Guerlain Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush for Holiday 2011

Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush ($76) from Guerlain's Belle de Nuit Collection for the holidays is more than a mere powder compact; it is a lightly, violet scented skin enhancer that is a perfect partner for night birds. As light as a feather on the skin, the pale pink, white, deep pink, and blue green colors are topped with an iridescent and translucent sheen forming a universal harmony that gives the face an instant glow. Its black lacquer case conceals an extremely soft goat hair brush.

Use it to even out and illuminate the complexion all over the face. To highlight and sculpt the face, sweep over the three feathers diagonally and apply the powder to the cheekbones for a sophisticated blush effect.

I ordered this beautiful compact from AHAlife during the preview of the collection. I understand that the items in the collection arrived at Neiman Marcus yesterday, so it's trickling into the stores. It's a gorgeous compact - the kind you hate to use because it's so pretty.

Use I did, as I tested it on my face and took swatch photos. I wanted you to see three views: 1) the light shade only, 2) the shade of the blush you can create if you run a small brush diagonally across the feathers, and 3) the blended shade.

On my arm at right and at left below, you can see all three views. At the top near my wrist, the light (background) shade was applied with a sponge-tipped applicator. The diagonal peacock feather pink was applied with another sponge-tipped applicator below. The blended shade at the bottom was applied with a dense blush brush. In all three views, I applied the powder heavily. The photos were taken in full sun.

The easiest way to use the palette on the face or cheeks will be to blend the shades. While it's not impossible, applying only the lightest or darkest shades takes a bit of brush skill (and the right brush). The lightest background shade is a pink-tinted ivory (or white). The "feather" shade is a gorgeous pink. It's as pretty as it looks in the compact. The blended shade is a sparkling warm pink that you should be able to see pretty well in my swatch photos.

If you are game for the work of selecting the lighter and darker shades, the photo below right below should give you a good idea of the gorgeous shades that will result. I'd love to have a blusher exactly the color of the "feather" shade. It's extremely flattering.

The powder is fragranced. It has a typical Guerlain violet fragrance. I noticed that the scent sticks around for a little longer than I prefer, but it's not distracting.

The luxury compact comes with a velveteen pouch. The lower level houses a wide, useful goat hair brush with blue-green bristles, extending the peacock feather theme nicely. Unless you turn the brush on its side, using it to select individual shades will be difficult. It's a great brush for applying the blended shades.

I think this Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush is a definite win for Guerlain - one of those must-buy items for makeup lovers. Anyone who likes a pretty, sparking pink to perk up her looks or a pink-toned highlighting powder will be extremely pleased with this treasure.

Keep your eyes peeled for this one at your favorite Guerlain counter. I purchased mine from AHAlife.com.

Photo at top courtesy of Guerlain; other photos by Best Things in Beauty