Another pretty collection from Givenchy for Fall 2010 - and a few items you should definitely consider! The collection is available online only at Sephora, the exclusive retailer for these limited-edition beauties.
Here's the scoop on the items I purchased: Le Prisme Blush - Blooming ($48.50), Le Prisme Visage - Blooming ($48.50), and Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet ($56).
Le Prisme Blush in Blooming Fuchsias is shown at left. This is the only shade of the blush available in the fall collection. At top left is Sephora's professional photo, and under it is my photo taken in full sun. While Sephora's photo shows incredible detail, mine shows how the compact looked unused at my house - equally beautiful in color, but with a pattern that is not as precisely defined. That won't matter now that I have used it.
Le Prisme Blush - Blooming's harmony is made of four shades blended together, like a deconstructed version of the regular Le Prisme Blush. The four shades are blended in a way that makes each Le Prisme Blush - Blooming unique. The cheek color is a sheer neutral-toned pink once you blend across the quadrants of the compact and apply it.
Le Prisme Visage - Blooming (shown at right) was a surprise to me. I had expected a bit more color - not sure why. The powder comes in two shades: Blooming Pink and Blooming Apricots. I ordered Blooming Pink. There is very little color in it. If you are looking for a slightly tinted face powder, you may love one of these. I wasn't, so I am disappointed. I think Blooming Pink is blah.
To the rescue came Le Prisme Eyeshadow Quartet, available in six color families. I ordered Khaki Egerie, shown at left. I love all four shades.
My arm photo shows the four eye shadow shades above the Blooming Fuchsias blush. I applied the Khaki Egerie shades starting at the top left of the quad and rotating clockwise - shown on my arm top to bottom. Below the four eye shadow shades is the blush.
I hope you can see that the two greens and the gold shade are exciting, and the taupe shade is sheer and perfect for everyday wear. The taupe and gold are very pretty combined on my eyelids, with the gold over the entire lower lid and the taupe applied over it on the outside corner and in the crease above. I haven't worn the greens yet, but I'm sure I will soon. There are a few two-shade combinations I'm eager to try.
Although the blush, Blooming Fuchsias, appears to be a blue-pink in the compact, it applies as a neutral pink. I think that makes it wearable by women with cool or warm-toned skin. It's a flattering cheek color.
The packaging of Le Prisme Blush - Blooming and Le Prisme Visage - Blooming is quite fancy. There are slits in the two-layer cut-out floral design, and the flower pieces slip into each other to open or close the "envelope" that houses the compacts. It's shown at left. The intricate packaging must have cost Givenchy more than regular packaging, which I'm sure was added to the price of the items. I don't know about you, but I recycle most cosmetics boxes - I don't keep them - and I would rather have paid $1-2 less for the items and skipped the fancy "gimmick" packaging.
To sum up, I ordered three pieces from the collection, and I'm delighted with two: the eye shadow and the blush. I will probably return Le Prisme Visage - Blooming Pink. Take a look at its photo at right and let me know what you think.
The Givenchy Fall 2010 items I've shown you are available exclusively at Sephora.
Photos courtesy of Sephora or by BTiB