Preview: Guerlain Belle de Nuit Collection for Holiday 2011

I'm excited by Guerlain's Belle de Nuit Collection for the holidays, so I wanted to share all the information with you. Ignite your imagination and live a bygone era.

During the 1920s and 1930s, pioneers in aviation accomplished feats that were unimaginable at the time. These brave pilots became instant, worldwide celebrities. It was during this revolutionary period, in 1933, that Jacques Guerlain composed the legendary perfume Vol de Nuit, meaning “Night Flight,” as a tribute to the most famous women aviators of his time. Named for the second book written by his close friend Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Guerlain’s creation was a bold oriental fragrance that served as an ode to all fearless women. Comprised of woody, vanilla, and powdery iris notes, Vol de Nuit was for the woman who laughs in the face of fear, for whom nothing is impossible.

For Guerlain’s Holiday 2011 Color Collection, Belle de Nuit, Creative Director Oliver Échaudemaison took his inspiration from this legendary fragrance. Evoking the changing shades of the night sky, he created daring tones that are both dark and dramatic with mesmerizing iridescent accents. With lacquered and blue-green details, the products are incased within boxes that reveal the blue and black zebra motif found on the original Vol de Nuit box design. Belle de Nuit is a sophisticated and enchanting limited-edition collection that is as fleeting as nightfall.

The Météorites Perles de Nuit ($56), shown above, could not be more evocative of the theme. The cult favorite will be back, reinvented this holiday season. Although the formula remains untouched, Météorites Perles de Nuit will leave the face glowing and radiant with a new harmony of five perfectly smooth pearls to correct, illuminate, and even the skin. It is composed of pink pearls to capture light, white to illuminate the complexion, gold to reflect light, pastel orange to boost radiance, and silver to add shimmer without whitening the skin. Guerlain has made the newest Météorites a must-have in its stunning dark blue case.Makeup and fragrance merge in Vol de Nuit Perfumed Shimmer Powder for Face & Body ($87), the ultimate holiday accessory. The light and luminous powder wraps the skin with a veil of iridescent shimmer fragranced by the notes that comprise Vol de Nuit: a green and woody composition, softened by vanilla and iris. The universal pale pink shade is accentuated with blue-green and silvery hues to leave the face, hair, and body sparkling. The bottle reinterprets that of the original Vol de Nuit, which was revolutionary at the time by being the first to combine glass and metal.The green-blue lacquered glass is adorned with graphics reminiscent of a propeller, conjuring up the image of a plane traveling across the starry depths.

Parure de Nuit Pressed Powder & Blush ($76) 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.

Guerlain developed a new Les Ombres de Nuit 4-Colour Palette ($59) made especially for night owls. In a limited-edition color palette, the two textures create smoky, seductive, and spellbinding eyes that will last from twilight to the deepest night hours. An iridescent texture of green, blue, and grey pearlescent particles releases luminous color with an extremely metallic finish and combines with an extra-matte black shadow that offers an incredibly comfortable finish for a precise, intense liner effect.The thirties icon Rouge Automatique ($35) will be back - more modern and attractive than ever. A homage to Art Deco, it has become this year’s indispensable accessory for women. The case opens and closes at the flick of a hand revealing two new shades for holiday, both offering long-lasting wear.

• #169 Flirt d’un Jour: A soft and luminous pink, evocative of passionate kisses
• #170 Nuit d’Amour: A surprising black red that reveals an intense plum color on the lips

Guerlain's Holiday Color Collection will be available in October at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Sephora. The collection will also be available at AHAlife.com beginning at 9:00 am on September 22.

Photos courtesy of Guerlain