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Saturday, December 28, 2013

Guerlain Météorites Pearls from the Guerlain Météorites Blossom Collection for Spring 2014

Last year, a Guerlain PR representative told me that the Météorites were being reformulated. The new Météorites were planned to be an improvement over those that have been created before. At the time, I thought, "How does one improve something that's perfect?" It will be up to us - Guerlain's customers - to determine whether the new Météorites Pearls ($60) are an improvement over those we already know and love. They have been added to the permanent color line.

According to Sephora, the new formula supposedly has "enhanced softness that makes it easier to pick up the powder with a brush...and also incorporates "stardust technology" to give the skin a subtle brightening glow." There are three new shades, Clair (#2), Medium (#3), and Doré (#4). They are shown below with Clair at the left, Medium in the middle, and Doré on the right.

I purchased all three from the Guerlain Boutique in Las Vegas - sight unseen. My love for the Météorites Pearls is unbounded, so I had to have all of them. What surprised me was that there is only a subtle difference in the shades on my skin - despite the huge difference in the colors in each pot.

Here is what Guerlain has to say about the new Météorites (more or less, with my comments added). Each shade of Météorites Pearls begins with the same legendary combination of three colors that adapt to every skin tone and work harmoniously to beautify the skin. Mauve catches the light, pink refreshes, and yellow counters dullness and corrects redness. These delicate round pearls continue to be shaped by hand, with craftsmanship mastered by only four people in the world [imagine that!]. Softer than ever, the new pearls allow for an easier application [how could application be easier, when it was already a piece of cake?] and a more visible effect with every brushstroke [I think I need to differ there]. These precious pearls are contained in a metal tin, now marked with a new emblem of a reinterpreted rosette that was created with a light gradation of pinks.
  • Clair offers a harmony of green pearls for extra redness correction, white pearls to reflect the light, and champagne pearls to adapt to the skin and gently illuminate it.
  • Medium offers a nude harmony containing beige and champagne pearls to naturally reflect light and even the complexion, along with peach pearls to add a unique glow to the skin.
  • Doré offers the most smoldering harmony. This shade incorporates chocolate pearls with satin shimmers and vivid fuchsia pearls that revive radiance. Unifying beige pearls were added for deliciously beautiful skin.
I love Guerlain's Météorites - always have. I can't count the variations I own. They are all little treasures. I think the Météorites Pearls are among the best finishing powders in the world - definitely in the top three. However, I'm not convinced (yet) that this new formulation is so unique, so divergent from the original, that it merits any term like "revolutionary." How could they offer "a more visible effect with every brushstroke" when they are barely distinguishable on my skin? Take a look at the swatch photos below, remembering that only a wackadoodle blogger would try to make them show up on fair skin in full sun.

I applied them heavily with a kabuki-like brush, with #1 at the top of my arm, followed on the way down by #2 and #3. What do you see? I see a glow from the micro-sparkles and barely perceptible differences in color. Clair glows at the top of my arm because that's where the sun is usually the brightest. I can barely see Medium. Doré provides a bit of warmth to my skin and is great for contouring.

Like Guerlain's previous Météorites Pearls, they are beautiful when used over the face, with or without foundation. For anyone who cares, the packaging is similar to the old, with the sponge atop the pearls, holding them in place and offering something you could use as an applicator in a pinch by blotting the powder into the skin.

I will be very curious to know what you think. It's always fun to purchase new Guerlain colors, and I'm happy to have these three new treasures. Am I becoming blind to subtleties?

For now, look for the arrival of Guerlain's Météorites Blossom Collection for Spring 2014 at your favorite counter. The collection has not arrived yet at my Neiman Marcus stores in the DC area. If you would like to order from the Guerlain Boutique, give Jonathan a call at (702) 732-7008.

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

23 comments:

  1. Thank you for this quick and thorough review. I am so anxious to get these - my first Meteorites were from the Crazy Collection. I fell for the description of the reformulated ones but if they are not that different I can probably wait a bit. I think they sold out in the Nordstroms around me.
    I am thinking about getting the TF stick foundation but am clueless about the color and there is no counter near me. Will have to see.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Tanja

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  2. Hi CG: If I am fair, auburn-haired with rosacea -- which of the meteorites might be the best for me to try? Thanks and HEALTHY 2014! Carolina

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  3. After falling head over heals in love with the Crazy Terracotta Healthy Glow Powder, I am going to finally give the Meteorites a try. I think I'll go with the medium since you said it was barely visible on your skin. I'm slightly darker than you with yellow undertones-- according to Sephora, but I have pink undertones according to MAC--go figure. I appreciate that you tried to swatch these, CG. Not an easy task at all!

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  4. How do you compare them texture wise to the old permanent ones? Do you like new ones better? How different are they from the old permanent lineup?

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  5. Hi Grinxdor,

    I'm NC15 according to MAC and the 02 Claire is perfect as my everyday color. I went back and also bought 03 Medium for those times when I want a bit more warmth and color. My skin is light enough that I can actually discern a color difference between the two shades. When I was at the counter, I put 02 on one side of my face and 03 on the other and everyone in the vicinity could tell I was wearing two different powders. Claire is a more neutral porcelain look whereas Medium adds warmth to my skin. Both shades work equally well because they are really all about transperancy. It just depends on the look I want. I use both of them over La Mer in Porcelain.

    The compact Voilettes makes a stronger color statement than the Météorites pearls. With Voilettes, there is a significant difference between shades.

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  6. I see them exactly the same as you do. Are these replacing the old "normal" ones...the beige, etc?

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  7. Don't they look a little too sparkly?? But oh so nice!!! Love the new packaging.

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  8. Hi Eileen,

    Thanks for your help with the shade selection. It's good to know that you can wear the medium to get a little warmth. That is what I am after. I'm a level 20, but still not sure if I'm NW or NC. Perhaps I am just more neutral than warm or cool.

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  9. I want to try this. I ♥ shimmers for winter :)
    But the price tag is a bummer..

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  10. I'd only get one anyway, but now I won't feel like I'm missing something entirely different. Great eye candy for a rainy summer morning, thank's CG!

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  11. I am going to be completely honest here: I am never too impressed with hos these look on the skin. But in the jar? Jawdroppingly gorgeous! To me this is the kind of product that I want solely to display and look at :-)

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  12. i wish the closure will have standing top rather than usual ones.

    i only have one, the teint beige and sadly, it does oxydize sometimes, makes my skin looks dull :(

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  13. I'm going to sound dumb, but how do you use them?

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  14. Hi Sandra,

    Swirl a powder brush over the pearls and brush the powder on your face as you would any finishing powder. They provide a transparent, soft-focus glow, but no color per se.

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  15. Totally agree with deputy Eileen. I use a powder brush that's loose...not the kabukis...and swirl. Once applied, you shouldn't see much color, just a pretty glow. That's why I can wear all the colors.

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  16. Shelley, yes. They are replacing the ones that were always available on I'm fairly certain there will be upcoming LEs at some point.

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  17. Tania, probably not sold out. Maybe just not arrived yet. Some stores are short-handed over the holidays and don't put out new stock very quickly.

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  18. Carolina, I'd go for Clair to minimize redness.

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  19. LilJeJa, not remarkably different. Nice having new options, though.

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  20. Is Clair exactly like Teint Rose? The ball colors look exactly the same. Cos I have TR and dont wanna get two of the same things (virtually even if technically they are said/marketed to be different).

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  21. Hi Sharina,

    If you still have Rosé, you don't need to get Clair. This launch is just a reformulation effort on Guelrain's part rather than an introduction of new tints. I collect Météorites so I bought the new ones and the new ones do have a softer texture and create more glow, but if I were you, I'd just enjoy my Rosé and save my money for the LE's that come along.

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  22. I'm new to finishing powders so this may sound silly, but which one would you suggest for someone with warm undertone medium-dark skin (MAC NC35)?

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  23. Hi thank you for the blog in comparisons I have just ordered the new limited ed holiday meteorites
    I hope I did the right choice and not go for the older ones
    This will be my first purchase :) meteorites so I'm hoping they look ok for my mac NW22-25 skin :)))) blog is great thank you Hun

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