Guerlain Terracotta Sun In the City Illuminating Powder

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner!  So now is the time to prepare for your sun-kissed looks and challenging the sunshine with your own radiance.  Guerlain's Terracotta Illuminating Powder in Sun in the City, is perfect for this.

This very large  compact contains a lovely gold shimmering powder that is perfect for highlighting the face and giving it a radiant effect.  The mirrored compact contains a nice golden shimmery powder with a lovely  textured and swirled pattern (0.52 oz of product; retail price: $70).


Guerlain says,


"A radiant, metallic powder and sun catcher for face and body, enriched with gold mother-of-pearl to capture and reflect light for a golden, luminous finish. Textured to mimic the sun's rays, Terracotta Sun in the City is available in one universal shade to highlight—and warm up—all skin tones."


Here is a close-up of the surface and texture of the powder:

Here is a swatch:

The product itself is lovely but it's effect, in my opinion, can be easily replicated with a similar toned gold eyeshadow.  The powder itself is very fragrant so keep this in mind if you prefer fragrance-free cosmetics.  I do like the fact that the compact is large and you can easily highlight your shoulders, etc. more quickly with this and a large buffing brush than with a shadow.  It does have a hefty price tag but I am happy with my purchase and here's why:


In years past, i have purchased several of M.A.C.'s highlighting blushes like Marine Life and My Paradise which both featured a lovely gold overspray.  Sadly, the overspray doesn't last for the lifespan of the blush.  With Sun In The City, I can use these blushes and get a similar application as if the overspray was intact.  I do use a light hand as this powder has more of a metallic finish.


Overall rating: Booyah! for the aforementioned reasons and since I know I will give it tons of use.  Many however, may not find the size of the compact, the fragrance or the price tag appealing.


What do you think of it?  A must for summer?

Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 - The Truth

I had been using Bare Minerals loose shadows for quite a while and while I loved their texture, I found the little pots kind of messy so when I heard that they were offering their shadows in traditional palettes, I couldn't wait to try them.  Being the neutral classic shadow lover that I am, I reached for The Truth.

The mirrored compact contains four lovely shades and a sponge applicator:  Serendipitous, Magnetism, Fate and Apropos, for a total of 5g of product (Retail price: $30 USD).

Bare Minerals says,

"bareMinerals READY^TM Eyeshadow provides exceptionally vivid, long-wearing color in an ultra smooth, silky texture for effortless application and seamless blendability with four shades that create multiple looks. Powered by our proprietary SeaNutritive Mineral^TM Complex along with powerful antioxidants, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber-ingredients known to deliver anti-aging benefits including reduced look of puffiness and antioxidant protection for a softer, smoother, revitalized eye area. It looks like a powder but feels like a cream and delivers a beautifully smooth application of vivid, long-wearing color."

Bare Minerals describes the shades as follows (parenthetical descriptions are mine):

• Serendipitous  - delicate peach (to me more like an ivory shade)
• Magnetism - brushed taupe (similar to a less shimmery Satin Taupe for you M.A.C. fans)
• Fate - light mocha glaze (a mid-toned brown with a bit of shimmer to it)
• Apropos - twinkling espresso (a deep chocolate brown with a touch of glitter)

Here are some swatches:

From Top to Bottom: Serendipitous, Magnetism, Fate, Apropos

Overall rating:  Booyah!  I love the texture and staying power of these (I did apply over a primer) and found that there was considerably less fallout than their loose shadow predecessors.

I plan on trying one of the 8.0 palettes and a blush next.  Any recommendations?

Would love to hear from you.