Whenever I use the Guerlain L'Ecrin 4 Couleurs Eyeshadow (P2,998) I never fail to get compliments. People think I did something new with my skin or wore a new, more flattering blush. They say I look less tired. At first I thought that it's everything else but this palette, but now that I think about it I mostly get those sorts of compliments whenever I have it on.

So why?

Our eyes are the first things that other people look at when they see us. It's the focus of our whole face, the main feature by which our emotional and physical status are read. If your eyes and droopy and tired then your companion will think you're tired; if they are happy and bright, then you will appear to radiate that all over your face.

My theory is that the Guerlain Les Fauves palette is like "blush" for our eyes - it brightens and freshens that particular area with rich hues of coral, copper, and darkened champagne. They are warm and flattering (on me), as you can see here!

If you're very fair then this would be more of a smoky palette on you, but if you're mid to dark Asian like me then this brings out the golden tones of the skin juuuuust right.

No one makes lipsticks like Guerlain. The brand not only creates beautiful shades that end up being classic choices, the lipstick tubes themselves become collectors' items. It's not the sort of thing you get because you want a pretty shade of lipstick; it's something you buy for the explicit purpose of treating yourself, of owning something you'll keep for the next ten years at least.

I've already made my case for luxury in another post, so you can read that (and the comments) for a more in-depth discussion of spending for beauty products. :) Here I shall review the Guerlain Shine Automatique Lipstick in Pamplelune (P2,200).

Packaging. The Guerlain Shine Automatique line boasts of a one-gesture opening. It's unique because it has no cap, instead replacing it with a button that when pressed downwards opens the top to reveal the lipstick. I lost my composure there for a moment, saying "oooooh" aloud to myself the first time I opened the lipstick. LOL! It's fun. 

Fall isn't just a season, at least, not when it comes to the fashion and beauty industry. Fall is a change in the overall mood of women, perhaps brought about by the colder weather and longer nights. We adjust our routines and with it our clothing and beauty products. That's why even if there's no autumn in our country, we're still affected by the global fashion zeitgeist during this time of year.

So! Today I want to talk about the Guerlain Fall 2012 Collection which is now available in the Philippines. Everything is beautifully packaged in gleaming bullets and compacts, and the color selection is just wonderfully rich and seductive.

There are two themes: Femme Fatale, which is all about fiery passion in deep red and chocolate colors. In contrast, Femme d' Amour is more romantic and angelic, with rose and dainty pinks in the color story. I found a nice video where Guerlain's National Makeup Artist Marcus Monson showed how we can achieve the looks. Which one are you today? ;)

Here are more photos and pricing info on the featured products!

Guerlain makes some of the most luxurious beauty products out there, and this makeup primer is certainly no exception. The Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate with Pure Gold is a "24-carat gold-infused cooling gel that sinks into the skin, retaining moisture." For me, it's as much as skincare as it is an excellent makeup primer. I highly recommend this if you don't mind spending big bucks for a serum and primer in one bottle.

Personally, I don't like relying on primers to make my makeup stay put. I prefer investing in good makeup with dependable lasting power, since I don't have the luxury of adding one more step in my routine on most days. However, when I need my makeup to look good for more than six hours at a time, it becomes a necessity to use a primer.

Good skin is easy. Yes, it is. All you need is lots of sleep, lots of water, and a skincare routine you can bet your life on. Beautiful skin, on the other hand, takes a little more effort. It's skin that glows from within, skin that looks smooth and flawless as if it was just born yesterday. That's where makeup comes in.

If there is one product I would recommend to enhance the skin you already have, it will be the Guerlain Meteorites Perles. I've been hearing about this legendary powder ever since I was a wee makeup newbie - they say it's so good, you'll forget the price tag when you see it on your face. It's true!

Precious pearls

The Guerlain Meteorites powder in Teint Dore, upon swatching, doesn't look like it could do much. It's quite translucent so it's difficult to see the effect. But don't be fooled, it's actually "pigmented" in its own way.

Call me typical, but one of my favorite movies of all time is Breakfast At Tiffany's. A favorite scene of mine is the one where Holly Golightly wakes up late on a Thursday. She fumbles all over her flat for her shoes and her dress, rushing down the stairs to visit mob boss Sally Tomato in Sing Sing prison. Nevertheless, Holly was groomed in five minutes, finishing her look with a nude pink lipstick and a few spritzes of perfume.

Holly is the kind of woman who loves beautiful things, carefully chosen pieces that she can afford with her limited "glamour girl" money. She's also the kind of girl who isn't ready until she has lipstick. "Hand me my purse, will you, darling? A girl can't read that sort of thing without her lipstick," she says.

This memorable woman is the first person I thought of when I tried the Guerlain Rouge G Lipstick in Galia. The beautiful packaging looks just like something Holly Golightly would carry in her purse or keep in her apartment cubbyhole if she were alive today. Of course, I'm sure she would love the nude pink color of Galia, which is similar to the lipstick she's wearing in the photos.

Haven't you always wondered how orchids can live so long while looking as fresh as the day they first bloomed? Guerlain did. They gathered 30,000 species of orchids to discover their secrets until they found "the one". It's called the Vanda Coerulea, a blue orchid found in China that could live more than 80 years in extreme weather conditions. After ten years of research in three different parts of the world, Guerlain has finally managed to distill the molecular extract of Vanda Coerulea with two other orchids into the Orchidee Imperiale Cream.

The Orchidee Imperiale is Guerlain's flagship anti-aging product which they released just last year. It promises to reduce fine lines and wrinkles and restore the skin's strength and luminosity. Now, I put this to the test for more than two weeks, so I can confidently say this: it's awesome. If you can afford it, go run out and get it. This is the best moisturizer I've tried to date although I will admit that I didn't like it at first.

We were off to a rocky start.

Sigrid Villamil, the product manager of Guerlain, once told me how Guerlain perfumes are distinct from each other with their own stories to tell. I completely agree. Shalimar is rich with tradition, the anthem of sophisticated women who never take no for an answer. Herba Fresca is a field of grass dotted by wildflowers, with sunlight streaming in a gentle glow.

And Guerlain Idylle? It's a bouquet of flowers presented to you by a charming gentleman as you walk in a candle-lit room wearing a gorgeous, flowing dress and strappy stilettos. You just met him, and you're excited to get to know him better, drunk with the promise of love. That moment in time is an idyll - a perfect scene, beautiful because you know it will never last.

I find Guerlain Idylle (P2,998) to be a truly versatile fragrance. It's not as heavy and musky as Shalimar nor as light and sharp as Herba Fresca - it's right in the middle, which allows you to wear it during the day or night.

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of finally meeting the product manager of Guerlain and Bulgari, Sigrid Villamil. She's a vivacious, beautiful woman who is obviously passionate about the brand. Over delicious food (thanks Sigrid for letting me know about Chelsea's cookie dough cheesecake!), we talked about Guerlain and how it is one of the oldest brands in the industry, representing quality, tradition, and the ultimate luxury when it comes to beauty.

Guerlain was founded in 1898 by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in Paris. His perfumes were so popular that he became the perfumer of the royals, first by the King of France, then by Queen Victoria in England, and also by Queen Isabella II of Spain, among others. Some of the Guerlain scents that are part of perfume history are Jicky (recognized as the first modern perfume), Après L'Ondée, Mitsuoko, and Shalimar, the flagship fragrance. Read my review! 

The 183-year old house of Guerlain eventually started producing skincare and makeup, the most famous of which is the Orchidee Imperiale skincare line and the Meteorites. 

Guerlain must-haves: Midnight Secret, L'Or makeup primer, Orchidee Imperiale Cream, Rouge G lipstick, Meteorites, Lingerie De Peau liquid foundation

According to Sigrid, Guerlain believes in beauty - the kind that a woman naturally has and in the things that she uses on herself. Hence, Guerlain products are always in beautiful, luxurious packaging which makes them keepsakes in their own right.

I have already talked about my current favorite day scent, the Guerlain Herba Fresca. Today I'll talk about my default scent for the evening which is Guerlain Shalimar (P3,998). It's one of the most iconic fragrances in the world and toted as the first oriental scent ever created. It's got a lot of impressive history in a bottle!

Guerlain Shalimar was first created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain. It's inspired by the passionate love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, two familiar figures behind one of the eight wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal in India. The word "shalimar" is actually Sanskrit which translates to "temple of love".

In a tropical weather like ours, it's best to avoid heavy, musky fragrances during the day. Why? As the day progresses and the sun goes higher, the heat tends to magnify the scent of the essential oils in your perfume. Imagine it mixing with copious amounts of sweat and natural oils in your body, and you've got a musky, strong smell that's not pleasant at all!

That's why I prefer using light, energetic scents for day. My past favorites are the DKNY Be Delicious EDP and the Benetton Giallo EDC for their lovely floral/ fruity fragrance that's made for beautiful sunny days. Lately though I find myself reaching out for one of Guerlain's best-loved perfumes called the Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca.

As the name suggests, this perfume smells like a basket of fresh herbs. It invokes mental images of walking in a field of grass, just before the sun rises, before the sparkly dew evaporates in the first rays of the day. It's got a pinch of citrus, a sprig of mint thrown in, and a lovely flowery mix just wafting from underneath. 

Yesterday, I received a package that contained totally unexpected goodies: Guerlain and Bulgari perfumes! I was only expecting small testers for review, but I guess Sigrid of Luxasia has something else in mind:

L-R: Bulgari Eau Perfumee Au The Blanc, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, Guerlain Idylle, Guerlain Shalimar

They're extremely photogenic, no? They smell just as good.