The stand-out piece is, of course, the Rose Étincelle Highlighter.
It is, without a doubt, a stunner. A shimmery silver-pink stunner, with the classic Lancôme rose design. Looking at it from the side, it makes me think of freshly fallen snow. You know, the kind that sparkles like diamonds, when the air is super-crisp and the sun is shining.
The exterior packaging looks like the basic black Lancôme casing, but at the right angle, it actually reveals the iconic Lancôme rose. It's a small detail, one that might escape notice, but it's that kind of special touch that elevates a beauty product. At least in my eyes.
(Apologies for the slight fuzziness of the picture, it was really difficult to capture the rose design otherwise.)
The texture is lovely - soft and dense, it can be applied quite opaquely if you wish, or as a soft silvery pink haze with a soft brush. It works well for highlighting anything, be it the inner corner of the eye, on the cheekbone, the collarbones.
Without the sparkly top layer, it's still quite heavy on the shimmer and so something I would reserve for evening looks (though if I could get away with looking like a fairy princess for work, I would wear this like spackle, I kid you not). Worn at night, though, it is exquisite and would work well for both holiday and New Year's Eve looks.
This is so intensely pretty! It picks up again on that sparkly, fresh snow effect. Like crushed diamonds coating my nails. A ton of off-white shimmer that flashes teeny blue and pink and yellow glimmers at certain angles (which was absolutely impossible to capture in a picture).
It's beautiful as is, but if you don't like the textured feel, several layers of top coat can be added (which will only increase the insane sparkle factor). Personally I like the 'bare' look. It's also quite opaque, so while you can layer it over another polish, I think it works best on its own. Here I did two coats.
The application was smooth and easy, and the flat but curved brush is perfect for my nail bed. It took a little bit of elbow grease to get off, but worth it because...
...I was very pleasantly surprised by how long this lasted on my nails - a full WEEK. For me, that's unheard of. When I got some wear at the tip, I even tried chipping it off and couldn't get much. I only wish it came in a larger size, as the bottle is only 6ml. I think I'm going to need a back-up bottle (or twelve), and I'm going to have to track down the Étincelle d'Argent, which appears to be sold out on the website.
Availability: At www.lancome.ca, as well as The Bay, and select Pharmaprix/SDM and Murale locations. Price is 52$ CAD for the highlighter, 16$ for the nail polish.
Pros: Great texture and pigmentation, variable with application method, on the highlighter. Gorgeous packaging and design. Nail polish is opaque and very resistant to chipping. Both are insanely pretty and perfectly suit the inspiration of "twinkling lights and merry whites".
Cons: The glitter on the highlighter is a bit messy initially. The nail polish takes a bit of work to remove, and is smaller than the average nail polish bottle.
Have you guys tried any of these? I was really stunned by how much I loved the nail polish.
(These items were provided by the brand/PR to be considered for review. This post is not sponsored or compensated. All opinions are my own.)
I absolutely love this highlighter, it's gorgeous! :)
ReplyDeleteIt really, really is. :)
DeleteWhere can i get the highlighter? I am fying to know if annyone will sell it!!
ReplyDeleteHi Eirin,
DeleteI'm not really sure, it was a limited edition from earlier this year, I don't think it's at counters anymore. You might have to hit Evil-bay. :/