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!

January favorites!

It's time for January favorites!

After some new additions, and products that were being reused over and over again during the month of January, I thought it would be fun to do a post on those items. Some of these haven't been reviewed yet, but they will soon!

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel: The perfect on-the-go easy neutral lip. I've been wearing it a lot paired with a brown smokey eye.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick Matte in Mauve it Over: Another slap and go lipstick. I picked this up on a whim, without much thought, and it turned out to be one of my favorite lipsticks of the month. It's matte formula doesn't always suit my dry lips, but it's really comfortable to wear, and definitely doesn't make dry lips worse. The Revlon Lustrous Matte formula is definitely worth a look if you haven't tried them yet.

Anastasia Brow Whiz in Brunette: Never thought I'd be one to love a pencil brow product, but this one is so easy to use. I also love that one side has a little brush for brushing my brows into place. It's also pretty much the perfect shade for my brow - no red tones in the pencil at all!

Hourglass Mineral Primer: Because of a few skin problems in the last month, I've been using this pretty much every day to make sure my blemishes are well covered, and stay that way.

MAC Painterly Paint Pot: I've been using this lately, in order to prime my lids and make sure eyeshadow stays in place. It's getting a bit dried up, so I'm hoping to make use out of it while it's still alive.

Laura Mercier Blush in Lush Nectarine: I reviewed this recently and spoke very positively about it - I must say my opinion hasn't change. It's an amazing blush that gives a pop of healthy color to the cheek. My dull January skin definitely needs it!

MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked (in the middle of the Z-Palette): This has been my quick out-the-door shadow of most of January. I didn't use to like Woodwinked that much before a few months ago, but now it's one of my favorites. There's something really pretty about having this shadow blended all over my lid and into the crease.

Guerlain Ecrin Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Les Fauves: I have not stopped wearing this palette since I got it a few weeks ago. It is absolutely stunning. Lucky for me, I didn't have to pay for it since I had saved up some Shoppers Optimum points for it. I think I'll keep saving em' and get Les Fumes next time. These palettes are amazing! I will review it soon.

Bourgeois Healthy Mix Foundation: As mentioned before, my skin had a bit of a break out last month. I actually traced the problem back to not having enough moisture in my skin. This Bourgeois foundation is actually my most moisturizing foundation and I feel like it's kept my skin healthy!

Shu Uemura blush in Pink 31: I picked this up on a blog sale not too long ago, and it is seriously one of my favorite blushes ever. It's so easy to put on as it's not too pigmented, but gives the most natural healthy flush. I wouldn't be surprised if this one hits pan (one day!).

A splurge on Guerlain Bal de Mai

When I was visiting my family a few weeks ago, I took advantage of Shoppers Drug Mart redeem your points day at a location that had makeup brands that I do not have in my city, namely, Guerlain.

I've always been intrigued by Guerlain - the gorgeous packaging, the luxury of the brand, the stellar reviews - but I always wondered if the price was worth it. Lucky for me, by redeeming my points, I was able to try the brand without the weight of the price tag.

From the start, I knew I wanted a Rouge Automatic. It had been so highly reviewed on Temptalia that I knew I wanted to give a shade a go. After swatching for a while, with the boyfriend sitting on a makeup chair, bored out of his mind (sorry!), I settled on the Bal de Mai 160.

I love the font of Guerlain. Gorgeous!

Bal de Mai is a gorgeous coral toned rosy, plummy color with a light golden shimmer. I found it to be quite moisturizing, and it wore for 4+ hours on me before needing reapplication.

On my lips.

 My apologies, this swatch is a bit dark, but it's probably also the most accurate.

From left to right: Dior Addict in Garconne, Dior Addict in Tailleur Bar, Clarins Joli Rouge in Rose Sorbet 702, Guerlain Bal de Mai 160, Lancome Rouge in Love in Rose Rendez-Vous, Laura Mercier Pink Champagne (now called Sparkling Pink), MAC Brave, MAC Hug Me.

In tone, I'd say Laura Mercier Pink Champagne is the closest to Bal de Mai - it is however much darker, more opaque and doesn't contain any shimmer. Dior Addict Garconne is also similar but much sheerer and a bit more coral.

Lineup of comparators.

All and all, Guerlain Bal de Mai is very unique. I'm in love with the light but opaque texture and the slight glossy effect of the lipstick. It barely has any scent and its packaging is gorgeous and sturdy. If I were the kind of person who keeps a lipstick in her bag, this would be a lipstick I wouldn't be shy of slathering on in public - the packaging needs showing off!

Now, for the price point - this lipstick is expensive. At $40 in Canada, this is the definition of a splurge. If you're on a tight budget, this lipstick isn't worth it. While it's very nice, and definitely a gorgeous lipstick, I'm sure there are more affordable versions out there. I don't think I would have purchased this lipstick if it wasn't for the Shoppers points option - the price is foolish. But at the same time, if you have the money, why not? Life is too short and Guerlain is stunning. The end.

Hope you're having a great weekend. I sun-burned my shoulders (yes, I wore 30 SPF sunscreen, which I applied twice, but I assume it must have rubbed off or something...) and have been slathering them with Aloe Vera.

What's your take on makeup splurges? Do you think high-end makeup is worth it sometimes? What's the highest you'd pay for a lipstick?