Guerlain PARURE DE NUIT Powder and Blush Swatches & Review *PIC HEAVY*

Ahhhh, Holiday. The Fall/Winter months are the best time for makeup. Don't get me wrong, I love the brights of summer.. but there is just something about the darker shades and vampy looks that appeal to me.

To go along with those deep lips and metallic eyes you need something to illuminate the face. Enter Guerlain Parure de Nuit Powder & Blush.

From the Official Press Release:

More than a mere powder compact, Parure de Nuit is a lightly, violet scented skin-enhancer that is a perfect partner for night birds. As light as a feather on the skin, the pale pink, white, deep pink and blue green colors are topped with an iridescent and translucent sheen forming a universal harmony which gives the face an instant glow. Its black lacquer case conceals an extremely soft goat-hair brush.
Application tips:
-To even out and illuminate the complexion, sweep the brush over the four shades and apply
all over the face.
- To highlight and sculpt the face, sweep over the three feathers diagonally and apply to the cheekbones for a sophisticated blush effect.

The second arm swatch pic is blurry to show the very fine shimmer effect. Please click the photos to enlarge.

The Guerlain Parure de Nuit Powder and Blush is SO soft. I'm in LOVE with the design on the powder. It is perfect to sweep over the apples of your cheeks, and of course to dust along your decolletage for a young and festive look. This isn't pigmented, so I feel that it should have been named as a Powder and Illuminator. You could absolutely not use this alone as a blush.

This is not absurdly glittery. I think as long as you wear this for evening, or to an event it wouldn't come off as out of place. The shimmer is very fine, and while it looks like there is a lot in the product photos, you can see on the skin it transfers very fine and even.

Normally I'm an advocate of NOT using the brushes included with ANY product (whether high end or low end) but in this instance I think it's a great idea to use the included brush. This product is shimmery, and I want to save that use for when I want it. If I use my regular brushes for this, I would be afraid of the shimmer getting into everything. From day to day I normally like a matte or satin finish, so shimmer just wouldn't do for those times. The brush is thick, and does not feel cheap in the list. When you brush it over your skin, it is nice and soft, so you don't have to worry about a scratchy and irritated feeling.

The smell is intoxicating and actually reminds me of a toy I coveted as a child. I love it when scents bring me back!

Of course, I need to talk about the packaging. Packaging sucker... right here. You can't tell from the pic, but the inside of the velvet pouch is a beautiful peacock blue. The case of this product is a shiny black and, as is usual with Guerlain products, has quite a heft to it.

I am headed to a wedding this evening, so I will post a FOTD using this product on Sunday or Monday =)

Guerlain Parure de Nuit Powder & Blush retails for $67.00 and will be available in October 2011. This item is Limited Edition and will be available at your local Guerlain retailer as well as Sephora.

ETA - FOTD using Guerlain Parure de Nuit