Saturday, February 12, 2011

Lancome Spring 2011 Collection - Ultra Lavande

Lancome's new collection for the season focuses on the big trend that surrounds all types of purple shades this spring. Personally, I jumped on the bandwagon with this trned since my skin is so cool toned that I can pull off almost any purple shade that I try. I associate pale lilac shades with spring, whether it is because of the recurring trend or the shades of the flowers that bloom this time of the year, I'm not really sure. But I do know that I like this trend and the first shots that I saw of this collection. This is another collection from Aaron De May, the genius between the two years of Lancome collections. His first in Spring 2009 hit it out of the ball park and has continued to do so ever since. This time around should be no exception.

The new collection from Aaron De May...

French Touch Absolu - Lancome strikes the perfect balance between nature and cosmetic performance with a cocktail of the finest 96% natural ingredients in a creamy and lightweight lipstick.
- Berry Rose - deep berry pink with a hint of shimmer

Color Design Minerale Quad - The packaging is decorated with an elegant bowtie and butterflies designed by Alexis Mabille. Alexis Mabille is a French fashion designer famous for his frivolous, dynamic, imaginative and racey universe, where sophistication and fasntasy become one. The Bowtie is a leitmotiv in its artistic work.
- Cool Lavande - pale pink/shimmering white/medium rose/cool blue purple
- Warm Lavande - shimmering pale beige/warm gold/medium periwinkle/deep plum navy

Butterflies Fever - The new must have blush is an original twist of two incontrovertible items of the 70's style: the bowtie is the ultimate chic attitude, besides a way to express free-spirit and absolute lack of concern for what other people think. The butterfly is a multicultural symbol of free soul, feminity, and beauty of nature.
- Pinks - light and medium pink shades with cool toned accents

Color Fever Gloss - The ultimate Color Fever Gloss becomes natural, with a 97.5% natural origin ingredients and 100% natural origin perfume of lavande. Beyond hydration, the toning power of honey concentrated in nourishing nutrients offers a luscious and shiny generous formula to your lips.
- Lavande Ballerine - pale shimmering lilac
- Beige Ballerine - pale shimmering beige
- Rose Ballerine - pale shimmering pink

Ombre Magnetique - Aaron De May has been inspired by the setting of Chez Regine's in Paris, a famous night club and raised to a Disco Temple known for its walls, covered with silver and gold mirrors. Ombre Magnetique is a true light catcher: your eyes twinkle like the facets of a disco ball. You can play with these cold and warm shades, for infinite ways to highlight your gaze. The fusion between this innovative sparkling eye shadow and the disco lights is ultra-glamourous and captivating.
- Disco Silver - silver
- Disco Gold - gold
- Ultra Lavande - bright plum

Le Vernis - It is Lancome's most technically-advanced nail polish. Your fingertips and toes will love the boost of color and lasting shine that stays put for up to seven days. It's cutting edge, soft-sculpt brush embraces the shape of each nail for perfectly even coverage in one coat with no clumps. Shiny and Shock Free: Shield Plasticizers keep nails flexible, shiny, and more resistant to shock and abrasion. Chip-free for days! Strong and Healthy: Methyl-Sulfonyl-Methane (MSM) is a naturally occuring substance known for its diverse health benefits, including support for healthy nails. It is known to boost the production of keratin, a tough protein from which finger and toe nails are made. MSM paired with Shield Plasticizers make nails much stronger and more flexible.
- Le 54 - light lavender with iridescent glitter
- Violet Groove - medium lilac with shimmer

L'Absolu Rouge - Wrap your lips in rich, satiny color with this deeply replenishing lipstick. Infused with moisture-boosting Pro Xylane, lips stay moist, soft, and comfortable for up to 8 hours. Antioxidant-rich Vitamin E and SPF 12 help keep lips safe from environmental aggressors, so they'll look and feel healthier day after day. The stay true color won't feather, flake, or fade, so your pout will always look picture-perfect.
- Daisy Rose - medium rose cream
- Lily Rose - medium neutral pink cream

Le Crayon Kohl - The classic Crayon Kohl has been twisted; it is now organic Crayon Kohl, composed by 100% natural ingredients.
- Ultra Lavande - deep plum

I love this whole collection, however I feel that the promo picture for this collection uses just a bit too much of the collection at once. I don't know that I could pull off Le Crayon Kohl in the new shade with all the shades in the cool-toned quad over it, with the blush, and the new formula of the lipstick. I would have to wear a more toned down version is order to pull it off. My two favorite items in this collection are Le Vernis is Le 54 and Color Design Minerale Quad in Cool Lavande. Cool Lavande contains shades that I can wear this spring and that I can get out againg next fall into winter. Cool Lavande is my favorite of the two but I will picking up Warm Lavande also for the exact same reasons. Butterflies Fever is another great choice for my skin tone, I always wear pink or rose blushes and this one is going to be a winner for me.

I think that for lip color choices, this may be the best collection of the whole season for me, I love all the lipstick and gloss shades in this collection and there is not one that wouldn't work out for me. If I had to choose a few favorites, I want the new French Touch Absolu in the berry shade, another spring, fall, and winter shade for me. I am predicting that the best selling shade is going to be Lavande Ballerine from the lip gloss collection, this is the type of shade that sells like crazy everytime that MAC releases it and should be just as popular for Lancome. In addition to buying that shade of the gloss, I also want the Rose Ballerine shade of gloss and the L' Absolu Rouge in Lily Rose (it looks as though it is close to MAC's Way To Love).

The product that I am more interested in is the Ombre Magnetique, this seems to be like nothing that I currently have in my collection. I would love to have all three shades in this product but I know that I would get the most use from either the gold or the silver shades.

My last thoughts on this collection have to do with many of the new formulas, not just the shades. I am very impressed that Lancome is moving into the more organic and natural realm of beauty and beginning to move away from the chemicals and fake fragrances. I am very interested in the natural lavender fragrance in some of these products and am interested to see how the texture of these product differs from their original formulas. I am so impressed with the direction that Aaron De May is taking this company...

photo courtesy of Lancome

No comments: