Out of all the beauty designers out there, Guerlain's Winter Fairy Tale sparked my interest the most. It is so quintessentially Holiday and winter. The color scheme is white, silver, gold, and a little sprinkling of purple. The meteorites, which are always my favorite, look like a snow globe and they are the center piece of the collection. I don't have the eyeshadow because it just doesn't look like it is worth the money. You don't get a lot of product, and it comes with 4 blushes. I am not a blush girl, so the smart move was to skit it. I also did not buy the $178 Illuminating Powder for obvious reasons. It sounds fabulous, though.
The first thing I want to address is the Rouge G lipstick. The packaging is a stunner with the etched snowflakes. The shade name is 867 Merveilleux Rose. It looked like a beautiful light rosy pink, which my mom loves. When it came in the mail, we realized that it is simply Guerlain's Rouge G in 62 Georgia in fancy packaging. Literally the exact same shade. The only retailer that states this is Nordstrom. They don't even mention the Holiday shade name. They just call it Georgia. Unfortunately, it was not available on Nordstrom's site when I ordered it from Sephora. Georgia is not a shade my mom or I are that crazy about, so it will probably end up being returned. Actually, we just sent Georgia back to Sephora today. It is a fabulously formulated lipstick and the case is the ultimate in luxury. It is very creamy, smooth, and hydrating. The coral pink shade isn't speaking to me, but I have only worn it once. Maybe I will change my mind. Georgia in the normal packaging is $53, while the Holiday shade is $55.
Guerlain has also introduced a matte liquid lipstick called Maxi Velvet in the shade Fleur De Givre. Guerlain's version has a few qualities that bug me. For one, it takes FOREVER to dry. When I swatched it under the new lip gloss, I waited 5-10 minutes and it still was not completely dry. It also fades a little bit by the end of the day and accentuates any dry spots, including some I didn't even know I had. Despite that detail, it is actually very comfortable. It does not feel the least bit drying and the formula is soft and lightweight. It is an okay product, but unless you are just dying to have it, I say skip. There are better formulas for a lot less than $30.
I was exhausted when I took this picture, so please excuse the dark circles and puffiness. I am wearing Maxi Velvet and the Meteorites as an all over powder.
In addition to Maxi Velvet, there is the Maxi Shine Starry Shimmer Top Coat, which is so pretty in the tube that I cannot stop staring at it. Even when it is swatched, you can see the gorgeous multi colored sparkle. It is going to look gorgeous layered over your favorite lipstick. The swatches above demonstrate how much of a pain the Maxi Velvet can be. In the third swatch, I applied the top coat over it after waiting a couple of minutes. Well, it smeared really badly. I did it again, but waited around 7 minutes. It still smeared, but not quite as bad.
The nail lacquer for this collection is just..I can't even think of a suitable word to describe how pretty it is. It is such a deep, rich purple. But it has a twist. Nuit Merveilleuse has a unique multi-tonal gold shimmery duo chrome type thing going on in the bottle. But when on the nails, it is just the most stunning, shiny royal purple I have ever seen. No pictures could do it true justice. You will need two or three coats as it is a bit on the sheer side, but it easy to build up. Nuit Merveilleuse is $26.
This purple, though!
Last but not least are the meteorites for this season. I am obsessed with them. Not only are they pretty to look at, but this edition adds the prettiest, subtle glow to your skin. In my swatch, you can see what looks like teensy bits of glitter, but I promise that your face will not look like a disco ball. I use it as a setting power of sorts and it has worked really well for me. They are a mix of gold, white, and a little bit of silver. Some of them are shaped like snowflakes, which is a lovely, festive touch. If you wanted to get just one thing from the collection, make it the meteorites. The outer packing resembles a snow globe and it has gold detailing. When you twist off the top, you will find a mirror and lovely pouf. I, for one, appreciate that they included a mirror. They are $80, and you also get a little bit more product. They come with 1 oz. I like them so much that I am considering using my Nordstrom note to order a back up.
Guerlain's Winter Fairy Tale Collection is beautifully designed, and certainly captures the feeling of an elegant winter wonderland. Even though I have not thoroughly tested out the matte lipstick, it leaves me feeling underwhelmed. The lipstick has a great formula, but the shade doesn't do anything for me. The stand out products are the meteorites and the nail polish. I adore them and they are probably my favorite products from any Holiday collection thus far. You can find these products at Sephora, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdales.
Coming up, I have some posts that will not break your budget. I promise. =)
