Collection Roundup - Le Metier de Beaute Eye Kaleidoscopes (Part 1)

This is going to be a long post, but if you are an LMdB fan or want to see a swatch heavy post, this is your lucky day! :P

LMdB Kaleidoscopes were once my obsession. They still are. I skipped on the recently released Nouvelle Vague collection but I think I might cave on Bauhaus. It looks interesting and hopefully not dupable. For a great review on this palette, check out Birkin Bag Beauty or Best Things in Beauty (my first resource for LMdB kaleidoscopes :)). If you are interested in the lip kit from this collection, head on over to see the review on my favourite beauty blog ever, Cafe Makeup.

Anyway, it looks like we will be having mild weather here in Perth today and I thought it would be a great chance to do a comparison post/swatch archive of all the LMdB kaleidoscopes I have accumulated through online purchases/swaps/custom purchases by my lovely friends in the US. 

I will list my kaleidoscopes below... This post is actually an excellent way for me to keep track without having to look in my "Kaleidoscope Drawer" and you guys can enjoy the swatches :D Kaleidoscopes listed in order of acquisition:

{Part 1}
- Splendid Frost
- Le Cirque
- Silk Road
- Penelope
- Oscar de La Renta
- City Girl
- Come One, Come All
- Antiquite Poupee 
{Part 2}
- Cherry Blossom
- Chinoiserie Azure
- Violaceous Splendour
- Modernist Merlot
- Devotion
- Northern Lights
- Chauvet Pont d'Arc
- Pallid Incandescents

Btw, I met Dustin Lujan in New York when I was over for my holiday. Oh my, he is a lovely one, and we are catching up for lunch when he visits (hopefully sometime this year!).

There are a few kaleidoscopes that I really would love to own, especially Aphrodite, Mediterranean Seas, and Smoldering Embarkment. Also within my collection, there are a few that I really could do without; Northern Lights (blah), Modernist Merlot (a little muddy on me but when my skin is tan, it is ok), and Cherry Blossom (I only got it for the green shadow lol...) 

Please note that for all my swatch photos, I did not use the flash so the shimmer and sparkle will not show. The shadow finishes will be noted next to the swatch instead.

Splendid Frost

This is the first kaleidoscope that I swapped for and remains my favourite (initial review here and tutorial here). There is something about the colour pairing that suits my skin and lights up my face everytime I wear it. I would have got a backup of this if it was still available at the time. I believe this palette sold out like hot cakes as soon as Messy Wands published a post about Vintage Kaleidoscopes. My review on this palette stands, eventhough my collection has grown considerably. It is simply the best. 

My favourite palette (not just kaleidoscope) of all time. Love love love it.

Le Cirque

This palette is taupe heaven. Oh my gosh, I got this shortly after Splendid Frost and I decided to take it on holiday with me to Indonesia. For two weeks straight, this palette is the only one I wore on my eyes. It is amongst the most used palette in my collection. I have to use this with restraint because I don't have a backup and I will really be sorry to not have this around. Will the kaleidoscope fairy shine upon me and grant me another Le Cirque please? :)

For my initial review, click here.

Silk Road

Oh, I die for this palette. Specifically, the first two tiers. The third plummy colour seems to make this look a little too bruisy for my taste but used in moderation, it gives beautiful depth. I have a soft spot for golds, and the gold in this palette is stellar. Just... amazing. The last shade is harder to the touch but it performs beautifully as a liner.

 

Due to the intensity of the colour and the saturation of shimmer in the layered look, there are few occasions where I could actually wear this confidently. Definitely not one I can wear to work (unlike Splendid Frost or Le Cirque) but it is SO beautiful. Also, I prefer to wear this in the traditional way with lid, crease, outer v and liner placements instead of the couches de couleur method.

   
Penelope

Penelope is another beautiful palette. The overall textures are so smooth, I think the best out of the bunch of eye kaleidoscopes that I own. I am not a big fan of the lavender in this palette though (and by that, I mean layered in the couches de couleur technique) but on its own its a great colour. What I love about this palette is the combination of finishes. It has two satin finishes and two shimmery finishes, which are my favourite eyeshadow finishes to work with.

In terms of texture, eventhough the LMdB shadows are really smooth and finely milled, I believe Burberry is still best in class in this category. However, Burberry loses out in terms of pigmentation, lasting power and selection of colours. 

 

Oscar de La Renta

I have previously reviewed this palette here and also did a FOTN here. This was my first eye/lip kaleidoscope and I loved it. I love the blue-based red lip creme and I love the fact that a highlighter is included. The pink eyeshadow is extremely flattering and the navy teal shade is so gorgeous as a liner. I might be slightly biased though, I do prefer navy colours to line my eyes :)

This palette is the most luxurious LMdB palette ever (and the most expensive). The smooth, buttery texture of the powder products in this palette reminds me of Burberry's infamous texture, but it has the added bonus of terrific pigmentation. The combination of the red lip and a blue liner just ticks every box for me. I think you can create a whole look just with this palette and a good base makeup. Note to self: next face of the day post with under five products?

City Girl

My lovely friend (and fellow LMdB fan) Anthea informed me that Hong Kong LMdB has released their own kaleidoscope and I reviewed it here.

Having owned a few kaleidoscopes already at this point in time, I was a little disappointed to find a few dupes in the kit. The layering of the four shades create a very light, shimmery colour for the eyes that is very easy to use.

Come One, Come All

This is the palette that started to create waves for LMdB (in a not so good way). This kaleidoscope is also known as the dupes palette. Three of the colours in this kit are repromotes (different shade names in the promo, of course) and a lot of LMdB fans were not happy about this at all, especially for a palette that costs $95 dollars a pop. The only original shade, whose originality will indeed be investigated later on in this piece, is the first tier - a satiny peachy pink.

Eventhough this palette had so much bad press surrounding it, I cannot deny that this is a palette that is superb in quality and the couches de couleur technique produces one of the most beautiful gradation of colours. Its a peachy pink-taupe-plum-browny version of heaven. AMAZEBALLS.

Antiquite Poupee

Ahhhh... my FIRST Dustin Lujan creation! I loved this palette when it was released. I was wearing it so much that I actually had to stop myself from reaching for it so that I don't run out within a few short months. My initial review can be found here. I think my favourite thing about this palette is that you can use it to create a rosy smoky eye look, and I don't quite have anything like it in my stash at all.

The finishes of the first, second, and fourth tier are beautifully shimmery and just like the Oscar Palette, the eyeshadows are extremely buttery. The third tier (a scary terracotta red) is harder in texture and sheer, and I like it just fine as it is. I hope you have enjoyed my post and please stay tuned for Part 2.

xx Cindy

Le Metier de Beaute - City Girl - Review and Swatches

I love City Girl. I don't love all released kaleidoscopes but I feel that this kaleidoscope was custom made for me. All of the individual shades are great as a single wash of colour and the layered effect is light, subtle and work appropriate.

The first two tiers in City Girl consist of a light champagne pink and a near matte cornflower blue. The pink is identical to the first tier of Antiquite Poupee. I am quite happy to have a second pan as this is one of my favourite shades ever from LMdB. Its a really nice lid colour on me :D

The last two tiers of this kaleidoscope consists of a sparkling lavender and an olive/taupe/grey shade. If you remember my post on Splendid Frost, the last tier is identical to Crystal Ball which is another eyeshadow favourite of mine from LMdB.

Here are swatches of the individual colours and the layered result. If these are your kind of colours, I suggest you track this palette down somehow. The quality is the best I have seen in the market, the shadows are so wonderfully pigmented and finely milled. A dream to apply.

Cindy