Guerlain Meteorites Perles d'Or- Holiday Collection 2010

It's no secret that Guerlain Meteorites finishing powder is perfection. The improved formula of the last few seasons both in pearls form and in the Voyage pressed compact has made the last step of applying makeup that much more satisfying and rewarding. A single violet-scented brush stroke and you actually see a difference. It's no wonder that in a holiday collection that focuses on luminous skin there will be a version or two of Meteorites magic.

The new Perles d'Or come in an ornamented metallic case embossed with a golden bee. I wish I didn't have to keep all my makeup locked in feline-resistant drawers, because this would have looked gorgeous on my dresser. I wish Guerlain would have also release a holiday Meteorites brush to match the case. It's not necessary, of course, and you don't even need to have the regular Meteorites brush- almost any high quality face/powder brush works with this product (as long as it's not a humongous kabuki that's too big for the case).

The real story is the powder itself. The 2010 Perles d'Or is enriched with subtle gold and violet shades. As you can see in the photos, none of the pearls is too shimmery or sparkly, and the violet ones aren't too dark or too many, so it doesn't really tint the powder- it's still as sheer and balanced as ever. The effect once you swirl your brush over the pearls is of a natural glow. There are no shiny particles, no bronzing or gilding action and no obvious brightening/light reflecting/whatever. Instead, the powder imparts a finished, smooth layer that instantly improves the complexion. I even tried it on bare naked skin and was stunned at how good it looks even without carefully applied makeup underneath. I hate to use the word "airbrushed" but there is something to it, this powder is just that good.

Bottom Line: My Precious.

Guerlain Meteorites Perles d'Or for Holiday 2010 ($56) is available at Bergdorf Goodman and select other department store and Sephora locations. a press sample was provided by the company.

All photos are mine.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot

Today we'll be taking a much needed break from all the shiny and new colorful items to talk about a hardworking perennial staple: Laure Mercier Undercover Pot. This 3-in-1 multitasker is travel-friendly both is size and sturdiness and offers two concealers (one for dark under-eye circles and one for other facial imperfections) and a loose setting powder in a double decker format.

In the left pan at the top there's Laura Mercier's Secret Camouflage. The oil-free and rather dry formula is mostly intended to cover blemishes and other unsightly issues. I use it to hide discolorations and the annoying redness that occurs around the nose, but since it's a bit to dry for comfort I mix Secret Camouflage with other substances according to need: cream, lotion, liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer. It gives a very good coverage without caking or looking too obvious. Using a concealer brush and blending carefully is essential, but that's a given.

Secret Concealer, the emollient substance in the right pan, is designated to hide under-eye darkness. It's more pigmented than one would expect and much darker than your Touche Eclat-style brighteners. As a result I use it in a somewhat different way- not so much to highlight the area but to blend and even out the part where the dark circle merge with the rest of the face. It makes any discolored areas disappear and gives an even look.

It's important to blend and work both concealers into your foundation or tinted moisturizer to make your face really polished and flawless (and not resemble a calico kitten). A technique I learned from the wonderful makeup artists of Le Metier de Beaute is to mix different ratios of foundation and concealer before applying to various parts of your face. This way you have maximum control over color, texture and coverage. Obviously, this  works with any brand.

The bottom of the pot contains Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder. The one that comes in the #2 shade has just the right hint of yellow to it, so it doesn't turn an olive complexion into an ash-covered mask. It melts right into the skin, giving it a natural finish and keeping everything in place. The pot is really small, so full size powder brushes aren't ideal here. What I use instead is the mini Kabuki brush that comes with those Bare Escentual trial kits.

Bottom Line: A staple in my travel bag.

Laura Mercier Undercover Pot ($34) is available from most decent department stores as well as from Sephora.

Photos are mine.

Chantecaille Voile de Rose Pressed Powder (limited edition)

I have several pressed powder compacts on my holy grail short list. All of them are of excellent quality- the finest texture that gives an airbrushed finish. The only issue is portability, because they are so delicate they crumble and break easily. On the other hand, a protective packaging that actually prevents damage can be much too heavy or bulky to fit into an evening clutch or even the inside pocket of a purse.

Chantecaille Voile de Rose is the perfect answer. The light as air powder is pressed into a miniature metallic compact that is sturdy enough to keep it safe but so small it really is ideal for a night out or your carry-on bag. The packaging is as elegant as the product inside and the embossed rose is beautiful. It looks like a lot of thought went into the size- it's tiny, but not too small to use with a good powder brush (there's a small flat sponge that comes in the black pouch, but I prefer to apply it with a fluffy tool like Edward Bess Luxurious Face Brush).

I don't have much experience with other face products from Chantecaille's regular line, so I can't compare them to Volie de Rose. All I can say is that this powder is top notch and gives my face a natural looking finish of a delicate glow with no shimmer. It settles on the face immediately and melds with anything I've used underneath with no caking.

Bottom Line: I hope it would be added to the regular line. It's too good to be a limited edition.

Chantecaille Voile de Rose Pressed Powder ($36) is currently available from chantecaille.com and at top department stores (though most of them are sold out online). I bought mine at Neiman Marcus.

All photos are mine.

Guerlain Meteorites Voyage Pressed Powder Refillable Compact (01 Mythic)

A couple of incidents with a broken compact resulting in a powder spillage inside a makeup train-case (ugh) and in my purse (double ugh) had made me super picky about the makeup that goes with me everywhere. Add to that a bunch of felines who get into absolutely everything and you'd see why I'm a fan of sturdy makeup items. While the original Guerlain Meteorites powder in pearl form and a cardboard box was very cute, it's not meant to leave the house (or live anywhere that cats can find it and drop the box off the shelf).

Enter the new (reformulated) Meteroites Voyage press powder. The refillable metallic compact is as heavy as it's chic and elegant. It comes in a velvet pouch that protects it from scratches (it really is so pretty you'd want to keep it as pristine as possible inside your makeup bag) and looks very luxurious (it'd better be, considering the price tag). The powder inside is silky and air-light. The texture is certainly more refined than what I have in pearl form, though it also might be because Mythic is the translucent, glowy option, while my pearls are in Beige Chic which is more pigmented.

If I compare Meteorites Voyage to my other holy grail pressed powder- the one from LE Metier de Beaute, I'd say that the Guerlain is lighter and works more as a subtly highlighting veil, while the LMdB melds with my skin and other makeup to look completely natural. That's not to say that Meteorites Voyage is shimmery or adds too much glow- it's actually almost matte and very daytime friendly. It's just has a little something extra in the finish, for better and for worse.

The different colors blend on your brush as you swirl it and apply evenly. I've had great results with every face brush I own, so there's no need for an extra brush to use with the powder.

Guerlain Meteorites Voyage Pressed Powder Refillable Compact ($170, the refill is $55) is available from most decent department stores. I bought it at my local Bloomingdale's.

All photos by me.

Le Metier de Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Compact Powder

I had every intention to buy a Chanel finishing powder. After replacing my foundation with a lighter shade of my favorite Vitalumier, I realized that I was also in a dire need of a lighter face powder, and since I love Chanel's face products, that was the counter I approached at my local Neiman Marcus. The problem was customer service. The Chanel SA was not around, and the young woman who desperately tried to deal with seven customers at once was not only frazzled but also clueless and tried to convince me that Chanel doesn't carry pressed powder, despite the obvious proof in the form of testers.

I shrugged at moved over to the Le Metier de Beaute counter, where I found a true love (and excellent service).

Classic Flawless Finish Compact Powder is, indeed, flawless. Light in texture and finely milled, it gives the right amount of support to whatever else I've got on my face, creating a very smooth surface. My face doesn't look powdered or covered with paint, just "finished". It holds everything else in place, blends well with my foundation and blush and simply looks beautiful. There's a sponge/puff thing inside the compact, but I rarely use it (it gives more coverage when stippled). A good powder brush swirled lightly does the work perfectly.

My color out of the eight ones available is No. 2., which is translucent with a hint of yellow.

Le Metier de Beaute Classic Flawless Finish Compact Powder ($48) is available from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.

Photos by me.

Fleurs Célestes de Chanel Natural Finish Face Highlighter

Some products have such beautiful presentation it makes one hesitate before dipping a brush and actually using them. Fleurs Célestes de Chanel Natural Finish Face Highlighter is a good example. You just want to keep staring at the colors and the embossed pattern and admire them.



Fleurs Célestes de Chanel is a hybrid is a limited edition finishing powder and highlighter from Chanel's fall 2009 Symphonie Blanche, a collection with a shimmery white theme (there's also an eye shadow quad that looks a bit too transparent for me and a white nail polish). The compact includes three colors- the white shimmery highlighter, a warm pink and a very light bronze. By swiping a powder brush (there's one included with the compact in its own velvet pouch, but I usually prefer a round, full-headed brush for a lighter application), you can determine how much of each color would be applied. The shades combine well and the powder has just enough warm pigment to avoid a chalky look. The shimmer makes it ideal for a glamorous evening look, and you are also supposed to apply some to your décolleté, but I prefer my cleavage to look natural and not twinkle with a pearly shimmer. I'm weird like that.

Fleurs Célestes de Chanel is still available from most Chanel counters at the better department stores, though it seems to be sold out online.

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30

The Good:
A finely milled powder with a slight yellow tone does double duty by giving the face a smooth finish while providing SPF 30 sun protection. It solves the problem for those of us who dislike starting our makeup with a heavy sunscreen cream, it allows us to re-apply and touch up without messing up our makeup. It's also very portable: the powder is housed inside the brush, so you you can take it with you everywhere.

The Bad:
Execution. The powder is sometimes a it reluctant to emerge from the brush. You need to tap several times and hope for the best. Other times there's a fine cloud of powder that gets everywhere. It's hard to tell how much you've actually applied and if everything is covered. Also, the brush sheds quite a bit.


The Verdict:
Despite the mechanic faults, the product itself performs great. It matches my skin and doesn't require too much buffing to look natural. I've been using it the last couple of weeks, applying to face and cleavage and have managed to completely avoid getting a tan.

Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30 ($30) is available from Sephora, Ulta and beauty.com which is where I bought mine. There's also an SPF 45 version for those who need heavier protection.

Chantecaille Limited Edition La Baleine Eyes And Face

I'm utterly fascinated by the new compacts (one for eyes, one for face) from Chantecaille. The limited edition La Baleine Bleue Eyes and Blanche Face are breathtakingly beautiful. Too pretty, actually. They look more like a collector's item than something I'd use, which as far as I'm concerned, defeats the purpose.

The price tag ($98 each) puts them at a fashion statement level, much like investment shoes, only hidden in one's makeup bag.

Guerlain Meteorites Powder

Let's face it (no pun intended, I swear): face powder is not the sexiest makeup item in our arsenal. It suffers from a grandmotherly image that isn't doing any justice to the product or to its user, who simply knows better than to let a good makeup application disintegrate without the appropriate finishing product. Still, buying or applying it is much less fun than choosing a new red lipstick.

The people of Guerlain are doing their best to bring back some glamor to this elementary item, even if they claim the creation of Meteorites and the packaging was inspired by Marie Antoinette. Personally, the tragic queen makes me think about the guillotine and Kirsten Dunst, two decidedly unglamorous objects, but maybe that's just me. In any case, the colorful cardboard box (better than plastic, for sure) that holds the little pearls of powder is very cute.

Meteorites is closer to loose powder than to a pressed compact. The pearls are moving freely in their box and creating a bit too much violet-scented dust when applied, no matter if you use the accompanying puffy sponge (don't. It goes on uneven and tends to cake) or a powder brush (the recommend Guerlain's own Meteorites brush, the one with the disturbingly pink head, but you probably already own a suitable brush or two, so don't hesitate to use them). You'll want to protect your black cashmere sweater while putting it on, and probably also keep the cats away, though the scent is nice on them.

I chose Meteroites in Beige Chic (03), which is just right- not too pink and not too white. It doesn't add color, just melds nicely with what I've already put on. A few of the pearls have a little shimmer, but it doesn't transfer to the face. The final result is luminous, not pearly and it gives that flawless finish that is the whole point.

In term of staying power and keeping blush and foundation in place, Meteorites is certainly above average. Performance of face products is often contingent upon skin's level of moisture/oiliness, the weather and any other product you've layered underneath. On my personal scale, Meteroites rates better than Lancome pressed powder but not as good a couple of Laura Geller products I have in my regular rotation.

The greatest disadvantage of this product is for travel. The pearls are too fragile and the box too big to carry in most makeup bags. But it looks nice on the dresser, as long as the cats don't get to it first (mine are more interested in brushes).

Guerlain Meteorites Powder ($53) is available from most department stores and from Sephora, which is where I bought mine.

Chanel Facettes D'Or Powder And All that glitters (Part 1)

A few months ago, when Chanel first introduced their fall 2008 golden collection, I fell in love with it: from the obscenely expensive nail polish to the ambery Glossimer that adds shine and depth to several of my old lipsticks. I wasn't too sure about the golden powder, mostly because I'm not into elaborate highlighting makeup, and couldn't see why I'd need it. But the promise of a "candle-lit, glowing from within" look was just too good to pass, and this was one product I didn't already have in my stash.

Opening the compact and dipping a brush, I got scared of the little golden flecks. They looked too glitter-like for comfort. I don't know about you, but my clubbing day are long behind me and I just can't see myself applying shiny little particles to my face, highlighting or not. But I braved the powder and gave it a try. At first there was definitely glitter. Then I could almost see how the product would melt into the skin, leaving behind a very faint glow. It's much more finely milled than you'd expect from looking at the pressed mound.

The result is a very faint glow, nothing dramatic. The golden particles mostly disappear into the skin, and I can't say I like the idea of them sitting in my pores. It's not the best finishing powder I've ever seen, but it's decent. Not $50 decent, though. It also has a distinct gold/yellow tint that I don't mind, but might not work on the cool-toned.

Personally, I wear it to add something extra to an evening look, but wouldn't attempt it for day, because there's still just enough gold there to make it questionable. Not so much because of age, it's just that I'm not sure that tiny gold flecks were meant to appear for a Sunday brunch or at the office. I'd probably avoid this powder altogether if I had visible wrinkles, since I'd worry about the tiny flecks settling in them, but other than that, this is one of those subtle shimmers that are mostly ageless. It's just not that exciting.

Part 2 will include several other age-appropriate options to add a little shine to our looks.

Chanel Facette D'Or highlighting powder ($50) is a limited edition for fall 2008. Most Chanel Counters still have it in stock. It's available online from Nordstrom.com. I bought mine at my local Saks.

Laura Geller Powdered Silk Pressed Powder

Like most LVMH-owned companies, Sephora manages to keep annoying me. I'm not even talking about the decline of their fragrance department, or lamenting the good old days when you could buy Chanel and Bobbi Brown at Sephora stores. What gets to me is the way they drop the smaller makeup lines. The list is endless: Anna Sui, Becca, Alison Raffaele, Paula Dorf. At least they still carry Laura Geller, and the prices seem to be lower than on Ms. Geller's own website (which looks 1999 fab).

I bought my compact of Powdered Silk after playing with it at Sephora a few months ago. I immediately noticed the great texture and how soft and smooth my face looked. It blends with any other face products I use, be it my Chanel foundation or any blushes and bronzers I happen to wear that day, both cream and powders. The result is always flawless and polished.

I feel that a good finishing powder makes the difference in a put-together face. Just like the way an Ikea piece usually doesn't measure up to well-made furniture (and I'm saying this as an avid Ikea shopper. I have to be, since she who has a houseful of felines cannot invest or get too attached to perishable home decor. And almost everything is perishable when it comes to my beasties). The colors can be nice and the design clever, but I don't want that kind of rough finish on my face.

Another great selling point for this powder is its durability. It stays in place all day and all evening, doesn't melt or cake after a short walk in the rain and keeps my skin nice and smooth without drying it out (which means that if your skin is very oily, this might not work) . The puff that comes in the package is flimsy and pointless, so I don't bother with it. A good powder brush delivers the best results, and from my experience, only a little product is needed for optimal results.

There are three colors available: light, medium and dark. I'm using light and it's a perfect match because I don't want any extra color on top of whatever else I'm using under it. I tried the medium and it seems a bit too tan/orange, so your mileage may vary.

Misunderstood- Laura Geller Balance-N-Bronze

Here's a product that gets quite a bit of bad rap (just look at the reviews on MakeupAlley), and I don't think it's justified. Laura Geller's Balance-N-Bronze is a split compact, a two-in-one product. One side is Bronze-n-Brighten (basically, a bronzer), the other is Balance-n-Brighten (a mineral makeup-style pressed powder).

I came across it in Sephora, tried it a couple of times before deciding I love it and got to have it, despite the reviews. After all, my skin knows best.

Unlike many of the disappointed reviwers, I don't try to use it as two separate products (I agree that doing that wouldn't be very efficient given the medium sized compact). It's the mix of both the bronzer and the colored powder that works so well and making it into a unique entity that's worth the precious shelf space in my cabinet.

I swirl a soft blush powder over both sides and then swipe it on my face just as I would a light bronzer and/or a powder. What I get is a very soft non-shimmery but glowy tan in a shade that matches my skin perfectly. It also adds a notch of coverage to my light and sheer foundation, gives it a smooth finish. What makes BnB special to me is the lack of shimmer and the natural color. It's always appropriate and never looks overdone. If I want a little more drama I can always add a little blush where appropriate, but for daytime it's hardly needed. It does a great job evening out my complexion, but unlike mineral makeup that comes as loose powder, it doesn't make my skin look weird, waxy or resemble Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. And that, my friends, is a very good thing.

An Uneven Road to Perfection: BECCA Complexion Products

You know all those regurgitated magazine articles about the most common makeup mistakes and no-nos: The obvious foundation on the jawline, the dark lip liner with pink lipstick, the unblended eyeshadow... It's all true, but no longer as common as it once used to be. People do learn, eventually. What's far more common is the half-done makeup: You see a woman who obviously took the time to carefully do her eye makeup, maybe even curled her lashes, chose the right lip color and dabbed on some gloss, but the problem is that she did all that on an uneven surface or skipped a step in the complexion perfection routine. And it shows.

(Another complexion pet peeve is the over-buffing of mineral makeup that results in an unnatural shiny mask. One day when we look back at makeup blunders of this decade, this is going to be at the top of every list, together with excessive smoky eyes that reach the apple of one's cheek, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Once upon a time, before primers appeared on the market, it used to be hard to keep a natural, even face without having to redo the whole thing mid-day. Thankfully, we now have eye primers that do not let eyeshadow crease or fade, and face primers that help us keep up appearances from day to night. They come in two formulas: Clear silicon, like the excellent Smashbox Photo Finish, that glides over the skin and smoothing it, and thin creamy ones that melt into the skin, refining its texture (like the Sephora brand, Shiseido Smoothing Veil and many others).

BECCA Silky Hydrating Primer belongs to the latter group. It's supposed to be a moisturizer as well as a primer, but I wouldn't recommend giving up your usual product. It worked well on top of my regular cream and did a good job at keeping the skin supple and my makeup in place for long hours. The texture is very thin, and since it comes in a regular tube, it dispenses more than needed and is quite wastefull.

The primer worked better with my regular Chanel foundation than with BECCA's own Luminous Skin Color, but that's not really surprising since the LSC is more of a tinted moisturizer than a full-blown foundation. As such, it's lighter in coverage and quite sheer. It feels pleasant on the skin and gives it a nice, healthy finish. I really liked the way it looked: Fresh but without that silly dewey look many light products give. I liked less the way the pump bottle works: It's so squirty, I'm constantly having to wipe the lotion of various surfaces in my bathroom.
Since the coverage is so light, this product requires a touch of concealer on problem areas underneath.

BECCA's compact concealer is a two-in-one deal. You get two intensity levels of coverage: medium and extra. Both are quite thick, which makes blending tricky, especially in the eye area. Also, all the concealer brushes I own are quite useless with this texture. It only works with fingers, which isn't the most hygienic thing ever. The coverage is better than many other concealer I've tried, but the blending issue is a big one in a product that needs to not be seen. The biggest flaw is in the packaging: You need to keep the little plastic insert that tells you which side is which, because you really don't want the pasty extra coverage under your eyes. Believe me: I tried. Quite annoying.

The finishing touch for every well-made face is powder. The one BECCA is offering is loose, very fine milled and gives a truly fabulous, natural look (lovely finish that blends perfectly with the skin and never looks powdered), but only if one manages to work the correct amount, because the packaging, again, doesn't make it easy. What I do, is get some powder on the puff, and then swipe a brush over it. It's a bit of a hassle, even if the results are good.

Everything is Illuminated

I'm becoming very enamoured lately with all the nice, flawless effects that various powders can give to my skin. I used to be a one powder girl (Lancome Dual Finish in Matte Buff II), but once I dared venture into the world of loose powders (I love the silky, vanilla scented one from Besame Cosmetics) I became aware of all the cool things you can do with a soft brush and a pot of almost golden wonder.

Of special interest are the powders that make your skin glow without too much color or shimmer. That's the famous "candlelight effect", and there are several products on the market that promise you just that. I chose to try Soft Lights from Smashbox.

The color I picked, Lens, is a soft peach tone. It doesn't have any coral/orange look and won't turn you into Christina Aguilera, even if you try very hard. Soft Lights is supposed to also multitask as a blush, but most of the colors they offer (including Lens) are too pale to do much blushing on my skin.

The product is also described as "shimmery". However, this isn't the stuff you see on Paris Hilton's face (insert appropriate orange jumpsuit here), and will not make you think "fairy dust". It can be easily worn during the day, because the only effect you get is a flawless finish that seems to radiate or glow, but without going over-the-top.

One important word of warning: When first applied, even with the lightest hand and the softest brush, the powder seems to look too thick and even chalky. almost to the point that makes you think that you either applied it wrong or used your grandma's old product. I was horrified at first: did I just spend $28 on that? However, Soft Lights need about 20 minutes to settle and mingle with one's skin (I'm hearing that it's the case for many, but not all. Some get good results instantly). Once your natural oils (aren't you happy to be thinking about your facial oil glands?) get to work, the powder settles nicely and you get that soft, discreet glow that lasts for a whole day without fading and keeps your makeup in place.

I've been using this for several weeks now with good results and no breakouts. It might not be a necessary product in every makeup drawer, but it's fun and has its uses.

Holy Grail!

After 20 years of wearing makeup and trying on anything under the sun, I'm a bit hard to impress. My makeup drawers are full of everything from Chanel and Dior to several well-chosen drugstore products. Every once in a while I discover something new and good, or find a color that is great for me. But finding a new line and feeling completely enamored doesn't happen every day.

It's a very wonderful thing when it does.

Besame Cosmetics. Write this name down. I tested three wonderful products, and in this process found something that comes close to a Holy Grail lipstick. That's not an everyday occurrence. I'll get to it in a second.

But first I have to say a few words about the packaging. The red-embossed gold is beautiful. It has an Old World feel to it, very elegant, out of another era. It makes you feel instantly glamorous, which is just what a beauty product ought to be.

The translucent powder is silky and comfortable. I rarely use powder and would normally avoid loose powder due to extreme klutziness, but the puff that comes with this powder has proven to be foolproof, and the powder did wonders in keeping my face and makeup intact in the crazy weather we've been having here lately.


The second product I tried was the Boudoir Rouge. What a delicious name! This blush/bronzer comes in a beautiful compact, equipped with a puff. I haven't used any blush or bronzer since discovering Benefit's Dallas a few months ago, but this rouge in Sun Kissed is just as wonderful. The web site describes it as a peach shade, but it's not very peachy on my. More of a healthy bronzed pink, pretty much what a nice tan would look on my skin. It's easy to apply and has a great lasting power. I'm not retiring my Dallas, but will just have to face a tough choice every morning.


I saved the best for last. I'm talking about the lipstick in Chocolate Kiss. It has a smooth, creamy texture and a matte finish.Very pigmented, comfortable and pleasant on the lips and very long lasting without any of the dryness that usually accompanies matte, long-wearing lip color. This is a perfect lipstick. And this color, Chocolate Kiss, is exactly right for me. They describe it as a milk chocolate brown, but it is reddish and warm enough and not too dark. I wear it during the day and add a clear gloss for night. According to the web site, they'll soon have a line of lip glazes. I can't wait for that.

The only drawback I see is the limited availability. Bésame Cosmetics is sold at Henri Bendel in NYC and in four other locations nationwide. I'm lucky to have a store nearby in Bergen County, but for anyone living in a Besame-less location, I'd recommend trying the sampling offer. You can buy them for $1.50 each, so it's easy to try and figure out what colors would work.