For the 2009 holiday season Guerlain Creative Director Olivier Échaudemaison wanted to create a collection that signified royalty but was still relevant to the modern woman. The star of the collection is the Météorites Perles Impériales, which houses their signature small clusters of highlighting powder in a glittering, marcasite-like cylinder case topped with clear rhinestones.
Inside:
With flash:
Here is Échaudemaison's vision: "A new story and a new Christmas tale, illustrated – as before – by Princess Natalia. This time, she was proclaimed Empress!
A tribute to the femme-enfant, so wonderfully interpreted by Romy Schneider in Sissi: The Young Empress. A tribute also to history: Guerlain fondly remembers being distinguished as the very official and exclusive “Her Majesty Empress Eugenia’s patented Perfumer” in 1853. Seems like only yesterday!
In the 21st century, inspiration from the past and from all things exotic is the fuel of creation. We continue to like opulence, but in a more balanced way. Splendour is underlined with humour: while jewels bedazzle with their brilliance, the cascading rivers of diamonds may not come from Place Vendôme!
The nobility of precious stones and fabrics is enhanced with the elegance of luminous, delicately scintillating makeup. The ingredients used to achieve it are at the leading edge of sophistication, combining shades of gold with the finest powders and easy-to-apply textures, for the best possible results. Our Empress may thus apply her own makeup, without the help of a maid or… a makeup artist. A dreamy modern beauty who plays with makeup to feel sublime, an evening, a night… for a lifetime."
That's all well and good, but I think the theme of royalty was better expressed in the Les Ors collection of 2010. Still, this is a nice piece and laid the groundwork for that collection, so I can't complain too much. 🙂