Guerlain Holiday: Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick

Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick ($45.00 for 0.12 oz.) is the second new, limited edition shade of Rouge G from Guerlain’s Holiday Collection. (The other new, limited edition shade is Grace, which I reviewed last week.)

Gems is a beautiful shade of slight subdued pink-coral with a fiery gold shimmer laced throughout. It’s hard for me to call it a coral, because there is a very pink color base to it, yet the brightness of the rising sun shimmer makes it pop. For me, this was love at first swatch — this is a shade I could see myself wearing all the time, no matter the occasion.

It’s just one of those shades that suits me well and makes me feel great wearing it. I’ve always considered makeup more than just utility — it’s about the feeling and experience and joy I get from using it. This just makes me happy!  Even outside of my makeup haze, I really do think this is a very flattering shade that a lot of people could wear and find work well for them.

The Rouge G formula is fantastic — smooth, silky, wears and fades well, and goes on opaque overall.  The only real detractor is the wowza price tag.  When it comes to Rouge G, I really do believe you’re paying mostly for the packaging.  I just can’t deny the formula rocks — I just wish they’d make the formula available with some cheaper packaging!

By the way, Gems looks amazing with Guerlain’s Perle de Lune KissKiss Gloss (also from this collection) layered on top.

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• Product: 30/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: If you love slightly coral-pinks or shimmery shades, you may want to check out this limited edition holiday shade if you can take the splurge!

Availability: Nordstrom

See more photos and swatches…

Guerlain Gems Rouge G Lipstick

Bobbi Brown Chrome Palette ($75.00) is the stunning eye and lip palette include with Bobbi Brown’s Chrome Collection, and it is also limited edition (of course!). The palette includes ten shades of eyeshadow and four shades of lip glosses.

For Eyes

• White Eyeshadow is just that, a matte snowy white. It’s slightly cool, but it isn’t frosty or cold.
• Polar Ice Eyeshadow is a soft, light gray with a blue tinge and silver shimmer. It goes on a bit sheer, but it can be layered for a slightly more solid look.
• Storm Cloud Eyeshadow is a sparkly medium dark brown. It doesn’t really have anything special about it to make it unique, but it still looks pretty (you just may already have something similar in your stash).
• Iron Eyeshadow is a matte slate gray. It didn’t go on as smoothly as the White eyeshadow, and it felt a little more dusty.
• Thunder Eyeshadow is a glittery dark gray with a touch of black and silver shimmer. This reminded me of MAC’s Knight Divine, though not quite as glittery or gritty.
• Moonlight Eyeshadow is a glittery soft pink with a little champagne tone. Bobbi Brown describes it as a cool purple sparkle, which is clearly not. The back of my palette shows that this is where Moonlight is supposed to be, but I really feel like this and Foil were misplaced/mislabeled.
• Cyber Grey Eyeshadow is a slightly purple tinged smoky silver shimmer shade.
• Foil Eyeshadow is a glittery soft purple-gray — very similar to Cyber Grey, but it has more of a glittery texture. As I mentioned earlier, I think this is really Moonlight and Foil is the other one… as Bobbi Brown describes Foil as “a pale bronze.” Again, I’m just going off the back of my palette (and Bobbi Brown’s website).
• Chrome Eyeshadow is a silver with a little brown thrown in – kind of reminds me of Pewter Chrome Eyeshadow, but not nearly as pretty. (Sorry, I *love* that eyeshadow, so not much can compare.)
• Charcoal Haze Eyeshadow is a matte medium gray-black. This one had the same texture as Iron, but it did seem a little smoother.

For Lips

• Pink Mist Lip Gloss is a medium yellow-pink with multi-colored sparkle. It’s pretty sheer, but I found I could actually see some color when I swatched it on my skin (which I barely could with the Earth Metal palette).
• Winter Bronze Lip Gloss is a copper sparkled bronze shade. On lips, it looks a bit burnished, but it’s not ultra pigmented so it’s more wearable than it looks.
• Berry Lip Gloss is a muted plum-berry with soft sparkle. I liked this shade the most, as it seemed opaque enough to add color to lips, but still soft as I’d expect from Bobbi Brown.
• Chrome Pink Lip Gloss is beige-rose with gold sparkle. It’s pretty, and it’s a shade I could see people loving for everyday.

You know me — I don’t like lip palettes. I don’t like them alone, and I don’t like them when attached to eyeshadow palettes, either. They’re just a no-go for me. I will say that the gloss in these are more pigmented than in Bobbi Brown’s Earth Metal Eye & Lip Palette, which is a plus.  I’m not going to drop points on this product because of that personal bias, so I’m judging on the product included itself, which is better than a lot of lip palettes I’ve tried.

In the palette, you get 10 eyeshadows, each weighing 0.02 oz. (total weight of 0.20 oz.), and you also get four lipglosses, each weighing 0.03 oz. (total weight of 0.12 oz.). A single Bobbi Brown eyeshadow retails for $22 for 0.10 oz. and a single lip gloss retails for $20 for 0.14 oz. The reason for all these conversions is to see exactly how much you’re paying for what and whether it’s worth buying a palette if you like a few shades or if you should look towards Bobbi Brown’s permanent line-up instead. The eyeshadows (by weight) would yield about $44 in value, while the lip glosses yield about $17 — which gives you a total “value” of $61. The palette is priced at $75, so I do think it’s a bit steep, even when you consider the fact that you’re getting a variety of shades all housed in a pretty chrome palette.

I also don’t think there’s quite enough variety between the ten shades of eyeshadows — a few are quite similar (like Cyber Grey and Foil). This is definitely a cool smoky eye palette with a little purple kick. I like that they included three different matte shades in the palette, because I think mattes are often missed in palettes. I do wish they had included a highlighter shade, as I think the White eyeshadow will be too garish on bolder skin tones to work well as a highlighter. In a palette of this size, I’d expect a really obvious highlighter shade.

For me, this palette is just okay. It’s not the best value, and I think Bobbi Brown has better shades (or the equivalent) available in her permanent range. In fact, I definitely recommend her Chrome Eyeshadows (and duh, my #1 recommendation would be for Pewter!) if you’re not liking the majority of the shades in this palette. The eyeshadows are soft, have a smooth texture, and they’re all pigmented. There is nothing wrong with them, but I’m just not loving the color combination overall. Nice but not amazing, you know?

Bottom Line: for those who DO love the majority of the shades in the palette and don’t mind lipgloss in pan form, I think you may like this. It’s housed in chromed-out package (which does hold fingerprints, FYI!), offers plenty of smoky eyeshadow combinations, and is appropriate for the upcoming holiday season.  I also think Bobbi Brown fans may enjoy this more than I did, and I think it’s worth at least a peek next time you’re near a Bobbi Brown counter to see for yourself.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 24/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation:

Availability: Bobbi Brown, Nordstrom

See more photos and swatches…

Top row: White, Polar Ice, Storm Cloud, Iron, Thunder
Bottom row: Moonlight, Cyber Grey, Foil, Chrome, Charcoal

Top row: White, Polar Ice, Storm Cloud
Bottom row: Moonlight, Cyber Grey, Foil

Top row: Storm Cloud, Iron, Thunder
Bottom row: Foil, Chrome, Charcoal

Eyeshadows: White, Polar Ice, Storm Cloud, Iron

Eyeshadows: Polar Ice, Storm Cloud, Iron, Thunder

Eyeshadows: Moonlight, Cyber Grey, Foil, Chrome, Charcoal

Lip Glosses: Pink Mist, Winter Bronze, Berry, Chrome Pink

Lip Glosses: Pink Mist, Winter Bronze, Berry, Chrome Pink

Guerlain Perle de Lune KissKiss Gloss ($29.00 for 0.17 oz.) is one of three new, limited edition shades of KissKiss Gloss from Guerlain’s Holiday Collection.

Perle de Lune is a sheer, milky pale pink (it’s almost colorless, so soft the pink is!) with a large dose of pink, gold, and bronze shimmer. This is a particularly glittery shade of KissKiss Gloss, but it doesn’t feel gritty, so I do like that. I’d also say that this is definitely a shade you’d layer on a lipstick rather than wear alone, but for some, it’s a nice way to add sparkle without adding a lot of color.

KissKiss Gloss is a non-sticky, moisturizing gloss that lasts about four hours or so on me. I love the way it sparkles and glitters on my lips, and they always look fantastic layered over lipsticks. The scent is sort of a sweet rose, which isn’t always loved by lipgloss fans alike, so you may want to give it a whiff before making the leap for this shade. This particular holiday shade reminded me a lot of Chanel’s Holiday Aqualumieres, which also very sheer but had lots of sparkle–almost a mix of Canari and Colibri.

Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of sparkly glosses and don’t need a lot of color in your gloss, Perle de Lune may be right up your alley. It’s a bit of a splurge at $29 and you only get 0.17 oz., so it’s not the cheapest gloss around.  The packaging of this limited edition shade is also very pretty.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 29/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 5/5

Recommendation: For a fun, ridiculously sparkly gloss that doesn’t feel gritty, Perle de Lune makes a great shade for layering.

Availability: Nordstrom

See swatches and comparisons…

Perle de Lune (right)

Guerlain Grace Rouge G Lipstick ($45.00 for 0.12 oz.) is one of two new, limited edition shades of Rouge G from Guerlain’s Holiday Collection. (The other shade is Gems.)

If you’ve been following my coverage of various permanent shades of Rouge G, you’ll know the formula is smooth, luxurious, and often, shades are opaque. The lipstick contains a smoother, softer shimmer that’s not frosty or glittery. Wear time is about four or five hours, though it’s not a long-wearing lipstick, so it won’t last through dinner and drinks.

Grace is a soft, beige-y pink with a soft pink-peach shimmer. On my lips, it does look a lot like a subtle enhancement of my natural color and doesn’t really pack a punch as far as color goes. Depending on your tastes/needs, you may l ike the subtly and softness of this holiday shade, while others may find the muted color too bland for their liking.

Bottom Line: It’s a nice shade, and it’s something you can easily wear any time–not just the holidays–and for any occasion. The price will always be a sticking factor for some, and Rouge G isn’t for everyone (I’m pretty sure Guerlain was well aware of that fact when they priced these at $45 a pop), but they are very nice splurge items, particularly when you find just the right shade for you.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 28/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation: Grace is a fitting name for this shade, because it’s perfect for wearing everyday or with a smoky eye — it’s a versatile shade even though some may find it’s too bland to warrant the splurge.

Availability: Nordstrom

See swatches and comparisons…

Grace (right)

Guerlain Grace Rouge G Lipstick

Guerlain Rubis Rose KissKiss Gloss ($29.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a lovely semi-sheer shade of plummy brown with gold and plum shimmer throughout from Guerlain’s Holiday Collection.  KissKiss Gloss is one of my favorite gloss formulas, so I’m always excited to see what new, limited edition shades are launched by Guerlain.  It’s a non-sticky, moisturizing gloss that runs sheerer rather than ultra pigmented, but some shades are ultra sheer while others are semi-sheer and provide decent color to lips.  Rubis Rose is one of the latter types — it’s dark without being too dark, so you can wear it alone or over another color to add more depth.

It has a rose-floral scent, a slightly perfume-y scent, which I know some people really dislike, but I like it (I don’t love it, don’t get me wrong, but it doesn’t bother me).  What I like about the KissKiss Gloss is that it lasts a good amount of time for a lipgloss when its worn on its own — I get about four to five hours of wear before it starts to fade/disappear.  I’ve always loved the sparkle factor, too, which is noticeable and bright and fun.

Price-wise, these aren’t the best bang for your buck, and by their nature, they’re not something everyone is going to rush out to buy.  To each their own, I say!   Price analysis tells us that Guerlain’s KissKiss Glosses are some of the pricier high-end lipglosses, being more expensive than many of its direct competitors like Dior and YSL, but still less expensive than Stila and Smashbox, by the ounce.

Bottom Line: The packaging is pretty and elegant, the formula is stellar, and the color itself is perfect for the fall/winter seasons.  The only downside is the price, and I think Guerlain fans won’t find the price to be much of an obstacle.

If you want to know more about how products are evaluated, read out Rating System FAQ!

• Product: 29/30
• Value: 7/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 5/5

Recommendation: If you love the KissKiss formula and are looking for a nice plummy shade, check out the new Rubis Rose!

Availability: Nordstrom, Sephora.com

See swatches and comparison photos…

Guerlain: Rubis Rose KissKiss Gloss (left)

Guerlain Rubis Rose KissKiss Gloss

Guerlain: Rubis Rose KissKiss Gloss

Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box ($30.00) contains six 0.03 oz. eyeshadows, a miniature sized Primer Potion (0.13 fl.oz.), and miniature sized Zero 24/7 Eye Pencil (0.03 oz.).

The palette contains…

• Snatch is a peachy-pink champagne kind of shade.  It reminded me a bit of MAC’s Say Yeah eyeshadow, which was limited edition from eons ago.  I felt like Snatch was very glittery, though, so fall out may be a concern for some.  It didn’t feel as gritty as Midnight Cowboy Rides Again from their Book of Shadows, Vol. II.
• Mildew is a medium-dark forest green with golden green shimmer weaved through it.  It’s very pretty, and it’s perfect for the fall.
• Flash is a bright, cool-toned violet purple with an icy purple sheen.
• Painkiller is a bright, lightened blue-based teal with a silvery sheen.  It reminded me a bit of Flipside 24/7 Eye Pencil.
• Smog is a neutral-warm bronzy brown.  It’s pretty, but you may already have something like it in your stash.  It’s a good kind of shade to own, as it makes for a wonderful smoked out neutral eye.
• Toasted is a cool-toned taupe brown with softer brown shimmer.

This palette contains some nice shades, and only one of them (Snatch) had a texture that left something to be desired.  The other five were soft and went on very pigmented.  While I like the shades, I don’t think this is the most original combination of colors, and I’m not sure if you’d find it hard to create color combinations within just these six.  I can definitely spot a few, but you’ll need to use a separate highlighter–Snatch is a bit too pigmented and glittery to serve as really a choice highlighter.  In a pinch, you could work it in, though.

Between this and the Book of Shadows, I’d opt for the Book of Shadows.  It’s pricier ($18 more), but you’ll get more shadows, more color combinations, and more use out of it, per my opinion.  I do like that it does come with a miniature UDPP – great for travel.  I personally have so many miniature sized Zeros that I don’t know if I’ll ever run out of Zero, so maybe a fun colored liner would have been nice to include in it.

• Product: 27/30
• Value: 8/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 4/5

Recommendation:  If you’re a fan of Urban Decay’s palettes, this is a cute little set, but make sure you have a separate highlighter on hand.

Availability: Urban Decay

See more photos and swatches…

Snatch, Mildew, Flash

Flash, Painkiller, Smog

Painkiller, Smog, Toasted