Guerlain Tsarina Eyeshadow Palette

With all this talk about red and orange hailed as the next hot colors for Spring 2011 I thought I would review from last seasons collection my Guerlain Tsarina Eyeshadow Palette.  Initially I fell in love with this compact because I collect Russian Matryoshka Dolls and such. Another being for the color combination's which are always the hardest to find in palettes. The photo does not do this compact any justice. You need to see it in person as to how vibrantly & richly pigmented the colors are. Press product description is as follows: Faded orange, brick red, old rose and aubergine combine to create an intense, rich and enchanting palette inspired by the dresses worn by Russian princesses. Accented with a champagne motif, the shades are contained in an exquisitely designed black-and-gold compact and create eyes that are velvet-smooth with a crimson glow, highlighting their pure clarity. This is also one of my most coveted eye quads and the prettiest Guerlain has ever made in this color family. It's outrageously gorgeous! Guerlain is generally pricey but with this item it's worth every penny. The powder in the pan is raised up like a little cube so the product pay off is very generous. You get four different pigments at 1.5 grams for each pan. That's like 6 grams of powder which goes a long way. Some luxurious brands are really skimpy with product weight and some charge the same price as this quad for maybe one or two shades. In my opinion it's an investment worth making plus the color combination such as these are not typical in palettes and are highly collectible. Also the compact is very sturdy and thick, not flimsy yet it has a certain weightlessness to it. Surprisingly enough the two little smudger brushes included are better than the average compact applicators.If you want to maintain the delicate silver foil design stamped on the shadows you can use a fine brush and work around it but that wont work for long as eventually the design will fade away. As you can see in the photos I've been very careful for now as not to erase the foil design, it's so pretty I don't want to mess with it. The lightest orange is the highlighter but there's a sheerness to all of the pigments that you can use them in various combination's. This product comes with a little leaflet with helpful hints on how to create three different looks but with these quad you can create more than that which makes it another reason to splurge on a larger upfront investment. The pigments are not glittery but have a decent subtle sheen to them making them perfect for day and night wear. And least I forget the adorable little velvet pouch included with this item  stamped with a charming Russian silver motif stamped on the front, very lovely. Some of these little lovelies are still floating around online if your interested. If these colors are not to your liking then I hope my review helps you to decide if you would like to invest in future Guerlain palettes. This is definitely one I'll be using the most this Spring 2011 season. Anyone have this or would like to comment on any Guerlain palette? Neiman Marcus has another Russian inspired eye & lip palette that is available for purchase now from the Volga Princess Collection. I'm adding a link for you below. It's yet another Guerlain product I have my eyes on... Stay beautiful! XOXO

Availability:Neiman Marcus Guerlain Volga Princess Eye & Lip Palette $69