Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Color Quad for Spring 2012

Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Color Quad (Ombres Couleurs Quadri) for Spring 2012 ($55) can be identified by its number: #208. Like every other Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Color Quad I own, it's stunning. I'll bet all neutral eye shadow lovers will agree.

About the price...Clé de Peau Beauté does not provide compacts with its Eye Color Quads. You'll pay $55 if you want the eye shadow (called a refill), and the case for the palette, with a mirror and two small applicators will set you back an additional $25. I think $55 is "enough." As a result, I never buy the lovely cases. I make do with the protective plastic cover on the "refill," which you can see immediately below. Actually, my Clé de Peau Beauté quads take up much less space in my bathroom than those that are "fully equipped."

I gasped when I saw these colors! Then I gasped when I tried them. Although #208 has been introduced for spring, these colors are seasonless. I'm thrilled to own this beauty.

Light upon radiant light, overlapping in layers of translucence. Softly diaphanous, each shade takes on increasing depth that captivates with sophisticated elegance. A smoky brown palette creates sheer drama, subtle radiance, and natural shading.

Clé de Peau Beauté's light-reflecting technology is combined with a finish that's silky and flawless, placing their eye shadow quads among the most desirable. Argan oil ensures a smooth application and wear, while an exclusive advanced moisturizing ingredient, "Hydro-Wrap Complex," gives the powder a hydrating creaminess. The shadows adhere to the lids nicely, resistant to smudging, creasing, and fading. Once you apply them for the day, they will stick with you until you're ready to remove them (unless you rub your eyes, cry like a baby, or go swimming).

I applied all four shades heavily with a sponge-tipped applicator for my photos, which were taken in full sun. The largest shade at the left of the palette, shown at the top of my arm, is a shimmering taupe with a twist. It has an ever-so-slight peach hue on my skin. It's unique. I'd like to have a baking pan full of this shade. It's so pretty, I'm considering a hoarding purchase. I can swipe this shade on my lid below the crease and go. For beauty in a rush, it's divine.

As we've come to expect from Clé de Peau, the harmony of the four shades is magnificent. The second shade is milk chocolate. I applied it way too heavily for these photos. Applied normally, with a brush, it provides a sheer veil of brown for the crease or the outer corner of the lid above the lashes. It's a perfect brown for my fair skin. The third shade, intended to be a liner, is a muted dark chocolate. The fourth shade complements the first "showcase shade" perfectly. It's a mauve-grey-taupe hybrid that's beautiful. I wish there were more of it, another reason to hoard #208, don't you think?

The gold oversprayed design on the quad will disappear on first (or second use). All four shades shimmer, even after it's gone. The shimmer is subtle and perfectly appropriate for day wear - more like a gleam on the lids. I'm excited by #208.

I purchased mine at Nordstrom Tysons, where I met a new friend, Claudia Amarra, the Clé de Peau Beauté manager. Clé de Peau Beauté's Eye Color Quad and the rest of the new collection for Spring 2012 has also arrived at all of the counters, including Neiman Marcus, where the Beauty Event starts on Thursday. There is a Clé de Peau gift with a $300 purchase. I've already purchased my new items, so I won't be able to reach that level. It's a high price for "admission."

Photo at top courtesy of Clé de Peau Beauté; other photos by Best Things in Beauty