Friday, December 23, 2011

First Glance: New Le Métier de Beauté Blush Kaleidoscope

Le Métier de Beauté's new Blush Kaleidoscope ($95), exclusive to Neiman Marcus in Troy, Michigan, just arrived via DHL. It was a week in transit, and I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival.

I hopped right outside to get a photo of it and take a couple of swatch photos. I was rushed, as the sun started to disappear behind the clouds, so I'll try to get better photos on another day. For now, my verdict is, "Call Troy!" This Kaleidoscope is much more versatile and much less orange than it appeared to all of us in the advance photo.

Only one shade, the one at the top, is extremely warm in tone. I swatched quickly and very heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator, and my swatch photos were snapped in full sun.

The shade at the top that looks peach in the pan is a warm peach. No one will apply it as a blush as heavily as I did for my swatch photos. I promise I'll get some "normal application" photos later. After I wiped most of the horizontal swatch off my arm, I found the shade flattering - even for my cool-toned skin. It will coordinate beautifully with the new Orange Juiced Sheer Brilliance Lip Gloss from the Jet Set Collection for resort.

The second shade down is a peach-pink hybrid (or blend), and I think it's extremely wearable by all because it's neutral in tone. Both shades at the top appear to be matte to my eye - which makes them believable blushes. The third shade is an exquisite gold, perfect for highlighting or blending. It has a subtle shimmer, as does the pink in the bottom swing-out pan. The pink shade is stunning.

I can't wait to find time to play with the shades, applying them normally, blending them, and layering them. Mikey Castillo "did good." I'll be back on another day with more photos. For now, remember that the Blush Kaleidoscope is a limited edition. If you want one, call the counter at (248) 643-3300. That will be faster this time of year than trying to order one through your local Neiman Marcus counter.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

22 comments:

Nemo said...

Well, Charleston girl, you've done it again. Enabler! My husband is calling Troy right now. I was not interested in this at all until your blog today. The colors are lovely and not harsh as I think we both originally thought. Oh, well, it's just $, and we could be spending it on horrid things like men and cigarettes and dope!

Charlestongirl said...

That was a belly laugh, Nemo! Thank you! Probably scared my cat. :)

Good call...and way better than booze, floozies, and dope (although makeup may be our drug of choice).

Flyavsted said...

I wish the kaleidoscopes were a bit more travel - friendly. I love the look of this kaleidoscope, perfect for traveling if it hadn't been so vulnerable. I have to get my hands on this!! :) Thank you for an amazing review! I wish you a Happy Holiday!

lovethescents said...

These are all incredibly lovely and wearable colours. I see them on eyes, lips, cheeks!! Oh the versatility!

Liz said...

I..MUST..FIGHT..THE..TEMPTATION....
but I am definitely getting those resort glosses as soon as they become available. A girl can resist only so much. :) Happy holidays, CG.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Flyavsted! You really think they take up too much room in the suitcase? You must be a tidy packer. :)

Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Lovethescents!

They are incredibly nice shades - the full range. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hey there, Liz,

Why fight the temptation? My theory is to just give up eating. :)

Happy Holiday!

Nemo said...

My husband just informed me that he spoke with Venus at the LMDB counter at NM Troy and I am on a waiting list for this blush kit; they don't expect it in until sometime in January! Guess that means I'll have $95 to spend on men, cigarettes and dope while I wait!

Charlestongirl said...

Oh no, Nemo! What a bummer!

Evelyn said...

ha hha love that! When my mother complains about my cosmetics addiction I will tell her that I could be spending it on men, cigarettes and dope, so which does she prefer?

Charlestongirl said...

Evelyn, isn't that a hoot?

MarciaF said...

Using the "couches de coleurs" technique with this blush is magical. I love it!!

capucine said...

Why are LMdB pressed powder products so powdery? I own a few kaleidoscopes but gave up because they just had so much fallout.
Is there a brush anyone has been using that works well with these products?

There's a Korean brand that's been doing custom 4 color kaleidoscopes just like this, but smaller, for ages and I found their cases to be much more durable.

DEN said...

This kaleidoscope is beautiful layered, as well as used individually. The gold shade goes over each one of them to turn the mattes into shimmering blushes - just gorgeous! You can also pair the individual shades with LMDBs creme blushes. The pink shade in the last pan is dreamy with either Poppy or Mystique. As for brushes to use with these powders-I am obsessed with Hakuhodo as they apply and blend with no effort and very little fallout, both with eyeshadows or blush. I suspect that the uncut tapered tips don't kick up a lot of powder when pressed into the product.

Anonymous said...

This is gorgeous! It would be interesting to see swatch photos of the blushes layered over each other...

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Marcia! I can't wait to have time to play with it! May have to wait until next week. So many possibilities! :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Capucine,

I don't find them to be powdery, but if you do, I'll bet you'd love the cream blushes from LMdB! So sheer and pretty.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Anonymous!

It will be next week for me. This K came sailing in here just in the nick of time, but way too late to play. The clouds had already started to flirt with our blue sky.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi DEN, sounds like you have had time to play. What fun! Don't you think the choice of shades was brilliant?

Anonymous said...

Is one of the blushes in the kaleidoscope echo or a dupe for echo?

Claire said...

I've been positively green with envy since I first read this post. It's been a month and some and I still haven't found it! Or they won't send to Canada. *sigh*