Party season is an open invitation to experiment with your makeup, and one Guerlain eye palette definitely got the memo. Heading up the brand's Christmas collection, the Ombres G 879 Glittery Tiger Eyeshadow Quad is here for glamour, for individuality and for turning up.
Put together by our favourite French Girl (and Guerlain Makeup Creative Director), Violette, the palette has the beauty connoisseur's signature alchemy of creating a modern twist on a classic – in this case, a festive smoky eye. Instead of blacks, greys and browns, you're met with daring shades of plum, glitz green, yellow gold and silky pink. You wouldn't think they'd work and yet… they're surprisingly inviting.
For the shades and finishes, Violette was inspired by nature. “For me, nature is an unending source of inspiration,” she explains, noting she referenced “opulent rhinestones” and “velvet, daring colours”. As for the packaging? It needs a moment. The heavy metal compact features a black and silver velvet and shimmer leopard print lid that nods to the bold quad within. "It's chic, yet audaciously quirky," Violette explains.
It's landed just in time for Christmas (and for Christmas gifting), and it'll see you into the New Year, too. But here's what our team thought when they tried it out.
The product:
The reviews:
Elle, GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor
I can be a little same-y with my eye look. I'll go for a latte look most days, or a shimmery bronze if I want to bump things up a bit. I like that this Guerlain eye palette offers up a challenge and an invitation to experiment. The pigment is just right. It's pigmented enough that it can make an easy impact in one swipe, but it's super blendable, so you can sheer it out or pack it on.
Yes, it's expensive but the packaging is an ornament all on its own – and the edit of shades can be blended together for one kaleidoscopic eye look, or each give a statement in their own right. For my first go, I updated my usual black winged liner with a flash of green along my waterline.
Next time, I might flip it and swap out my black cat-eye for the green and a bare waterline. I love the burgundy – a sheer wash of this across lids would be pretty, or again, it would make a really soft alternative to black liner. The silky pink is neutral enough to wear everyday, or to add a highlight to inner corners – and the yellow-gold is fun. This all over lids with a tan in summer would be beautiful.
Rating: 8/10
Luca, GLAMOUR's Social Media Manager
I haven't been in an eyeshadow kind of mood for a good few months now, opting for mascara-only if I'm wearing makeup. But there was something about this Guerlain palette that really caught my eye.
Despite its leopard-print packaging, the colours actually reminded me of a beetle: rich green, purple, gold and shimmery pink. I decided to try a look I've done many times to put the palette to the test – using the subtle shimmer across the lid, then a smoked-out wing in the burgundy, bringing a little on my lower lash line.
I found that the brush included didn't help pack as much punch as I wanted, but with my finger I was able to heap on some pigment a lot more easily. This is a great palette to have on the roster in the festive season, so I'll definitely be reaching for it to try out some different looks in the coming weeks.
Rating: 8/10
Fiona, GLAMOUR's Acting Associate Beauty Director
I like a subtle wash of eyeshadow rather than anything too pigmented, so this palette ticked that box straight away – as it allows you to really build up the colour. It also made the deeper shades of burgundy and forest green less intimidating to wear. Despite being a powder, the shadows go on with the ease of a cream, so you're never in danger of tugging the delicate skin on your eyelids. A really nice palette for party season.
Rating: 8/10
Lian, GLAMOUR's Audience Development Manager
I’d describe my eyeshadow tastes as “conservative” at the best of times, typically opting for browns and darker shades to create a smokey eye, so I have to admit that when I was met with the metallic green, matte purple, gold and satin pink shades of the palette, I was a little intimidated.
Nevertheless, I liberally applied the rich purple around the corners of my top lid, blending it out with the lighter pink tone in my inner corners before using my finger to top my lid with the yellowy gold shade in the centre. I immediately noticed how pigmented the shades came out and how little fallout there was, with the colour transferring like a breeze.
Finally, using a precise applicator, I added a sharp green under eye to pull the look together. Overall, while I wouldn’t usually go for these shades, I found that as I created the look, the colour story made so much sense to me and I could definitely see myself trialing this look again.
Rating: 8/10
Georgia, GLAMOUR's Senior Commerce Writer
I love nothing more than an eyeshadow quad – especially ones with colours and packaging as pretty as this one from Guerlain. As eye-catching as it is, though, I do think that it could have done with at least one matte transitional shade in there, just to ease into everything a bit more smoothly.
To trial it, I applied the metallic green all over my eyelids and then highlighted my inner corners with the champagne hue to create a festive look that complimented my brown eyes. I will say I expected them to be a little bit more pigmented, but, in hindsight, a wash of colour is probably much more wearable for me these days.
Rating: 6/10
For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
