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Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites Review, Photos, Swatches


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites

Guerlain Holiday 2011: Perles de Nuit Meteorites

Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites ($56.00 for 1.05 oz.) is a limited edition highlighter that uses a mix of “pearls” in five different shades to “correct, illuminate, and even out the skin.” The mix contains pink “to capture light,” white to “illuminate the complexion,” gold to “reflect light,” orange to “boost radiance,” and silver to “add shimmer without whitening the skin.”

First, it’s pinker than Parure de Nuit; it has more of a pale, pinky-white powder (overall) compared to the peachy-beige of Parure de Nuit. Second, it isn’t capable of blushing to the extent (or with the same color) as Parure de Nuit, so they are different products.  Guerlain collectors will reach for both, but if you’re merely looking for a good highlighter from the holiday collection, I’d still go for Parure de Nuit. It looks a fraction better on the skin than Perles de Nuit, plus–depending on your skin–it may work as a blush, too. Meteorites are gorgeous and very fancy, but they can be messier. The packaging of Parure de Nuit is more sophisticated and luxe and has a mirror. All in all, between the two, Parure de Nuit edges out Perles de Nuit.

Perles de Nuit is packaged in a blue-teal tin with all of the signature detailing of Guerlain. I’m so glad they upgraded from cardboard packaging, because the tin feels so much better. Inside, there’s a black sponge, and honestly, I don’t remember sponges but poufs from previous Meteorites’ releases. I like a tapered brush for application though (something like MAC’s 165 works well for me).

Meteorites impart little to no color but yield shimmer and/or sheen, which is what Perles de Nuit does. There is a faint pink coloring once it is applied to my cheeks, but it is very, very faint. It gives a soft sheen with a dusting of silvery micro-shimmer. It does remind me of last year’s holiday meteorites, though, and I suspect is also similar to the Rose Tint Meteorites. Perles de Nuit wears eight hours on me without losing its luster (literally!) but the effect is understated. If you like larger shimmer or really intense highlighters, you’ll find this too subdued. The pores on my cheeks are larger than they are elsewhere, so I find the finer shimmer more flattering.


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites


Guerlain Perles de Nuit Meteorites

44 Comments

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Marina Avatar

Oh no. But the promo description promised blue and green balls in the mix! I was so anticipating them! Now i’m disappointed, these will be too peach on me 🙁 I *hate* peach face products, i’m pale and cool.

Christine Avatar

What promo description? This is the one I received from Guerlain:

The cult favorite is back and reinvented this holiday season. Although the formula remains untouched, Météorites Perles de Nuit leaves the face glowing and radiant with a new tailor-made harmony. Five perfectly smooth pearls correct, illuminate and even out the skin. It is composed of pink pearls to capture light, white to illuminate the complexion, gold to reflect light, orange to boost radiance and silver to add shimmer without whitening the skin.

Eileen Avatar

Marina, I saw a preliminary description, too, from Guerlain that referrenced the blue and green balls. Obviously, Guerlain’s original product description sheet was in error 🙁 Personally, I was rather curious as to how blue and green were going to play out in the pearls, but now I guess I’ll never know. I think it was in August that I saw the description sheet on a blog.

Catriona Avatar

I think the sponge is to stop the pearls bouncing around too much and turning to dust. I have a sponge filler in a jar of Boots No7 bronzing pearls.

These look amazing, as usual! Shame they’re WAY out of my price range.

Caroline Avatar

Not worth the money for a product that has little or no payoff. I barely see anything and with my skin tone it will never show up. I’ll stick with my MSF from MAC.

Caroline Avatar

Not looking for a blusher but a nice glow. There are plenty of products out there that will provide a sheen or shimmer. For people who are on a budget, this is a splurge for no color. Just saying.

Christine Avatar

I guess I’m not saying it right – this is not supposed to have color, so if if you’re looking for color of any kind, then it’s not right for you, but it’s supposed to be that way. 🙂 My point is only the product does what it’s designed to do, which is what matters. It’s like buying a sheer lipstick and getting mad because it’s not opaque – but it wasn’t meant to be in the first place. I can’t predict what each person’s preferences are, so I review based on what the company says the product is supposed do. We all have different preferences and tastes, so it’s important we choose products that suit them. Someone else may love what this product does (I personally like having at least one highlighter that gives only a soft sheen, because you can layer it over anything as well as use it to highlight areas outside of the cheeks – like the nose, cupid’s bow, etc.), just as you find it a waste of money because you’re looking for something with color.

Guerlain isn’t a budget-friendly product, though, so I’d say it’s always a splurge 🙂

Courtney Avatar

Gorgeous as always, Christine, but these appear a bit chalky in the photos. I recently purchased the meteorites in 03, taint dore (hopefully I spelled that correctly, the ones for golden skin), and I love the effect they have. Maybe the mix of pearls just isn’t for me. But… in general I am a new and avid meteorites fanatic. Maybe these would tempt me more once my summer tan has gone away completely?

AS Avatar

When I use the Holiday Meteorites Perles from previous collections (I have the last 4 years offerings), which tend to be fairly light, they will sometimes look a bit chalky in photos, perhaps because they are a bit too reflective to be good with flash. They look fine in regular light, but I am about NC15.

Courtney Avatar

Yes, I’m sure, if they’re any bit as good as the teint dore, which I’ve been using as a setting powder. I can get down to an NC15 in the dead winter months, but up to about a 30 or 35 in the summer months (I am outside a LOT). These look like they’d be nice when I’m on the fairer side. That being said, teint dore, as Christine explained of all meteorites, doesn’t impart that much color (on me at least), and I think I’ll be able to pull it off in the winter months, so I’ll probably skip on these in an effort to keep my wallet plump and happy! I am pleased with my teint dore, so I can see myself buying other varieties, and I shouldn’t say I’m not going to buy them until I see them in person for myself! Although, at my local Sephora, sample meteorites fall victim to people crushing the pearls into a fine dust so that all the colors mix and make an awful, grey, loose powder. Definitely not pretty!

elbas Avatar

Disappointing collection… and I hate the eyeshadow colours. The only things I’m looking forward to now are the black-red Rouge Automatique and the Vol de Nuit spray.

Ani_BEE Avatar

Here’s a question for you Christine, if you would chose between the Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush and the Meteorites as a glow powder/hilighter what would you recommend.

Christine Avatar

I answered this in the post – I wrote out a whole paragraph about why and which one! 🙂

Straight from the post – second paragraph…

First, it’s pinker than Parure de Nuit; it has more of a pale, pinky-white powder (overall) compared to the peachy-beige of Parure de Nuit. Second, it isn’t capable of blushing to the extent (or with the same color) as Parure de Nuit, so they are different products. Guerlain collectors will reach for both, but if you’re merely looking for a good highlighter from the holiday collection, I’d still go for Parure de Nuit. It looks a fraction better on the skin than Perles de Nuit, plus–depending on your skin–it may work as a blush, too. Meteorites are gorgeous and very fancy, but they can be messier. The packaging of Parure de Nuit is more sophisticated and luxe and has a mirror. All in all, between the two, Parure de Nuit edges out Perles de Nuit.

LINDARRAGNAR Avatar

I really wish you had taken a picture of the sponge!! I can’t believe they would include a cheap sponge!!! It looks great on you though!

Julia Avatar

Christine- does it have the typical meteorites fragrance? I had to return the Teint Rose meteorites because it was so overpowering, but the compact version has a much lighter fragrance that I’m able to handle!

Kristine Avatar

I want to get this just for the teal tin can!! So pretty! But I just got the Meteorites in Tint 2. How do they compare?

Also can you review Guerlain Lingerie De Peau? I’m trying to decide between that and the Parure Gold ( I know you love the second) 🙂

Canan Avatar

Dear Christine,

thank you so much for your provided information. I really appreciate it and stop by regulary.
What foundation are you wearing in this picture? Because for the first time I have to admit I find it cakey-looking. I’m so used to a “perfect face” 🙂

Have a wonderful day and greets to your dog 🙂

LuLu Avatar

Love your makeup look Christine! You’re beautiful and totally rock all of your makeup looks but this one is exceptionally lovely on you! I felt that had to be said. Have a nice day 🙂

Joy Avatar

I do love the meteorites and I understand that it is not suppose to give much color, but there’s something about these photos. I don’t know if it’s the meteorites or your foundation, but it looks kinda like you have a mask on. Something is very off to me.

ManicuredSlayer Avatar

Oh wow! I have this! I got this ages ago (yes the cardboard container) and I still love it. It lasts FOREVER and smells good. I wound up getting a poufy brush to apply it and it works lovely.

Heh I actually have something trendy and didn’t know it! 🙂

T Avatar

Hi Christine! FYI your links refer to 2009’s holiday collection. Last year’s holiday collection is Meteorites Perles d’Or (the collection that was all gold and bee themed).

Love your blog, thanks for all your awesome Guerlain posts!!! I look forward to them all the time :).

Mairyn Avatar

Ahh, Christine, I appreciate that you added your opinion “All in all, between the two, Parure de Nuit edges out Perles de Nuit” – how did you know I was currently tossing up between which one to buy for my sister for Christmas? 😀
Thanks!

Mairyn Avatar

I bought it just yesterday 🙂 If my sister less than loves it, though, I will have to beat her up – you wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a place that would ship the Parure de Nuit internationally! I finally found scentstore.co.uk after a lot of Googling

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