Guerlain Rose Imperiale KissKiss Strass for Holiday 2010

Looks can be deceiving. The first time I glanced at Guerlain's Les Ors Collection for Holiday 2010, I assumed that KissKiss Strass in Rose Imperiale (#323, $31) would be dark - or too red - or even too orangy. That was silly, since I have purchased almost every shade of KissKiss Strass ever introduced. You'd think I would know it well by now.

Once I took the time to play at the Saks counter during Friends & Family, I snatched it up in a heartbeat. Rose Imperiale is a gorgeous, transparent, warm rose shade that will flatter every skin tone.

I mentioned last week that I have been a KissKiss Strass groupie since the transparent lip colors were introduced. They feel good and look great. I can't tell you how many compliments I've received while wearing Brun Satin (#343), my all-time favorite. It must look pretty good. Twice I've been sitting at Saks while wearing Brun Satin, watching Loyd Cassler work, and his Armani customers have asked me about my lip color! Loyd never minds when I tell them it's Guerlain.

KissKiss Strass has an extra-scintillating shine. This ultimate lip color plays with dazzling reflections to multiply light like a kaleidoscope. Rose Imperiale, like the other KissKiss Strass shades, is the "un-lipstick." This lipstick-lip gloss hybrid falls into my definition of divine. The color of Rose Imperiale is rosy - it's well-named. It provides a little more color than its sister Rose de la Reine (#363), also introduced with Les Ors for holiday. It gleams - and it feels moist and creamy while it perks up my face. I'll wear Rose Imperiale when I need more color than Rose de la Reine provides.

My swatch photo was taken under heavy cloud cover. The luminosity of the lip color doesn't jump onto the Web page, but the photo provides a good rendering of the shade.

I purchased mine at Saks. It's available at all Guerlain counters, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Bloomingdale's. Look for it if you like sheer lip colors as much as I do. I applied it fairly heavily for this photo, but the choice is yours.

Did you try one of the new KissKiss Strass shades? Let us know which one! If you haven't, you are in for a treat. If KissKiss Strass were the Tams, I'd be "on the road with the band." That was a quiz. Does a single BTiB reader remember the Tams? Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy!

I've been "challenged" in trying to show you the new Perles d'Or Meteorites, a glowing finishing powder, in my next Les Ors. Stay tuned.

Photo at top courtesy of Nordstrom