Guerlain Les Fumes Ecrin 4 Couleurs - Review & Swatches!

Ahhh Guerlain. The very definition of luxe makeup. Posh packaging? Check. Extremely high price point? Check. Amazing quality? Errrm... check? The question behind a higher end makeup item is often whether is it worth the price. Some of my favorite makeup items are lower end brands, but excellent in quality (such as Sleek palettes, or Essence nail polishes). And unfortunately, some higher end items just don't deliver - MAC is known for being hit or miss in terms of quality and some of my NARS products haven't impressed me too much. Where does Guerlain sit?

Guerlain always delivers in terms of packaging. The gold case is sturdy and doesn't scratch easily.

Swatches in the shade. Order below:

Swatches starting from left, the the top middle shade, followed by middle bottom shade, then finally the right shade (which didn't I just swatch them clockwise?)

The beauty in the shade.

And in the sun, glorious.

This palette is, no doubt about it, absolutely gorgeous. The shade are quite smooth, except for to shade to the left. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong here, but that shade was very hard for me to blend. Plus, it didn't have much pigmentation. However, I found it great for blending out the bottom shade which I use in the outer corner! My favorite of the palette is the top middle shade - it's a gorgeous warm rosy brown which is perfect for warming up the crease of a smokey eye. The wonderful thing about this palette is that it has literally all you need for a smokey eye. All that's left to use is eyeliner! However, that said, I'm sure there are cheaper options out there. All the shades except maybe the shade to the right are dupeable.

For fun, here's a shot from my other blog (Bold Subtlety) wearing the palette on my eyes. It really made my eyes pop - I'm willing to bet it's because of that wonderful warm shade too!

Hope the review was helpful! I highly suggest you swatch this product in store before purchasing! Some might find the slightly drier texture easier to work with - others might want to stick to creamier shadows. Either way, this palette is excellent to create that perfect smokey eye, and the mix of colors helps to make it a little to no effort job!

My apologies for being a bit quiet on the blog lately! A few days of vacation and my brain has turned to mush! I have a few posts brewing a the moment so stay tuned! 

Guerlain Les Fauves Ecrin 4 couleurs palette - Review & Swatches!

I have been meaning to write this post for a very long time since I've had this Guerlain palette since January (I think?) but things have been so busy, I've barely had time to blog at all!

Either way, here it is! The famous Guerlain Les Fauves palette!

I got this palette for free as I redeemed my Shoppers Optimum points for it. It's pretty much the only good rewards program in Canada, so I take full advantage of it!

Les Fauves consists of 4 warm-toned eyeshadows that go very well together. I'm especially fond of the shade on the right, and the left. I tend to use those two most, with the right shade all over the lid, and the left shade in the crease.

The packaging of this palette is absolutely stunning. I think that of all my collection, this is my favorite packaging ever (with the Estee Lauder Violet Underground palette coming in a close second). It's sturdy, but hefty, and doesn't leave finger marks. And well, it's gold. Enough said.

The texture of the shadows is excellent. They're a dream to work with - pigmented, but soft enough to blend easily.

Swatches in the shade, shadows from the left to the right of the palette.

Swatches in the sun, same order.

And here's a quick eye look with the Guerlain Les Fauves palette. It is truly a combination of shades so easy to use together!

I must say, I really love this palette. However, I did have a couple issues with it personally - and honestly, these tiny little problems might not even affect you.

First off, I thought the wear time of these shadows was a bit poor. Perhaps it is simply because the texture is so smooth, but these eyeshadows creased on my oily lids by the end of the day, even with a primer. That rarely happens to me. I've had to use a primer and MAC's Painterly Paint pot in order to get the shadows to stay all day. Definitely not something that's ideal for a palette that is that expensive, but hey, I'll do it if the shadows are pretty enough.

Second, the colors are a bit too warm for my skin tone. This isn't necessarily a bad thing for people who like a pop of color, or bright shadow, but I had a hard time wearing this palette as casual work makeup. The colors were too bright, vibrant and warm to look natural. Except perhaps the color on the right - that one is quite neutral. Again, might not affect most of you, especially if you already like warm colors, but I guess I know now that I prefer cool tones on my eyes. Lesson learned.

Honestly, I still highly suggest this palette. It is stunning, and I definitely don't mind layering on the bases in order for the shadows to stick. While I don't wear this too often as work makeup, I really enjoy playing with the colors for a night out. The coral color in the middle looks amazing with a winged liner. Up next, I think I will purchase (with Shoppers Optimum points again hopefully!) Les Fumes, or Les Cuirs! I'm still so bitter about missing out on Turandot!

Hope this was interesting for you and has helped you decide whether this palette's hefty price tag is worth it for you ($64). If you don't mind splurging on cosmetics, like I know I do, I think it is worth it. Otherwise, I'm sure most of these colors are dupeable. In fact, please leave me a comment if you're interested in comparison swatches!