Guerlain Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 collection!

I am beyond ecstatic and deeply honored to have been sent some of the key items from Guerlain’s Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 collection for this review!!  I am deeply grateful to the gracious folks at Luxasia for their generosity and for keeping me in mind!  If you have been following me for some time, you will know how crazy I am over all things Guerlain, and have been planning to buy some of these pieces myself.  As it is, I have gone out and bought a few more items on the first day of the launch already!

This is going to be a long post, as I’m going to review each of the products in the collection!  So, feel free to jump to each of the specific items that you are curious about, or bookmark this page so you can come back to it later!

For Holiday 2013, Guerlain has focused the spotlight on Paris – The City of Lights, and in particular, “68 Champs-Élysées” – the address of the legendary Guerlain flagship boutique that is reopening this Winter.  I absolutely adore the exuberance of the “Crazy Paris” theme, complete with chic black casings and electric pink letterings!  Yes, i’m really into pink this season, and the only way to wear pink elegantly without looking like a tween is Guerlain!

La Petite Robe Noire Perfumed Shimmer Powder

As per tradition, the star of the Guerlain Holiday collection, is the house’s famed perfumed shimmer powder for body & hair.  This year’s rendition uses the La Petite Robe Noire fragrance, a delightful mix of black cherry, almond, Bulgarian rose, liquorice and smokey black tea.  I had enjoyed this scent when I first reviewed it (read here), but have since grown to really love it.  The La Petite Robe Noire So Crazy Perfumed Shimmer Powder is housed in the scent’s signature dress-form bottle, complete with a quaint puff spray.  I’ve always wanted one of these for my vanity, and this year’s is the perfect mix of young irreverent chic and classic elegance for me!

A single squeeze of the puff at the end brings forth a generous  burst of light pink shimmers.  Although it can be used on the face, I find it may be a bit too much.  But it would be perfect worn in the hair or shoulders / decolletage (why not flaunt it if you’ve got it!) for parties!

Guerlain Crazy Paris Eye Palette

Of course, nobody is party-ready until the eyes are appropriately dressed up.  Guerlain’s star eye accessory – Guerlain Crazy Paris Eye Palette – comprises of 2 dark matte liner shades (in black & grey), and 4 shimmery eyeshadows (in copper, beige, white and of course pink!).

I was apprehensive when I saw early images of this palette because of that pink!  How on earth do you wear hot pink with glitters – no less! – without looking like Britney Spears circa 1998?!  And  yet, I think, Guerlain has managed to create the magical formula which is semi-sheer so it can be  layered over the darker shades, and yet easily build able in intensity.  All of the shades are of the finest Guerlain textures, which is soft and finely milled.

And here are some swatches so you can get a sense of the color, texture and pigmentation.

Of course I couldn’t resist dipping into this the very moment I received it, and this was the EOTD I came up with:

For the EOTD above, I dusted the white all over as a base, then i applied the black liner shade along my lash line about 3/5 of the way in from the outer corner and lined the lower lash line as well.  I completed the circuit with the pink shade, and was able to get quite good intensity using a small flat brush.  I then patted the pale gold shade above these shades, and finished with the copper in the crease.  There are a million other ways you can wear this, and I’m still experimenting!

Guerlain Crazy Paris Lipsticks

To complete our party outfit, Guerlain has designed 3 limited edition lipsticks.  Included in my media kit was the Rouge Automatique in 661 Reflex.

Oh trust Guerlain to read my mind!  I’ve been looking for a pink lipstick that looks bold yet day appropriate, and does not go the way of the Crazy Horse.  661 Reflex looks neon pink in the tube, but is semi-sheer and leans towards coral, so it is actually very wearable on most skin tones.  The formula is creamy and feels amazingly light & hydrating on the lips.

Like all other Rouge Automatiques, the lipstick is revealed by sliding a lever down from top to bottom of the tube, which causes the top cover to fold back and the lipstick to pop up.  For Holiday 2013, Guerlain has dressed the Rouge Automatiques in black casings and neon orange trims!

There is 1 other LE shade of Rouge Automatique in the Holiday 2013 collection, which is 660 Illusion, a darker cool-toned iridescent pink.  And there is also a LE Rouge G 863 Provocative, which is a deep fuchsia.

Here are the swatches of all 3 lipsticks for your reference:

As you can see, the Rouge Automatiques swatches out somewhat sheerer than the Rouge G.  However, I personally found that all 3 went on extremely creamy and opaque on my lips… yes, even the Rouge Automatiques were fairly opaque in a single swipe!  Also, the color seems to change on the lips versus on the hands.  In particular, this Rouge G 863 Provocative appears cool-toned on my hand, but turned somewhat warmer on my lips.  I would strongly recommend trying these out in person before deciding.

Guerlain Crazy Météorites

Finally, no Guerlain collection would be complete with a LE Météorites!  This Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 collection boasts 3 crazy powders.  The first is the Dancing Météorites Crazy Pearls.

The Crazy Pearls feature fuchsia pink pearls to revive tired complexions and deliver an uplifting energy boost.  In addition, other classic shades remain: beige and rosy beige to even out skin tone, mauve to refresh, white to light up, and gold to illuminate.  In contrast to the classic rendition, these Crazy Pearls are distinctly more pink although still translucent once dusted on the skin, giving a very subtle brightening effect.  Of course if you’re adept with a brush, you may pick out more of the pink and use it as a very sheer blush!

And as you may have noticed, the case is distinctly black with the words “Champs-Élysées” spelled out in vivid neon colors.  LOVE!!!

The same colors come in a pressed compact version.

Guerlain Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder

I am not a big fan of bronzers in general, although I now own quite a few Guerlain bronzers (refer my review on Guerlain’s Terracotta 4 Seasons Nude here, and the Terra Ora here), they never became a big part of my usual routine.  However, this season’s Crazy Terracotta was calling my name the moment I laid eyes on it!

Guerlain has seldom included a LE Terracotta in the Holiday collection, and the addition of pink shades in the palette makes this quite special!

The Crazy Terracotta is so soft and creamy to the touch, and leaves a very subtle glow once applied.  In order to get the color to show up in the swatch above, I had to apply 5-6 layers with a very heavy hand.

The best way to wear this, is to sweep the Terracotta along the hairline starting from the middle of the forehead towards the temples and curving down below the cheekbones in a big “C” shape, and then back towards the ear and down the jawline towards the chin to form a figure “3” along 1 side of the face.  Then complete the other side of the face.  This signature Guerlain method brings greater dimension to the face.  Thereafter, fill in the remainder of the face with a light dusting of Météorites to make the features pop!  When Laurent Noel tried this on me, the effect was so subtle but noticeable!

Guerlain Nail Lacquers

And lastly, there are 2 nail lacquers in the collection – 861 Sulfurous, a gritty graphite black nail lacquer; and an Ultra Violet Top Coat!!!  I tested the UV Top Coat in the store, and it gives a very slight purplish tinge to the nail (most noticeable over very pale nail color).  It also leaves the nail with a gel-like shine and dries down much quicker than Guerlain’s classic top coat.

So there you go, the entire Guerlain Crazy Paris Holiday 2013 collection!!  This collection resonates deeply with me, and I am especially fond of it because it marks a sort of 1 year milestone for this blog.  I remember a year ago when Guerlain launched the Liu Palette (reviewed here), and I just had my baby, I made my husband drive me and our newborn out to purchase it!  The Liu Palette was the very first makeup product I reviewed for this blog and I feel like I have grown a lot since then.

Thank you so much for making it through such an exhaustive read!  Before I go, here is a LOTD using ALL-GUERLAIN products, featuring a different EOTD using the same Crazy Eye Palette!

xoxo