Winter-into-Spring Blossoms with Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles

Happy Friday, everyone! This is a look using the two new, limited edition products from Guerlain’s Cherry Blossom Collection: Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad and Cherry Blossom Blush.

Surprisingly, the eyeshadow quad and blush don’t go together quite as much as I thought they would–the blush is warmer than the quad, which is why they require more work to wear simultaneously.  I think I managed to get them to work together for the most part, but they didn’t go together as easily as I anticipated.

You will need the following…

• Eyes: MAC Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (white, pink, medium purple, dark purple), Urban Decay 1999 24/7 Liner (burgundy), Lancome Plum Tease Artliner (plum), Chanel Exceptionnel Mascara (black)
• Cheeks: Guerlain Cherry Blossom Blush (peachy-pink)
• Lips: MAC Prive Lipstick (soft pink), MAC Preciousness Lipgloss (icy pink)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: MAC dupes for Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad:  Vanilla, Sweet Lust, Fig. 1, Shadowy Lady; Prive = Angel; Preciousness = Luminary

Directions

For eyes, start by applying MAC Soft Ochre paint pot as your eyeshadow base all over the lid with the 249. Using the 239, apply Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (pink) on the inner third of the eyelid. Next, apply Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (medium purple) on the middle third of the eyelid and lightly blend with the inner corner. Darken the outer third of the lid with Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (dark purple) with the 239, gently brushing it into the lower crease. Next, define the crease by applying Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (dark purple) with the 226. Lightly tap and brush Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (pink) directly above the crease to soften. To finish the eyeshadow look, sweep Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (white) as a highlighter on the brow bone.  Bring everything together by applying Urban Decay 1999 Liner on the lower lash line, and gently tap Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad (pink) on the lower lash line with the 219.   Finish by applying Lancome Plum Tease Artliner on upper lash line with the 208, and then sweeping lashes with Chanel Exceptionnel mascara (black).

For cheeks, apply Guerlain Cherry Blossom Blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweep upwards towards the temple with the 129.

For lips, apply MAC Prive Lipstick first, and then layer MAC Preciousness Lipgloss for a glossy sheen.

Check out more photos!

Guerlain Jeu d’Ombrelles Eyeshadow Quad: white, dark purple, pink, medium purple

Here’s a wintry wonderland kind of look! There’s not much to it, and I tried to stick with mostly permanent eyeshadow shades as well. I felt like I hadn’t done a blue-ish look in awhile, so I figured I should knock one out!

Happy Wednesday!

You will need the following…

• Eyes: Soft Ochre paint pot (neutral beige base), Electra eyeshadow (silver), Moon’s Reflection (cool-toned blue), Freshwater eyeshadow (medium blue), Deep Truth (dark blue), Prussian eyeshadow (matte navy blue), Femme-fi eyeshadow (highlighter) Urban Decay Binge 24/7 Liner (dark blue), Plushlash mascara (black)
• Face:  Kiehl’s Tinted Moisturizer (medium)
• Cheeks: Enough Said blush (bronzy), Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer (bronzy highlighter)
• Lips: Prive lipstick (baby pink), The Lap of Luxury lipgloss (nude)
• Brushes: 266 (firm, angled brush), 226 (fluffy crease brush), 219 (pointed crease brush), 214 (smudge brush), 249 (flat, firm brush), 239 (fluffy shadow brush), 129 (dense blush brush)
• Substitutes: Femme-fi = Shroom; Prive = Angel; The Lap of Luxury = Prrr

Directions: Apply Soft Ochre paint pot all over the lid as the base with the 249. On the inner lid, pack Electra eyeshadow on using the 239. Apply Moon’s Reflect eyeshadow to the inner and outer portions of the lid. Darken lower crease and outer lid with Freshwater eyeshadow using the 226, then add Deep Truth eyeshadow to the crease and then deepen with Prussian eyeshadow with the 219. Sweep Femme-fi eyeshadow underneath the brow bone to highlight. Finish with Urban Decay Binge Liner on lower lash line, and then apply Plushlash mascara on lashes. Sweep apples of cheeks with Enough Said blush using the 129, then highlight with Dior Amber Diamond Skin Shimmer with the 188. Apply Prive lipstick to lips, and then top with The Lap of Luxury lipgloss for color and shine.

Check out more photos!

MAC Baroque Boudoir Collection: Lipsticks

Every year, MAC presents us with a very limited edition, small-sized collection that’s decked out in more luxe packaging accompanied by equally more luxe prices. This year’s collection is Baroque Boudoir, which is in matte silver with shiny silver and black filigree overlay. This year’s collection contains a whopping nine items to covet: three lipsticks, three lipglosses, two shades of Sheer Mystery Powder, and a clutch.

The lipsticks are creamy, contain no shimmer, tend to be a little more pigmented, and apply more opaquely on lips, though this year’s are less pigmented than some of the previous years’ launches. Like the Lipglosses, I felt like these shades weren’t particularly special or standout. I’m am surprised, yet again, to not see a really excellent holiday red launched. And again, the price on these? Really obscene. They’re definitely not better than MAC’s lipsticks at $14 a pop; you could say these are, perhaps, a little more moisturizing, but not any more so than MAC’s Amplified Creme finish.

P.S. – I will do lip swatches this afternoon!

Baroque Boudoir Lipstick ($22.00 U.S. / $26.00 CDN)

• Prive is a blue-based medium pink with a light sheen. It’s creamy, and it goes on so-so, not totally opaque, but still adds plenty of color to my lips. It reminded me of a more subtle Speed Dial Lipstick.
• Baroque Boudoir is a plummy brown with a light sheen. It’s semi-opaque (you can kind of tell in the swatch) both on the skin and on the lips. I think it’s similar to Spice It Up! (a little redder) or Sheer Plum (a little browner) Lipstick.
• Treasured is a creamy, semi-opaque neutral beige. MAC says it’s warm, it seemed neutral on me. It really didn’t jump out at me as warm (I almost wanted to say it was cool!). It reminded me of Jubilee! or even a more pigmented Fresh Brew Lipstick.

Let me also give you a quick run-down of the Sheer Mystery Powder, which I chose not to spend solely for the sake of photographing it. My bottom line is I don’t think it’s a particularly good pressed powder, and therefore not even close to being worth the $60 price tag attached to it. The compact is very similar to the Hello Kitty Kouture compacts, just with different embellishments. It’s also similar to Monogram’s from last year. It has some heft to it, but it’s not too heavy (unlike Couture and Stylistic’s compacts).

Sheer Mystery Powder is an extremely lightweight pressed powder. I find it a little too dusty and chalky to really enjoy it, and the shade range is incredibly limited. As NC30, I felt too dark for Light Medium and yet too light for Medium Plus. If you love the packaging, there’s no shame in purchasing it for the compact alone! If it makes you happy, it makes me happy! (Please note, the rating below is only for the lipsticks. For the compact, I’d give it an overall score of C for an average product housed in an overpriced compact.)

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

• Product: 28/30
• Value: 6/10
• Ease of Use: 4/5
• Packaging: 5/5

Recommendation: Like the Lipglosses, if you’re a big fan of the packaging, you might find it’s worth picking up one or two!

Availability: MAC Cosmetics

See more photos and swatches…

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick: Prive

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick: Baroque Boudoir

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick: Treasured

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick: Prive, Baroque Boudoir, Treasured

MAC Prive Lipstick

MAC Prive Lipstick

MAC Treasured Lipstick

MAC Treasured Lipstick

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick

MAC Baroque Boudoir Lipstick