Day 16: Les Merveilleuses Laduree Pressed Cheek Color #105

Another Laduree product I don't plan on using anytime soon. (Do you see a trend with Laduree beauties?) I do appreciate it's limited edition case though!

Day 1: Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face Color Duo

Happy New Year, lovelies!

The last couple of months have been an extremely busy time for me. Coupled with the very little amount of sunlight I saw, I didn't want to post a review with less than mediocre swatches.That said, I will be attempting to post more regularly come the New Year, so please bear with me.

To make up for my absence, I thought this blog would serve as an extension for an Instagram challenge I am doing with a few other beauty addicts called the #30dayuntouchables (or #30dayofpretties, however you want to call it). For the entire month of January or however long it takes to complete the challenge, we basically showcase a product that we had previously purchased or received that we have never used prior to the start of 2015, whether it be intentional or unintentional -- it's usually the latter.

Note: product may or may not be used once featured. (Hey, I never denied the fact that I'm a makeup collector turned hoarder.)

Wanting to start the New Year on a red note, it's only appropriate I show you Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face Color Duo, which was limited edition for Autumn 2014. However, it is still available on various sites like Ichibankao and Imomoko. It is indeed a blush and highlighter in one, and if it's like any of the other Laduree cheek products, the color should translate more sheerly onto the cheeks. It might take me a while before I finally use this, because the beautiful design does disappear upon first use. I think I'll continue admiring its beauty for the time being :)

***If you're not already following me on Instagram, please do: @Fenztastic

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face Color Rose Laduree 02

If I could own every single product ever released from one Japanese brand, it would have to be from the brand Laduree. It goes without saying that they know packaging -- very well at that! Along with fancy packaging, sometimes, comes compromised quality, but I must say that Laduree shines in the quality department too.

I had been lusting over the famous rose petal blushers for as long as I can remember, but being from the states, the full set (blush and pot) runs anywhere from $136 to $170 -- depending on whether or not there's a sale going on. Still, it's a price that I can't stomach, so I couldn't be more grateful to have received this as an early birthday gift all the way from France!

Laduree had released many limited edition colors of these blushers, but I stuck to one of the three colors from the permanent range: 02 (brighter warm pink.) 01 is a lighter baby pink, which I know will barely show up on my NC25-NC30 skin tone, whereas 03 is a warm brown -- I couldn't think of anything less attractive than brown rose petals sitting on my vanity.

The blush is a DIY in of itself. The rose petals/blush itself comes in a refill form in a plastic case and wrapped in a silk drawstring bag. The plastic pot with the Marie Antoinette-ish locket must be purchased separately. Laduree advised to only transfer half of the petals into the pot, but let's face it, ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, I like seeing my pot filled to the brim with petals than seeing it half empty.

What exactly are these petals? In short, they are blush-coated sheets of paper, which had been cut in the shape of flower petals. Now why didn't I think of that? Some petals have pale yellow to yellow centers which give the blusher the glowy and slightly highlighted effect. It is next to impossible to solely pick up said center shade to use strictly as a highlighter though; I've tried on many occasions only to give up in frustration each time.

Delicate? Indeed! However, I was surprised to see that it is very easy to pick up product with a natural-haired brush with just a few swipes across the petals. Laduree specifically designed a goat-haired, plastic handled cheek brush to use with this product, but I wasn't in the market for another $100+ brush.

Instead, I found that my Kose Addiction Natural Veil brush works just as well in grabbing the right amount of pigment, as you can see from the product on the bristles. Again, any natural hair, pointed, densely packed bristles of a brush in your collection will do, since the pigment isn't pressed too tightly onto the petals.

On my cheeks, it gives a healthy subtle warm pink glow. I can continue to build the color intensity to give a more flushed look if I really wanted to, but I prefer my blush to be on the more subtle side. 02 is a shade I can see light to medium (and possibly tan) folks wearing as a blush. Any darker, and the color may not show up too much.

I have worn the blusher for more than twelve hours before, and the color held up quite nicely in the humidity without any signs of oxidation nor fading! That alone has me looking into the other rose petals that Laduree offers. Ehm... the mini versions of the blushers, that is. The petals also have the distinct Laduree scent, which I can only describe as a "mature woman" scent: think powder meets floral (rose.) If you are sensitive to heavily fragranced products, do note that the scent lingers longer than usual on the cheeks. In fact, I can still detect it after I had removed the swatch from my hand!

The question that many are probably wondering is whether or not the product itself warrants the exorbitant price tag. It all depends really. If you want a blush that performs just as beautifully as it looks sitting on the vanity, then yes, you do need one of these blushers in your life. If you are one who could care less about the aesthetics, then no, this is not a must-have, as you will find other blushers that are just as good of a quality. In fact, this shade is easily dupable, in my humble opinion.

The prices of these blushers are over-inflated here in the states, and often times, the sites that do carry them (such as Imomoko) usually have limited stock. Thus, I highly suggest checking out Ichibankao, Mihokoshop, and BeautiesHK instead if you want to snatch one of these beauties without having to pay the marked up prices.

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face and Eye Color (Summer 2014)

Like its macaron counterpart, Les Merveilleuses Laduree makeup focuses more so on the quality and presentation, rather than the quantity. Admittedly, I don't own a lot of Laduree products, because the practicality is quite questionable for some of the items. Don't get me wrong -- I would love to own every single one of their rose petals blushers... if I had an unlimited paycheck. However, I knew I had to get my hands on the Face and Eye Color, limited edition for Summer 2014, as soon as I saw the preview. Without a doubt, this is the star of the smaller-than-usual collection that just launched.

What exactly is this so-called Face and Eye color? In short, this is the Guerlain Meteorites in seashell, conch fish, and starfish shapes instead. It has the same color correcting, finishing powder properties as the Meteorites. In the container, one can expect purple starfish, pink conch fish, pearl white seashell, yellow starfish, and green conch fish. For those of you who are familiar with the old and new formulas of Meteorites, I would say that Laduree's version falls somewhere in between. It has apparent color-correcting and illuminating properties without being over-the top-shimmery. My favorite brush to use with this is actually the same brush I use for my Meteorites: the Shu Uemura 18r. It picks up just the right amount of product while applying it evenly.

Where Laduree got the notion that these can work as eyeshadows is beyond me. As you can tell from my swatches, they barely impart any noticeable color (as it should be for an illuminating finishing powder.) To start, the pieces are all very delicate. There is a slight give when applying light pressure either with a face brush or with a finger, but I cannot imagine how going in with a shader brush will not just ruin the overall composition. Even if one were to pick up the color with a dense shadow brush, the most color payoff is a hint of lavender or a tinge of mint green.

The Face and Eye Color has the very distinct, sophisticated, "mature woman" scent that is common across all Laduree products. It is a fragrance that is difficult to describe, but if I had to put it into words, I would say it is a strong powdery floral scent. Do keep in mind that it does linger, so if you are not keen on heavily scented makeup, Laduree's line may not be for you.

I half-jokingly mentioned I wanted a redo once I saw that the container was only a quarter full: 2 purple starfish, 2 pink conch fish, 4 pearl white seashells, 2 green conch fish, and 2 yellow starfish, to be exact! Might I also add that each one is, literally, paper thin. Ounce for ounce, the new Guerlain Meteorites, hands down, contains more product per container at 0.88 oz, when compared to the 0.03 oz of the Laduree Face and Eye. So you can just imagine my initial shock when I first lifted the cardboard top off the container! Will I be putting this finishing powder to good use? You best bet I will!

This is now available wherever Laduree products are sold. I personally recommend either Imomoko or Ichibankao, as I have ordered from both sites in the past and, thus, can vouch for them. I have seen them going anywhere from $68 to $75USD, and that is the typical price range one can expect most Laduree products to fall under.