Lancome and Alber Elbaz Collection

One of the most anticipated collections for the summer/early fall has been released this week and I am very excited to see it in person.  I have been seeing pictures of it in beauty magazines and blogs for the past two months and now I finally have the chance to see it in person and decide what items and shades that I will want to add to my makeup collection.  The first aspect of this collection that I was very attracted to is the very beautiful packaging, this is one of the most visually appealing collections that I have seen in a long time and it grabbed me instantly when I first saw a preview of it several weeks ago on a beauty blog. 

This new collection is a collaboration between French beauty house Lancôme and designer Alber Elbaz.  The Lancôme website presents this collection as a show and that is the format that I will use to present it.  To open the show, Lancôme provides a brief description of who Alber Elbaz is.  "Alber Elbaz stands among today's major contemporary designers.  Born in Morocco and raised in Israel, he studied in the United States to inject his realm with a healthy dose of good mood."  Alber Elbaz is a very unique designer and one that I am very glad that Lancôme has decided to collaborate with.  The first act of the show is about his collaboration with Lancôme.  The information at this stage is nearly impossible to pull from the Lancôme website so I will pulling the product description from Sephora and as much information from articles that I can find.

The collaboration between Lancôme and Alber Elbaz!

Hyponose Drama Mascara - A bold mascara dressed up in fashion designer Alber Elbaz’s iconic prints.  For the first time, the genius and boldness of Lanvin's artistic director Alber Elbaz partners with Lancôme’s eye expertise to doll up their legendary mascaras. Achieve spectacularly intense eyes with this convex brush designed to coat and separate each and every lash for scandalous volume. Swathed in its flamenco-style bright-pink polka-dot dress, Drama embodies self-assured and passionate ultrafemininity.

Definicils High Definition Mascara - A bold mascara dressed up in fashion designer Alber Elbaz’s iconic prints.  For the first time, the genius and boldness of Lanvin's artistic director Alber Elbaz partners with Lancôme’s eye expertise to doll up their legendary mascaras. Achieve lavishly long, perfectly defined lashes with this award-winning mascara known for providing the ultimate in separation. Carefully selected polymers coat each lash from root to tip to help lengthen and outline each lash for unmatched definition. This bestselling mascara’s unique brush applicator has specially grooved bristles that hold the perfect amount of product for gradual, even application every time.

Hyponose Star Mascara - A bold mascara dressed up in fashion designer Alber Elbaz’s iconic prints.  For the first time, the genius and boldness of Lanvin's artistic director Alber Elbaz partners with Lancôme’s eye expertise to doll up their legendary mascaras. The Hypnôse Star Mascara is already a tribute to the glamour of the silver screen with its double-sided brush designed to define stunning Hollywood eyes. In this star-studded electric blue "fur," it a virtual studio goddess. A new star is born!

Eye Brightening All in One 5 Shadow and Liner Palette/Star - A bold harmony for a sculpted eye look. Color Design Palette brings makeup artist results within the reach of every woman, thanks to its unique *wet technology* formula for variable levels of shadow intensity.
- pure white/shimmering silver/deep charcoal/bright navy blue with silver shimmer

Eye Brightening All in One 5 Shadow and Liner Palette/Definicils - A bold harmony for a sculpted eye look. Color Design Palette brings makeup artist results within the reach of every woman, thanks to its unique 'wet technology' formula for variable levels of shadow intensity.
- pale matte nude/shimmering pale gold/shimmering warm bronze/tarnished gold with neutral shimmer

Eye Brightening All in One 5 Shadow and Liner Palette/Doll - A bold harmony for a sculpted eye look. Color Design Palette brings makeup artist results within the reach of every woman, thanks to its unique 'wet technology' formula for variable levels of shadow intensity.
- warm matte nude/shimmering pale bronze/deep bronze/medium rose with shimmer

This is a collection that is much more about packaging than the actual product inside, I was hoping for more new products and not just current products in great packaging.  I like Lancôme products but I don't know that I would go out of my way to order these products only because I like the packaging.  The product inside is not anything special and I am not in love with any of the new (or repackaged) colors in this small collection.  I wouldn't mind buying the original formula Hyponse Mascara from this collection, I have never tried this formula but I have heard so many good reviews of it that I would try it out.  Correction - I would try it out with or without the Alber Elbaz special packaging but I would just love to have this product in the very pretty packaging.

I do like two of the eye shadow palettes but they are not very unique.  I like Definicils and Doll, the two more neutral palettes.  The shades are almost exactly like what I own from the Urban Decay Naked Palettes but I always wear shades like this and I know that I would get a lot of use from them.  I might look further into reviews of these shadows and see if these are palettes that I should be investing my money in.

I am somewhat disappointed because the collection seems to be all packaging and show and not as much substance as I would like it to be.  I am sure that the products are high quality but there is nothing special that sets them apart from the rest of the products in the Lancôme color line.  If I wouldn't buy the products in the regular Lancôme packaging then I wouldn't buy them just fo rthis packaging.

photo courtesy of Lancome