Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Clé de Peau Vintage Palette II for Holiday 2010

Do I feel special! I'm wearing a beautiful highlighting powder: the Vintage Palette II ($125), the second annual, limited-edition stunner from Clé de Peau. Look at this compact! How stunning does it get? Second only to animals (my favorites), the raised rays of light on this palette are exquisite.

Inspired by the "timeless allure of vintage jewelry, this face powder melts into skin like silky cream and provides a warm, delicate glow like the solemn sparkle of precious jewels." The finish is achieved with a harmonious blend of colors with pearl pigments. From pinks to golds, the shades combine, with the swipe of a powder brush, to make the face gleam.

There are some micro-sparkles in the powder. I was feeling festive today - a short day at work and the beginning of the long, holiday weekend, so I threw caution to the wind and applied it before work. I loved the way it lit up my face. Although I could see a small amount of micro-sparkling on my cheeks at first, just an hour and a half later, what's left is a gleam. I don't know where those little sparkle devils went, but they aren't on my bright purple jacket, so I'm not sure I care.

I knew this special compact was going to be introduced for the holidays, but I forgot it for a time. When I finally asked about it, Alanna Lee, Clé de Peau Product Specialist at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria, only had two left! Yikes - I'm glad one of them is mine. London Pretty Boy wrote about it in August, so I can't claim I didn't have enough advance notice. Don't make the same mistake I almost made. If you are interested in the Vintage Palette II, look for it now.

You can find this gorgeous holiday palette at Clé de Peau counters at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. I noticed that it's listed as "not available" at Neiman Marcus online. That means the warehouse sold out.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

10 comments:

Amy said...

So lovely--do you know how it compares to the Chanel Tissage gold compact from last fall, or the Chanel Gold CC compact from last Spring (when Kaska Beige was released)? The Cle de Peau looks beautiful!

Unknown said...

wow, that is just gorgeous! until i saw the price tag....

Charlestongirl said...

Amy, I didn't purchase either. Both were too sparkly for me. Here is what I wrote about last spring's double C compact.

The limited-edition highlighting powder, Empreinte de Chanel ($65), didn't excite me. The powder combines shimmering shades of rosewood, beige, and brown to warm and brighten the cheeks and brow bones. A unique beveled brush allows for perfect contouring. There's nothing wrong with it, but on my skin, the powder appears to be just another gold, sparkling powder, even it it does have those classy interlocking "C's" embossed on the surface.

I actually went back and tried it again, after reading glowing reviews by other bloggers. It had an odd color on my fair skin, so my impression remained negative. My favorite Nordstrom beauty rep agreed it looked horrible on me.

I didn't purchase Les Tissage Lames de Chanel ($60) either, but I liked it more. The sparkles do wear off the top layer of that one.

So, I'm a bad one to compare for you. I don't have the Chanel compacts to make a side-by-side comparison.

I absolutely LOVE the Clé de Peau compact!

Charlestongirl said...

Yes, Anna, it's definitely a splurge.

Leigh said...

How does it compare to the new YSL highlighter? I have that and love it - - every day. Hmmm, do I need two? (talk me into it!)

Have a wonderful holiday, all of you!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Leigh, Happy Thanksgiving!

The YSL Metallic Colorama highlighting powder is pinker (golden pink or pink-gold) and has less sparkling. The Clé de Peau palette is a pure gold on the skin and more sparkly than the YSL powder. Not over-the-top sparkly, but definitely more visible when finger-swatched.

Anonymous said...

Is it anything like the Armani Gold Rush Platinum palette? what is the difference in the color and the way it sits on the skin?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for mentioning my blog. I enjoyed reading your posts here.

Charlestongirl said...

You're welcome! I love to check in on your blog when I can. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Ooops...meant to thank you for the link too!