic. Opaque in one swipe with a hint of sheen (thanks to ruby powder), it’s a real beauty. Added hyaluronic acid spheres plump, smooth and moisturise the skin, and the softness lasts for hours. I’ve been dabbing this on to my lips with a finger and wearing it as a stain of sorts, and it’s fantastic that way, too.
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Paris Rouge G Lipstick here.
Colour Lacquer and Ultra Violet Top Coat
There’s just the one nail colour in this collection, the Guerlain Colour Lacquer in 861 Sulfurous, and it’s a beauty. It’s pretty hard to describe the colour, isn’t it? It’s like a fusion of grey, brown and bruised plum which Guerlain themselves call “black without black”.
Get right up close to the colour and you can see just how complex it is. It’s made up of blue, silver, bronze and purple shimmer, and the finish appears appears molten it’s so multifaceted.
The application, appearance and longevity of the nail varnish is fantastic. Guerlain and Dior nail colours are the ones for me – opaque in two coats without any fuss or mess, and they have a lovely self-levelling finish that always looks so groomed and glossy.
As well as the nail colour, Guerlain have introduced a fun new limited edition top coat that ties in the Paris after dark theme beautifully. The Guerlain Ultra Violet top coat can be used on bare nails to make them look whiter (in the day time it gives them a subtle blue tinge, it’s very cool), and over the top of nail colours it’ll bring out the blue tones and add vibrancy. Of course, it’s main raison d’etre is its ultra violet capabilities – it’ll make your nails glow under UV lights! Though this won’t be applicable to too many people (it’s pretty hard to come across UV lighting in everyday life), it’s a fun twist on the impeccable Guerlain top coat formula, which fills in ridges, adds high shine and rounds off the nails for a gel-like finish.
Shop the Guerlain Crazy Paris La Laque here and the Guerlain Ultra Violet Top Coat here.
Join the discussion!
So, what do you think of this new look for Guerlain? Which limited edition pieces are catching your eye?