A new, limited edition of the cult classic Guerlain Météorites is always a big event in a beauty lover's world! These luxurious powder pearls come in three permanent shades, but the brand often releases new ephemeral versions with unique color combinations and special packaging. I know many makeup lovers who collect them and keep them on display in their little personal beauty museum - that's how gorgeous they are! These limited editions often offer a different result compared to what the permanent shades are known for: more reflective, more colorful, sparklier... So what makes this Summer 2016 edition of the Météorites Pearls special? Let's take a closer look!






But first, do you know what the Guerlain Météorites really are? I'm sure you've heard about them before, but have you ever experienced them yourself? Let's take a moment to talk about the story behind this outstanding product. Guerlain first launched the "light revealing pearls of powder" in 1987, revolutionizing the way women apply makeup. Instead of classic loose powder, messy and prone to spilling or flying around, Guerlain started making little multi-colored round balls of baked powder. Besides the convenience, this technological breakthrough allowed Guerlain to create a skin enhancing finishing powder by mixing pearls of various colors that correct, brighten, blur, reflect light... With their limited editions, the brand changes their "recipe" each time with pearls of different colors for a different effect. When you swirl your brush into the small container, the pearls roll around and the bristles get coated with a balanced mix of all the shades to apply all over the face for a seamless finish.




This summer's edition, called Carousel, features miniature shimmery ivory pearls with lilac, golden yellow and bright warm rose pearls. The powder released by the pearls is the absolute finest you'll ever find. It's not just lightweight, it's one step beyond completely weightless, so the finish is never, ever powdery. Météorites is a good name to indicate that this powder focuses on light. Like most of the other Météorites versions, the Pearls Carousel are not a highlighter, but a luminous finishing powder. They slightly blur skin texture, offering a kind of soft focus finish, and impart radiance to the skin. Not a strong glow like a highlighter would, but more of a subtle halo of light that illuminates the skin without being noticeable.




The many warm rose pearls in the Carousel edition give the powder a distinct pink tint. You can see it in my swatch below (this is a VERY heavy swatch), together with the tiny sparkles reflecting the sunlight. Once applied you can't really see any individual sparkle, they fuse with the skin to create the luminous finish, so don't worry, this is not a product that will turn your face into a disco ball.

HEAVY swatch of Guerlain Meteorites Pearls Carousel

I was a little worried that the pink color would make me look like a little piggy since I'm more neutral to warm-toned, but instead it gives me a fresh, healthy look. As an all-over powder it could be a little too pink for people with very warm undertones though, and potentially too dark for people with very fair skin. If it's your case, you might want to test it at a counter before making a purchase to see how it plays with your own skin tone.

On the other hand, the fresh pink color makes the Pearls Carousel great as a subtle blush for fair to light-medium skin tones if applied heavily enough. I used the little powder puff to pack the color on my cheeks, and because it's so finely milled I could build it up without it turning powdery or dry at all. The result is a pretty, natural flush of pink with a beautiful subtle glow, and it lasted all day.

Wearing the Guerlain Meteorites Pearls Carousel as a blush (and my St Patrick's Day makeup!)

Here's a picture to compare the Météorites Pearls Carousel to the permanent shade Clair (I have a 10-year old version, back from when the lightest color was actually called Mythic, which explains the cardboard box, but although the name and packaging have changed, the pearls remained the same. By the way, this picture should prove that a container will likely last a lifetime!). You can see that the pink pearls in the Carousel version are much warmer, deeper and brighter than the ones in Clair. While the mix of pearls is also more balanced in Clair, there are many more pink pearls than lilac and yellow pearls in Carousel.

Left: Guerlain Meteorites in permanent shade Clair (02) Right: this summer's Meteorites Pearls Carousel

Of course I can't review these new Météorites without talking about the stunning limited edition packaging. As usual the Pearls Carousel come in a metal box (cardboard was abandoned years ago), but this time it's painted a pastel pink with dots of bright colors to evoke a spinning carousel. The white lid is adorned with a rosace featuring the colors of the pearls housed inside. Doesn't it look like it could be coming from a fancy pâtisserie like Ladurée? This tin box is absolutely gorgeous but also sturdy, and as you open the lid you are greeted with Guerlain's signature scent, common to all their powders, a sweet violet. The object is truly luxurious, and for me it justifies the $62 price tag.






The Météorites Pearls Carousel are another delightful declination of Guerlain's best-selling luminous powder pearls, with a pink twist this time. If you're a Météorites fan and have always dreamed of a pink edition, this one is for you! If you're new to the Météorites universe, the Pearls Carousel would also be a good place to start, since they can be used both as an all-over finishing powder and as a subtle blush.



Being limited edition and seeked by collectors, the Météorites Pearls Carousel won't last, so if you want them, don't wait too long!



The product featured in this review was purchased by Lulle. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links.