Two holiday shades of Shine Automatique Lipstick from Guerlain's Holiday 2012 Color Collection ($35.00) were named for the protagonists in Puccini’s great opera: Altoum, the emperor of China and Lou-Ling, the Peking princess who is Turandot’s ancestor. Altoum (#700) is a gold adorned with beautiful tone-on-tone sparkle that is worn on bare lips to illuminate them with a sophisticated nude veil, as a top coat over another shade to add a precious glow, or dabbed on the center of the mouth for daring plump lips. Lou-Ling (#760) is an enchanting plum set off with a golden sparkle for a dramatic effect. I purchased Altoum - something I could not have predicted from the advance photos.
Shine Automatique is a a moisturizing and long-lasting lipstick that combines bold color with pearly particles to give your lips discreet yet exceptional shine. It leaves my lips soft, smooth, and luminous.These two new shades for the holidays are beautiful additions to the line, although I believe they are limited editions.
I have been so desperate to get swatch photos (the sun has still not graced me with its presence, despite the weather forecasts) that I went to Neiman Marcus to get swatch photos this morning. When I move their display lights "just so," I can get photos that are better than those I can get outside my house with totally cloudy skies. Since I was there at the store, I took photos of both Lou-Ling, which I purchased the moment I swatched it last week, and Altoum, which is a gorgeous silky gold - and one I had decided to leave for someone else.
Lou-Ling is not red, as it appears in the tube - nor is it plum, as described by Guerlain. It is the divine cherry rose you see above - sheerm shiny, and about as perfect as it gets for a bright color. I had swatched it in the store last week, fully expecting to "leave the red lipstick behind." Was I surprised! Lou-LIng isn't red at all. It's a gorgeous rose - one that will flatter everyone. Not only that, it leaves a fabulous feel on the lips.
Altoum, unfortunately, is like a gold lip gloss. I must have dozens of gold glosses, so I passed on it, even though it adds a sunning golden shine to the lips. You can see the veins in my arm right through the gold tint. It's shiny and luscious. During today's swatching trip, I had to struggle with my rational side, which kept saying, "No, you have way too many gold glosses." My makeup addict side kept replying with, "It's so pretty, though." My rational side won - so far.
Guerlain’s Holiday Color collection will be available at select locations of Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Bloomingdales, and Bergdorf Goodman. I purchased my Lou-Ling at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria.
Photo at top courtesy of Guerlain; other photos by Best Things in Beauty
Hello :-))
ReplyDeletethe first color of lipstick it seems wonderful!!!
:-)
Andrea
I had not even given these a second look, but both are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have to bring Lou-Ling home. It's the kind of shade I'd wear everywhere! I think I can safely pass on Altoum, although as gold shades go, it does look like an especially pretty one. Thanks for the swatches!
ReplyDeletehello from france !! these are so gorgeous i really want it !! you are so lucky to have nordstrom with cheaper prices than here in france, i wish i knew someone in US that could buy it for me and send me cause the difference from price is about 10 to 30 dollars usually !! if someone ever read it and is ok to send it to france i got a paypal to pay you !! lol
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteYes! Lou-Ling is wonderful!
You see, Martha, you must stop and smell the roses - or test the lipsticks. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kate,
ReplyDeleteWhat is nagging me about Altoum is the wonderful slip. It applies like a dream stick, and it feels great. Oh gosh, I think I'm going to cave.
Hi Frenchiesbeauty,
ReplyDeleteNormally, I would offer to do it for you. The problem is the cost of shipping from here to France. You'd be better off buying it there.
E-mail and address to bestthingsinbeauty@gmail.com, and I will look up the shipping for you.
You had me at the word "cherry", Charlestongirl, and then your gorgeous swatch sealed the deal. Lou-Ling will be mine <3 I love Guerlain's shine formula because it transforms colors that appear too dark in the tube for me into luscious, transparent washes of rich color that remind me of stained glass. I love them. I hope that Shine Automatique is around for a long time because I think it is the perfect way for us older gals to wear deeper colors without looking harsh. Of course, it would be Guerlain that would realize that :-)
ReplyDeleteOh! Oh! I just got a call from my lovely Guerlain gal. The goodies have arrived so I'm off to claim my loot. I'll let you know what I got.
Hi Eileen,
ReplyDeleteHave fun! The display is beautiful - and so is the makeup.
Be careful when you spritz those festive sparklies in Liu.
Lou-Ling is gorgeous and will be mine! Thanks so much for the swatches!
ReplyDeleteYou were right about this shade,Cg. It is a beauty and I am getting it. Are you going to feature the Turandot quad? Any CHANEL holiday lipsticks? Did you buy the CHANEL holiday eye duo, whatever it's called, the rose/ noir one?
ReplyDeleteHey Jo, I'm so glad I tried it.
ReplyDeleteHi Nemo, yes to the quad, no to the lipsticks because they have not arrived. The duo has also not arrived. Even if it had, I have no sun! Argh!
ReplyDeleteFrom the picture of the lipstick, I was expecting a vampy plum. The cherry rose swatch is gorgeous & not at all what I expected. I have several midtone rose lipsticks. Currently explaining to my non-rational side that I don't need another.
ReplyDeleteHi Charlestongirl,
ReplyDeleteI'm baaack! What a drop dead gorgeous collection! There's not a dud in the entire collection although there were some things I didn't get because they didn't suit me and not because they weren't stunning or wouldn't look lovely on other women. So, what did I get? I bought Turandot Écrin 4 Couleurs, Perles du Dragon Météorites, Lou-Ling and Altoum Shine Automatiques, and Liu Perfumed Shimmer Powder. Liu is such a beautiful scent; now I want to get my hands on the actual fragrance. I ended up giving the Liu Calligraphy palette a miss because the taupe shade just didn't suit my eye color. It made my irises look a bit muddy. Turandot, on the other hand, made them look like deep green glass. As for Altoum, I didn't think I'd be tempted but then the SA swatched some of my favorite Rouge G colors on my hand and applied Altoum over them. Wow! Had to have it :-) I already have a couple gold glosses, but Altoum is not a gloss and has a different look to it. It glistens and is a more sophisticated take on the gold layering concept. So, I have some new toys with which to play all this week. What fun!
Why oh why did I read this review?! lol You said the magic words "gorgeous rose" which have sucked me in when I thought I would pass this up. The gold though I am not so sure about because it does not always favor my skin even as a topping to a lipstick. I have to take myself to Saks asap and see what's there.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, these anti robot things are making me think I need new glasses. Do they have to make them that hard to read?! lol
Wasn't that fun, Eileen? I am still wanting the gold. May cave.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn, the anti-robot things drive me crazy. I get them wrong about half the time.
ReplyDeleteHi CG,
ReplyDeleteI love both of these lipstick. Roses and golds are always pretty ! I do not have even one gold gloss, can you believe it. Though I do have a Dior gloss apricot cloche that is close but not quite.
I have the rouge automatiques, and I love them so much that I hardly wear them, I know that makes no sense.
I want them both....I really do! I can see them as being so versatile.....oh woe is me!
ReplyDeleteAltoum is really very pretty! I didn't think I'd like it so much, but the shimmer is just SO fine and gorgeous! It reminds me of a shimmering organza...or mica flecks, it's just so beautiful!
ReplyDelete