GUERLAIN Holiday 2023 Makeup Collection

The Guerlain Holiday 2023 Makeup Collection is definitely the most daring and unique holiday collection this year. The theme is quite unusual for a holiday collection being "Animal Fantasy" and Guerlain certainly wasn't shy with the colors and packaging. I was able to get the collection from the recent Sephora sale but these were one of the first to disappear from the site. Most items are still available on the Guerlain website (the lipsticks and the cases are only spotted here) and at the major retailers, though. Read on for some detailed photos, swatches, and my makeup look.

Guerlain Ombres G 879 Glittery Tiger ($90, Neiman Marcus)

This limited edition quad comes with glittery packaging that looks like tiger stripes. Hench the name, Glittery Tiger. It is borderline gaudy but I personally love it. 

What is inside is even bolder. The colorway features rich green, purple, gold, and satin pink.

Personally, I am not keen on greens but I love them with purple and pink. Such a beautiful color combination that has so much potential!

I am not sure if Guerlain has changed the eyeshadow formula for good, but these are not the baked formulas found in the original 6 quads. Just like the recent Fall 2023 eyeshadow palettes, these eyeshadows come in a pressed powder formula. Except for the matte purple shade that feels a bit stiffer, all 3 colors swatch beautifully. They feel soft and creamy and blend seamlessly.

Guerlain Météorites Fierce Glow 2 Clair ($70, Saks Fifth Avenue)

Now, this is a gorgeous packaging! It is one of the existing shades, but I had to get this for this beautiful tin.

Guerlain has recently reformulated these iconic finishing powder pearls. Now they are talc-free but the overall opinion is that they are less lustrous and have a softer texture. 

I saw some photos of the Météorites from this collection being dusty and irregular with some broken pearls so I was quite worried before ordering. Luckily, mine arrived in pretty good condition although I have to agree that they don't look as good as the previous ones. The powder still does a great job polishing and adding a subtle luminous finish to the complexion.

Guerlain Rouge G 521 Flaming Pink + The Animal Fantasy case ($74, Guerlain)

There is a matching glittery Rouge G case but this green leopard design appealed to me more. It has a really soft velvet face. So unique and beautiful!

There are 3 lip shades in this collection and I chose Flamingo Pink which I believe is an existing color.

This warm powdery pink is gorgeous and the Guerlain velvet formula is one of the best out there. However, after trying this color with the rest of the collection, I don't think it goes with the color story very well. Maybe Guerlain just repromoted this shade for the sake of the animal theme of the collection.

By the way, the color story of Glittery Tiger reminds me of Chanel Byzance quad, Parure Baroque, so I've made a comparison:

They are not dupes of each other but you can clearly see the same idea manifested in different ways. Both are beautiful!

Some people might think these color stories are too bold and hard to pull off. I personally have no issue putting all 4 colors from each quad on my eyes (trust me, these couture artists designed these colorways thoughtfully for sophisticated looks) but I also want to show you how versatile they can be.

When you mix these bold shades together (red & green from the Chanel, purple & green from the Guerlain), you get these beautiful neutral browns that are perfect for smokey eye looks!

In fact, I love these complex shades so much that I have been sporting these combos quite often lately!

Now, back to the Guerlain collection. Here is a makeup look that I put together using this beautiful collection:

Since I see the Flamingo Pink shade as kind of a misfit, I decided to wear the Dreamy Garnet shade from last year's Guerlain holiday collection. Dreamy Garnet is actually very close to Untamed Garnet in this year's collection and is still available.

(Note: the lipsticks and the cases have not been released to other retailers this year and the Untamed Garnet has sold out on the Guerlain website. Probably because it looked so beautiful on Natalia Vodianova in the promo.)

I did not pick up the limited edition bronzer from this collection as I have many Guerlain bronzers already. Guerlain Terracotta Light in the Light Cool shade adds a perfect warm (but not too warm) touch to the complexion.

I am also sporting all 4 eyeshadow colors here. They blend and harmonize so nicely that I don't feel the finished look is too much at all.

The bottom line, this is such a gorgeous and unique makeup collection and a standout from this year's holiday makeup offerings. If you love to play with colors and want something different yet chic, this would be the collection for you. I'd highly recommend it.

The Guerlain Holiday 2023 Makeup Collection is available at these retailers:

https://shopmy.us/collections/290745

*This makeup collection was purchased by me. This post contains some affiliate links. Thank you for choosing to use them.