Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs - Turandot

I lusted after the Turandot palette like few others this Holiday season. I had already blown my budget for the season by more than I care to put down on record, and I was determined to not get sucked in by this one. Difficult for many reasons, including the fact that I tend to freakin' love Guerlain.

And then I saw it in person at the Bay, toward the end of December. And the SA said the magic words: "It's the last one."

My response was to hunch over it like Gollum. Possibly hiss at the other lady browsing the counter next to me.

I'm not embarrassed though, because despite rumours that this will be a permanent addition to the line-up this year, it is absolutely impossible to find at the moment. AND I HAVE ONE.

The packaging is no fancier than the usual Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs, but that's not damning it with faint praise. Like Burberry, Guerlain delivers on all fronts. You've got your weight, your bling factor, your luxury right here.

This palette is stunning. Strangely autumnal for a Holiday palette, perhaps, but the palette creates a burnished, smoky look that seems like exactly the kind of warm counterpoint one would need in midwinter.

The shades vary in texture and finish to some degree, which makes for a dynamic palette.

The soft gold on the left is almost metallic, with a soft, dense and rich texture that delivers wonderful payoff.

The redwood shade in the top middle has a matte finish with a soft sheen, and has a super smooth, silky-dry feel, and good pigmentation that applies even better on the eye.

The grey-brown shade on the right is in the same colour family as Moth Brown from MAC - a deep taupe that almost seems to have an undertone of plum, or at least enough warmth to play well with these other shades without being explicitly warm-toned. It has lovely shimmer, a buttery texture and excellent payoff.

The reddened-plum in the bottom middle is matte, with the same texture as the redwood shade and medium, buildable pigmentation that again works very well on the eye.

Mix of natural and artificial light.

Mix of artificial light sources.

Availaibility: None at the moment, unless you hit upon an errant one at a counter. The word is that it will be permanent, however. Price was 60$ CAD.

Pros: Glam packaging, and a well-executed palette that offers enough variety while still being tonally tight. The two matte shades are a smidge less pigmented, but not in a way that translates on application

Cons: Fairly dupable colours that may make the price tag attached cringe-worthy.

(I purchased this item from the Guerlain counter at The Bay.)