Archived Post

Guerlain Les Cendres (19) Eyeshadow Palette Review, Photos, Swatches

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette ($65.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a muted set of neutral shades ranging from taupe to warm beige. I haven’t seen this pop up online yet, but it should be available soon as the majority of the fall collection is making its way online already. It features the newer eyeshadow formula, which I haven’t had good luck with for the most part (some shades are decent but some have been real misses!) as it tends to be powdery, prone to sheering out, and shorter-wearing. After testing this quad, it seems like the newer formula works better with a more matte to satin finish than the more frosted ones. They applied a lot better, though they didn’t wear particularly long, but at least I was able to come out with a decent look.

Les Cendres #1 is a medium-dark, taupe brown with neutral-to-warm undertones and a matte finish. The texture was soft, silky, and blendable, while still adhering well to bare skin. It had semi-opaque coverage that was buildable to opaque pigmentation, if desired. The color lasted for seven hours before fading on me. bareMinerals Exhale (P, ) is cooler. bareMinerals Exhale (P, ) is cooler. MAC Fashion Fix (P, $21.00) is darker. MAC Fashion Fix (P, $21.00) is darker. MAC Brains & Brawn (LE, $16.00) is less shimmery, lighter. Dior Mirage (761) (P, $30.00) is lighter, warmer. Laura Mercier Stone Taupe (LE, $23.00) is lighter, warmer. theBalm Dig It (LE, $16.00) is warmer. Tarte Power Player (LE, ) is lighter, warmer. NARS Shade II (2015) (LE, $25.00) is lighter. Viseart Cendre (P, ) is darker. Viseart Cendre (P, ) is darker. Tarte Stone Unturned (LE, ) is lighter. Make Up For Ever M558 Dark Taupe (P, $21.00) is lighter, warmer. LORAC Cool Gray (P, ) is darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Les Cendres #2 is a muted, medium-dark rose with warm undertones and a matte finish. It had good pigmentation with a soft, silky consistency that applied evenly and smoothly without sheering out. This shade started to look faded at the seven-hour mark. bareMinerals Velvet Mauve (P, $14.00) is lighter, brighter, warmer. MAC Bloom On (P, $21.00) is lighter. Urban Decay Laced (P, $18.00) is lighter. Bobbi Brown Dusty Lilac (LE, $22.00) is darker. Inglot #344 (P, $6.00) is darker. Le Metier de Beaute Icon (LE, $30.00) is cooler. Givenchy Rose Dentelle (3) (P, $23.00) is brighter, cooler. Smashbox Totally Nude (P, ) is lighter. LORAC Pink Mauve (P, ) is lighter. Tarte Rose to the Occasion (LE, ) is brighter, warmer. Laura Mercier Cashmere (P, $23.00) is lighter. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Les Cendres #3 is a muted, very dark brown with a matte finish. It had semi-sheer, buildable color coverage, which seemed to be mostly opaque in practice with two to three layers/passes of product. The texture was a smidgen powdery, but it was workable and didn’t sheer out too readily on the skin. It lasted for seven hours on me. Tarte Dark Drive (LE, ) is darker. Tarte Dim the Lights (LE, ) is darker. Zoeva Beans are White (P, ) is darker. Too Faced Sexpresso (P, $16.00) is warmer. Tarte Multi-Tasker (LE, ) is warmer. Tarte Wind Down Brown (LE, ) is darker. Tarte Dreamer (LE, ) is lighter. theBalm Ripper (LE, $16.00) is darker. Too Faced Chocolate Cake (LE, $16.00) is lighter, warmer. LORAC Espresso (Mega Pro) (LE, ) is warmer. Too Faced Knockout (LE, $16.00) is darker. Kat Von D Shadow Box (P, ) is darker. Tarina Tarantino Delightful #5 (P, ) is lighter. Tarte Dream in Chocolate (LE, ) is darker. Tarte Dream in Chocolate (LE, ) is darker. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Les Cendres #4 is a brightened, light peachy-beige with warm undertones and a frosted sheen. It had rich color payoff with a soft, blendable consistency that ran a little dry so it didn’t go on as smoothly as I’d like. The color showed signs of fading after seven hours of wear. It’s pretty, but I would have loved to see a more pearly finish, rather than frosted one, as it doesn’t play well with the mattes in the palette (texture is denser). Urban Decay Sin (P, $18.00) is darker. Inglot #395 (P, $6.00) is lighter. MAC Ice (LE, $21.00) is darker. bareMinerals Mixologist (P, ) is lighter, brighter. Make Up For Ever I526 Pearl Beige (P, $21.00) is cooler. Dior Dulcinee #1 (LE, ) is cooler. MAC Just Gleaming (LE, $20.00) is darker. Dior Cuir Cannage #2 (P, ) is less shimmery, darker. MAC Satin Ochre (Left) (LE, ) is less shimmery. Anastasia Blush (LE, $12.00) is darker, brighter. Charlotte Tilbury Fallen Angel #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery. Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma (P, $5.99) is darker, more muted. Hourglass Exposure #1 (P, ) is less shimmery. Guerlain Les Precieux #2 (LE, ) is lighter, cooler. MAC Warm Wash #1 (LE, ) is less shimmery. See comparison swatches / compare dupes side-by-side.

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette

Guerlain Les Cendres #1 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #1 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #1 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #1 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #2 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #2 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #2 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #2 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #3 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #3 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #3 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #3 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #4 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #4 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres #4 Eyeshadow
Guerlain Les Cendres #4 Eyeshadow

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette with Sephora Tiramisu Eyeliner

Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette
Guerlain Les Cendres Eyeshadow Palette with Sephora Tiramisu Eyeliner

45 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Nancy T Avatar

Looks waaay better than those Guerlain single pan eyeshadows from a few months back! And it did come together to give you a very lovely eye look! However, for $65. and it only received a B-, I will just try to recreate it using UD Laced with some of my new taupey, smoky shades and see what I can come up with.
*On a sidenote, I didn’t get to play with my Naked Smoky yet, still! But my apt. passed inspection, so today I *finally* can have some time, plus that weird stye thing cleared up, thank goodness!

Katherine T. Avatar

Well, this is one of the better performing Guerlain palettes, but there are so many other neutral palettes out there that are better and cheaper, although the Guerlain packaging is the most elegant. And I feel like these colors could get muddy on me, especially the 2 browns that look kind of similar. But if you like this kit, primer will definitely boost the score. Are you also going to review the blue/gray palette?

Victoria Avatar

This is a gorgeous palette!! I can see that the colors are rather dupeable and I think I can see these similar shades in my Naked 3, Naked Basics 2, and Too Faced Natural Matte pallets. :3 Thanks for saving a sister’s wallet!

Nicole Avatar

Gorgeous palette and the packaging is to die for. But, a $65 quad should be A plus material all around. I shouldn’t even have to think about if a primer would help. Plus, it is dupable. I’ll be passing.Thanks for reviewing !:)

Cat Avatar

I love the colors in this palette! It’s tempting. =) I wonder if part of the reason so many brands don’t make shadows that perform well on their own is because, if they did, you wouldn’t need to purchase a primer. I mean, if you want to boost your profits, you create a need for something, right? Just thinking out loud.

Hanna Avatar

I really love #2 but would never spend 65 on essentially one eyeshadow. (I’d never wear those other colors). I really wish more companies would offer colors from palettes as singles!

Mariella Avatar

Kinda “ho-hum” for me colour-wise and the quality is not reflected in the price. Guerlain used to have some great quads (not sure if they’re still around or if they’ve been replaced by this “new formula/presentation) that really were worth the price tag (I’ve only got one – Les Fumes – and it’s stellar). I don’t understand why brands that manage to produce a winning formula (Nars comes to mind also) then goes on to replace that formula with an inferior one…

Stacy Avatar

When you finished the overview with ” …they didn’t wear particularly long, but at least I was able to come out with a decent look,” my first thought was, “I could say the same about a $1 quad from ELF.”

Monica Avatar

I believe that I may be the only one here that is absolutely in LOVE with this palette and looking forward to purchasing it. It is perfect for my green/hazel eyes. Thank you for all you do. I am curious if you will be reviewing any of the Chanel Fall 2015 collection?

Do anyone know if Guerlain sells the Mono single in the shade called Copperfield here in the US? I can find it advertised across the pond.

Thanks,
-M

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!