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Top 10: Best of Guerlain
Long-time readers will know that I’ve been a fan of Guerlain’s products for a very long time, and a lot of my holy grail base products are from them (like my discontinued but beloved Parure Gold!). I’m not as enamored with their eyeshadow or blush formula, but their Rouge Gs remain my favorite lipsticks of all-time. The formula is long-wearing, hydrating, comfortable to wear, and pigmented, and the only thing that makes them hard to love is the wallet-killing price tag of $53 (and I remember when they were $48 or so!). If you’ve tried Guerlain, I’d love to hear your personal favorites! 🙂
Looks like the next rouge G I will need is Gisela..looks nice for fall too. That and the polish are the only items I am missing from this list. It is odd because I don’t have a ton of Guerlain. Likely, because I follow what you tell me to get. seems to work well for me! Thanks for the great advice!
Gisela is a gorgeous shade. Though there aren’t really any Rouge Gs that I would say are ugly, LOL!
I love Guerlain’s polishes, especially the creams, though they are dupable, so they’re less of a must-have (compared to lipsticks!).
I was thinking of getting another before my ceiling fell,lol. I have best friend from childhood whose name is Giselle. She lives in Texas. Seems fitting. Hopefully once the dust settles(no pun intended,lol) I can get back to treating myself a little more. I dobt do my nails much so I’m not sure if I could pay that much for a polish unless it wears for weeks!
I agree. I love all the Rouge G’s I own so far!
lol! The polish is nice, but I’d go for a Rouge G over a polish from Guerlain (I think nail polish is harder to distinguish once you find a formula that wears well for you, regardless of price).
Hi Christine, I have some good news for you!! 🙂 I was reading your posts about Guerlain foundations (I wanted to buy the blanc de perle compact powder foundation and was looking to see if you’d reviewed it) You sparked my interest in the Parure Gold and I managed to find it in stock in a couple of shades here in the Uk. I went to buy the compact I mentioned today at Harrods and the SA told me they haven’t discontinued Parure Gold but have been changing the packaging for it so not restocked it while that was happening. They have it in stock with the new packaging now and have had the second round of deliveries in store already so I just wanted to let you know. I tried it and loved it too. Just want to get through my foundation backlog before I buy it. (I’m so bad! Haha!!) I think Harrods do worldwide delivery but I haven’t checked for it online yet. P.s I also loved the blanc de perle compact foundation I just got! Wow!! You should check it out!! Lots of love from a fellow Guerlain fan 🙂 XxX
Hi Nicole! I remember you said your lips were pretty pigmented like mine & I thought I’d let you know that Gisela does not show up properly on me at all! Most of the Reds don’t. But especially the mid-tone or lighter shades! Now that they cost $2 more than last year, I urge you to please try in person if you can! I hope that helps! 🙂 If it works out for you, fantastic! Just wanted to pre-warn you! 🙂
Oh, never mind. If you can wear Gypsy and Gemma, then your lips are lucky and not too dark for the rest! ENJOY! I envy all of you who don’t have beet plum red purple lips. 🙂 Sorry!
lol..Lotus,your God given lip color sounds pretty. Mine are more deep rose. They were more pigmented when I was younger. I really only got into lipstick in the past couple of years. I liked glosses mostly to show them off.I get it though. I will do a lip liner often to try to neutralize the lip color . I like marc Jacobs lip liners. He has 3 neutral shades.. I have those and they work for pretty much all my lipsticks. With a red,etc, I try to match to the lipstick closer. And never apologize for advice! I welcome all of it from everyone on this blog!:)
🙂 It’s a great blog! I like MJB Lipliners but I still can’t neutralize them! It’s possible that it’s related to permanent bruising, if that’s even possible.. Idk though because the intubation was over one area more than the other so only that should be darker.. It’s a mystery! Thank you for the compliment, though. A deep rose would be gorgeous! In real life, layering products to neutralize & lighten just does not look natural, you know? That’s where YSL Rouge Volupte #1 comes in! Transformation in a swipe to a light/medium more neutral color! Very pretty! 🙂
Aww,Lotus. So, your story sounds rough. I’m sure brusing can last for a year or more of it is that bad. But it would be likely uneven like you said. Hmm. The Ysl sounds like it’s working for you.I only have that in Caress Pink . I stopped there because I feel like it’s off my lips on 10 minutes. I can’t seem to keep it on for some reason. No idea. So pretty and the formula..I could bathe in it.But, I tend not to wear it for that reason. Hope your well doll. 🙂
It’s pretty tough but I do what I can to not let it control me entirely. Thank you, your kindness is lovely. I’m lucky my lips are so dark then because the bruise blends in.. There’s one small pea-sized area on my bottom lower left lip that I used to scrub extra at until I was told that was where the tube was rubbing against me for months.. Whoops! But at least I know.. It just gets a bit darker & dryer sometimes.. I agree about the formula of the Rouge Voluptes & Caress Pink has always looked gorgeous to me! I’m sorry it does last well for you. Maybe the lighter one would? The two lightest, #2 has been discontinued, seem to be the majority of people’s favorites.. Perhaps there’s a difference? Idk.. Something for me to look into! 🙂 I hope you’re well today also, Nicole. Please take care.
I love Gemma – it’s such a beautiful color! I’m on the hunt for a less pricy dupe, but it’s so hard to find the same lovely color with the golden sheen.
I hear ya — Guerlain’s shimmer makes them hard to dupe!
I only have one Guerlain product, the lipstick in Air Kiss and love it! It’s a great MLBB shade and pairs so well with smoky eyes and bold eye looks. And I need to check out Gracia, it looks like the perfect color for me and has gold shimmer too! I would buy more Guerlain, but unfortunately a lot of their face products have either alcohol or fragrance, which is a big no-no for me.
Oh, yeah, lots of their face/cheek products have some OTT fragrance for sure 🙁
I love their mascara le 2, liquid eyeliner, bronzer and their perfume Cuir Beluga, Shalimar, Tonka Imperial and Gourmand Coquin all amazing.
Their perfume bottles are SO pretty!
Christine, you would had loved to enter the Guerlain section inside I’ Magnin in SF. It was very Parisian. Well the whole store was chic and very European looking. You may not have even been born or a young tot, the samples and it even had a rewards care program at one time.
I have Gigolo…my only lipstick from Guerlain…. Like everyone else says….wish the lipstick case was re usable for another new lipstick purchase. This brand is classic.
It’s a real shame they never made them refillable!
I can only imagine how pretty it must have been! (I’m going to Google for photos, though!)
I remember shopping at I. Magnin’s back in the 60’s. We always wore gloves and a hat when we went there 🙂 It was a special excursion and we’d go for tea afterwards–fond memories!
As for Guerlain, that has been one of my go to brands for over forty years and so, needless to say, I’ve had a lot of favorites along the way. It would be impossible to pick a “Ten Best.” Three Rouge Gs that seem to be in constant rotation at the moment, though, are Géraldine, Georgia, and Geneva and I love the effortless Rouge Automatique Shine in Á La Parisienne. Guerlain = Good stuff!
My faves – first would be the Les Fumes quad, which may have been discontinued or perhaps it’s just discontinued at Sephora. I adore Lingerie de peau foundation. Lippies – Champs Elysees (don’t know the #s of the lipsticks), Habit Rouge (perfect red for autumn) and L’heure bleue. I love the Meteorites balls I got fairly recently and, of course, the gorgeous (sadly LE) Cruel Gardenia illuminating powder. Prices are steep on most Guerlain stuff so I do a lot of research before buying most things and, so far, I’ve not been disappointed in my purchases but the prices still sting a bit! I’m happy I was able to get so much at SDM using my Optimum points.
Champs Elysees is such a gorgeous shade. The Rouge Automatique line is very nice, and I like how Guerlain’s packaging isn’t the same as you see everywhere else.
I love Les Voilettes! The wonderful scent alone makes me buy it again and again, but of course it’s a great setting powder, too. I also really like the Kiss Kiss lipstick in Beige Booster. And my favourite perfume ever is Insolence Eau de Parfum. As you can see, I’m a big fan of violet-scented things :-).
Is Insolence the scent that one finds in their powders?
I think Cruel Gardenia highlighter is one of my favourite from the the brand, but you probably didn’t mention it because it was LE. I ended up getting the Mythics Meteorites compact. I had enough loyalty points to get it for free (which is kind of insane) but right after they launched the new Meteorites compacts and now I wish I hadn’t gotten the luxury refillable compact. I mean, I didn’t have to pay for it, and the case is beautiful but it’s so heavy I don’t see myself travelling with it for sure!
Skipped the LEs on my end, but love hearing about others favorites, LE or not. (I look at my post as more “needs to stand the test of time” so I try to stick with the permanent stuff!)
You were my gateway drug into Guerlain. I have multiple Les Voilettes stashed in vanity/purse/desk/car and I prefer to house them in the refillable Meteroites Voyager compact because preeeettty.
LOL! 😉
I love the Les Voilettes powder. My only complaint is I wish it was a better value (compared to the loose), but it is so goooood.
I’ve noticed you use Naked Loose powder more than Les Voilettes in your “ON FACE” listing lately, but they had similar grades in reviews. Is it just a price thing? I do prefer Les Voilettes because being pressed it’s so easy to stash one in my purse or suitcase. I also get a weird scent off most Naked products. The loose setting powder, BB cream, and foundation have all had it.
They are very similar in terms of effect, and Les Voilettes pressed I keep in my purse, so I only use it on the go 🙂
I keep buying other people guerlain but don’t have any myself. I think Gisela is going to be a good everyday sort of red.
You are a very generous gift giver!
Oh I really like this new top 10 of x brand feature!
I was going to say I don’t have anything Guerlain but just realised Les Fauves is one of my most reached for palettes – for some reason that kind of reddish coppery tones work really well on me, the light copper shade in that palette is one my top 3 favourite eyeshadows for sure!
I really want a Rouge G too (in a mlbb colour because I would use that a lot and it would somewhat mitigate the cost factor) but they never seem to have the ones I want to try at my local counter(s). One day…
Also Parure Gold doesn’t seem to discontinued here? House of Fraser (UK department store) has a couple of shades on sale (half price(!)) currently so maybe they’re just now removing it.
Les Fauves is a pretty one! I liked that eyeshadow formula better than the more recent one.
It sounds like they might be ditching it now since they’re so steeply discounted! 🙁
Whew, that’s a lot of lipstick love for Guerlain! Nice 🙂
They know their lipstick!
I have some Guerlain eyeshadows I like but it’s a long DC compact quad for holidays. I don’t want to love their lip products because of the price but I am sure I’ll own some someday!
I hear ya! The Rouge Gs are terribly pricey.
Great picks! 😀 Guerlain is fabulous! My 10 favorites would be.. Hmm that’s hard.. But..
1. Guerlain Meteorites (Mythic, Rose Clair, Blanc de Perle, Rainbow Perles, Emilio Pucci, Angelic Radiance, basically special editions & the lightest Color variations. I grab them all unless they’re too dark!)
2. Guerlain Les Violets pressed powder in Clair
3. Guerlain Meteorites Voyage Exceptional Pressed Powder in Mythic
4. Guerlain Meteorites Touch Travel Powder
5. Guerlain Metorites Perles Light Diffusing Perfecting Primer
6. Guerlain Meteorites Compact in Clair
7. Guerlain Maxi Lash mascara
8. Guerlain Rouge G: 16: Gaetane, 65: Grenade, 78: Gladys, 66: Gracia
9. Guerlain Rouge Automatique: 265: Pao Rosa, 201: Vauge Souvenir
10. Guerlain Kiss Kiss Maxi lip glosses now Dcd, ALL. And Kiss Kiss lipstick in Air Kiss & Strauss 🙂
Only 10.. 🙁 Certain eyeshadows and DC’d liquid blush have my honorable mentions as well as Lingerie de Peau foundation, though it isn’t really pale enough for me, but mixing Beige Clair and Rose Clair with KGD 00 White works beautifully! 😛
Great picks, Lotus! 🙂
Ty! I’m sure you can tell that I have absolutely zero interest in anything Meteorites.. 😀
My absolute favorite product by Guerlain is the classic Météorites pearls! I’ve had them for years (they date back from before they were named Mythic and are just called “No 1”) and they’ll probably last me another decade although I use them regularly! I love how they smell, and the way they subtly enhance my skintone making more luminous.
Very nice! 😀 I find that I prefer the pressed, though the pearls are pretty and especially nice to look at.
Three of my favorites are on here, Gemma, Gracia, and Gipsy. Instead of Garconne, I prefer Greta, and instead of Geneva I love Gina. You also didn’t include any gorgeous berry pinks, like Grenade or a soft nude like Garance. I discovered Rouge G from reading your blog and now I can say I love every single one I own and keep collecting more. I’m almost done with my Gracia and I too wish they would make refills for a cheaper price. I don’t think Guerlain has any foundations that would work well with my oily skin, unfortunately. I haven’t tried any of their nailpolishes yet, do you have any recommendations for shades in the mid to light blue, pink, or green family?
There’s not a Rouge G that I won’t wear. It was like choosing favorite children for this post, LOL!
They have a Gemma polish, which is just like the lipstick 🙂
Oh I need to check that out! 😀
Like you Christine my favourite lipstick formula of all time is the Rouge G formula.Their other lipsticks are really nice too. I haven’t dabbled with many of their other products too much really although I do love both the loose and pressed Météorites for the beautiful finish they give. Their most recent mascara that I was given a sample of was lovely too but no better really than my beloved L’Oréal Voluminous Carbon Black. For me it’s all about the lipstick with Guerlain! If I were to do a top ten list it would be something like this (in no particular order):
1. Rouge Parade Rouge G (Limited Edition but it’s my ultimate red)
2. Gladys Rouge G (beautiful colour, released last year I think and I had to get it)
3. Madame Flirte Rouge G (also Limited Edition but I think some counters still have it)
4. Genna Rouge G (was my favourite for ages- orangey-red loveliness)
5. Geneva Rouge G (my most recent Rouge G purchase and the first in a while)
6. Garçonne Rouge G (my Rouge Parade backup, although I find myself wanting to use this to spare my Rouge Parade since I have only the one)
7. Girly Rouge G (the first Rouge G I completely fell in love with- gorgeous)
8. Gracy Rouge G (a bit more understated than Girly and more wearable- I wear this to work and there have been no complaints yet!)
9. Météorites 02 Clair (I love love love the finish I get with these- for touch ups the compact is great but I prefer the slightly heavier coverage I get with the loose pearls)
10. Météorites Compact 02 Clair (great for chucking in your handbag for on-the-go touch ups)
…and that was me having to leave out some other lipsticks I like to make room for the Météorites (Gigi, Gigolo etc. I’m sorry). 😛
Guerlain does great lip products. Rouge Automatique is a really good runner-up!
I wish they’d add more shades to the Rouge G line-up, especially some neutrals!
Guerlain’s Kiss Kiss lipstick in Love Kiss is almost criminally underappreciated, I think! Love at first swipe. If I could only keep one Guerlain product, this would be it.
That’s a pretty one! 🙂
As I’ve said a few times Christine, you completely converted me! I cannot live without my Lingerie de Peau (liquid, though I have, and really like the powder version too), meteorites pressed, and Les Voilettes powder. I haven’t tried the Rouge G lipsticks yet, but I love the Kiss Kiss and the flip top (I cannot remember the name) lipsticks.
They make some great products, right? A lot of my HGs are from Guerlain, even if I don’t love ALL of their products, but when you find your holy grails, you have so much love for the brand, lol!
Exactly!!! Those three products are definitely Holy Grail products for me, and because of that I try more products from Guerlain that are out of my price comfort zone. I’d love to buy that beautiful new bronzer, more so because it’s Guerlain, but I just cannot justify $78 for one item right now that isn’t HG when I have medical bills to pay.
I’ve been thinking of trying the foundation you use when I run out of LdP, but I like the build ability of LdP (it’s hot and humid all year round where I live, so being able to adjust it is nice) and again, I’m nervous to spend that much right now when I don’t know it’s HG and the nearest Guerlain counter is over 2 hours away.
I have a question Christine (I know it’s a few days after this post, but I hope you see it.) How do you clean your poof for the Les Voilettes? What cleanser do use on that and brushes? Thanks in advance!
Hey Dez,
I just use Dr. Bronner on all my tools for cleaning!
Thanks Christine!
I only have one Guerlain product, an eyeshadow palette (Écrin 4 Couleurs in Les Aciers/grays), and it’s the only eyeshadow that does not crease for me! Unless it was a fluke, I’m really impressed. Even my Lorac and MUFE shadows crease on me after a couple hours with primer.
Wow! That is awesome!! 🙂
I just started exploring the brand and I feel as though it is going to be a dangerous new love. I love the rouge G in Gina and the Meteorites Baby Glow.
They are a dangerous one to love!
The only Guerlain products I have are the meteorites pearls in clair and perles d’etoile, and I used them to make a custom blend that’s definitely my HG face powder now.
How pretty 😀
I love the look of Gisela – and I don’t have any of their lipsticks because they are SO expensive here in Australia. But I do have some of their older eye shadow quads from a few years ago when they were spectacular: Les Gris (my all time favourite), Les Verts (all beautiful smoky greens) and Les Aqua – gorgeous mid blues. Just beautiful.
I’m so sad about their new eyeshadow formula 🙁 Just doesn’t work well for me!
Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Foundation
Guerlain Meteorites Baby Glow Sheer Foundation
Guerlain Meteorites Pearls in 4 Dore
Guerlain Meteorites Compact in 3 Medium
Guerlain Rouge G lipstick in GiGi
Guerlain Rouge G lipstick in Beatrix
I don’t have many Guerlain products,I try to buy more lipsticks but another brands keep distract me!
You have some good ones 😀
A Guerlain list without Gigolo?? WHAT IS A WORLD WITHOUT GIGOLO, CHRISTINE.
I decided on Garconne for my reddish shade 🙂
Your blog is where i first learned about the Rouge G lipsticks at. They are so expensive but I have not found any other lipstick that are as good. They are worth the splurge! One that is not on your list but works as a great neutral for me is Garance 06.
Thank you for your awsome review and swatches of these! I do not have a counter near me that carries Guerlain and your reviews have never steered me wrong when choosing a new color.
Garance is great! 🙂 They have so many awesome shades!
Thank you!
Blusher! I love the bright pink in Rose aux joues 04 and Petrouchka palette 🙂 am loving Guerlain fragrance too! my fav: Idylle & Terracotta Le Parfum
Petrouchka’s eyeshadows were so pretty!
I can’t believe I’ve never tried any Guerlain products yet. I definitely want to try the lipsticks, bronzers and meteorites.
I am surprised you haven’t! Have you swatched in store at all?
The only Guerlain product I have is La Petite Robe Noire perfume, the only full size perfume I have! I rarely wear perfume, but when I want to feel fancy I pull that one out. I don’t love it as much as when I first got it, I feel like it’s a little “mature” for me for daily wear, but it’s still a great scent for formal occasions!
The bottle is so pretty!
Parure Gold foundation doesn’t seem to be discontinued in Asia. StrawberryNet.com always has a stash (free shipping).
I love Guerlain’s scents more, I’d have to say, i.e. the new Terracotta Le Parfum is my HG now; Lys Soleia is a lighter version that I use with abandon. Amongst makeup, I love the Rouge Gs, of course (have four of them) and the meteorites compact from the Crazy Paris collection.
Ahh, lucky ducks 🙂