Clé de Peau Beauté Palette de Voyage for Holiday 2012

Clé de Peau has introduced a stunning makeup palette just in time for the holidays. The limited-edition Palette de Voyage ($180) stopped me in my tracks at Neiman Marcus.

A daring voyage. An escape from the everyday. A chance to explore. An exciting opportunity - perhaps a chance to discover unknown facets of your beauty. Embark upon a voyage inspired by this season's makeup and be transported by all the wondrous types of beauty there are.

Despite a cadence that reminds me of Brad Pitt's Chanel N°5 advertisements, the makeup speaks for itself. The color selections are festive, yet perfect for everyday.

The palette,which was created especially for Holiday 2012, contains the following goodies, all packed in an elegant, snap-shut dark blue case.

• A new Eye Shadow Quad
• The Mascara deluxe sample
• Extra-Rich Lipstick in R5
• Cheek Color #3
• Powder Eyeliner & Eyebrow Powders
• Three applicators

I swatched the palette in batches in late-afternoon sun. I had to dash up to my neighbor's house because my own garden was shaded after the sun had dipped below the tree line.

I started with the gorgeous new eye quad. Introduced for this palette, it's as pretty as it gets. I swatched the quad shades left to right. Then I swatched the brow and eyeliner powders, which are shown at the bottom of my arm.

The gold is a beautiful shade with a stunning sheen. The peachy pink? A shade Clé de Peau has mastered before and presents in glamorous fashion in this palette. The chocolate bronze? Exquisite. One of my favorite shades, the golden beige, is one of the smallest helpings in the palette. I want more of it!

The brow shader is a fabulous shade for me. Because it's a powder, it's easy to apply only where needed, while controlling the depth of color. The eyeliner at the bottom of my arm is a fabulous shade when you don't want black, and it complements the colors in the eye shadow quad perfectly.

In my second batch of photos, I swatched the Cheek Color #3 and the Extra-Rich Lipstick in #5. The photos were taken at the same time of day - late.

The beautiful blush at the top of my arm is a pink-peach blend that should be perfect for almost everyone. It offers a sophisticated sheen that makes the color lively. The pretty red lipstick is the color of the season. Not too blue, not too warm, it's a holiday red that will thrill red lipstick lovers.

The mascara is black - as expected. The applicators? You'll want to use your own unless you are traveling - and this all-in-one set is a perfect take-along.Don't miss that cute little bow that's included separately in the box. It makes a tailored box feminine.

I know Palette de Voyage is pricey. When you add up the price of a Clé de Peau Beauté eye shadow quad, blush, lipstick (remember this one is not full-sized), and deluxe sample mascara, along with brow and liner powers, I think it's a justifiable price. I suspect I'll use the eye shadows and blush most often. I'd call this palette absolutely perfect if Clé de Peau had included a lip gloss.

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