Guerlain Ombre Éclat 1 Couleur Faud à Paupières for Spring 2011

Overshadowed by their blockbuster sister items on Guerlain's Spring 2011 Sur mes Levres Collection display are three new one-color eye shadows. Each Ombré Éclat 1 Couleur Faud à Paupières ($36) provides beautiful long-lasting color that allows for light and delicate eye makeup or a more sophisticated, dramatic effect - all within your control, depending on application. Guerlain's single shadows are available in many different shades, and I find myself attracted to a few each season.

For spring, Guerlain introduced #186, L'Instant d'une Ondée; #187, L'Instant d'un Soupir (shown above left); and #143, Instant d'une Etreint. I purchased the first two.

#143, Instant d'une Etreint, is shown at right. It's a pearly white - truly lovely. I just didn't need another white, and as you will see in the next few features I post, I purchased some pretty palettes with white shades in them the day I selected my Guerlain spring colors.

Had I been able to have only one of the three single eye shadows, it would have been #186, L'Instant d'une Ondée, shown below left. The tender grey color is perfect for spring, and this one layers beautifully. A close second (I'm glad I could purchase two!) is #187, L'Instant d'un Soupir, a complex mixture of brown, taupe, copper, and gold.

For my swatch photo below right, I applied each shade with a "medium touch" - not too light, not too heavy. I think you'll see instantly the difference in the intensity of the two shades. L'Instant d'une Ondée, the grey at the top of my arm, is a beautiful, subtle color - perfect for spring. L'Instant d'un Soupir has a little more oomph. I will apply it to my eyelids with a lighter hand. Both shadows were applied with a sponge-tipped applicator, and my photo was taken in indoor sunlight.

You won't want to overlook these pretty eye shadows when their flashy sisters attract your attention. They coordinate beautifully with the rest of the collection, but they can stand on their own as well.

You can see the shades and choose your favorite(s) at Guerlain counters at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdale's, and other department stores.

Photos of compacts courtesy of Nordstrom