Mr. White must have liked Mr. Purple.
Mr. White was my middle school music teacher, and one year in band he had us play a medley of Prince songs as an ode to The Purple One (I played the flute). Imagine, if you will, a room filled with 13-year-olds, their instruments out of tune, rocking out to Raspberry Beret and Purple Rain. And while it must have been painful for him, Mr. White sat through the entire thing with a straight face. I only wish I’d had the foresight to tape the ghastly tune; it would have made an awesome ringtone.
This occurred to me today while playing with the purples in Lancome’s spring collection, Ultra Lavande, a limited edition release for eyes, lips, cheeks and nails. The release recently pranced onto shelves and online, and, for the record, it went well with Take Me With You (MY FAVE!) playing in the background. 🙂
For the lowdown on the entire Lancome Ultra Lavande Collection, check out The Lancome Ultra Lavande Collection for Spring 2011: Now THAT’s a Lot of Purple
A few Lancome Ultra Lavande clockwise from the gold pot on the lower left: Ombre Magnetique Long Wearing Shadow in Disco Gold, Ombre Magnetique Long Wearing Shadow in Disco Silver, French Touch Absolu in Berry Rose and Butterflies Fever Ultra Lavande Blush
Butterlies Fever Ultra Lavande Blush ($40)
Butterflies Fever Blush was the piece I was most excited about before the collection came out, and I think it looks just as beautiful in person as it does in pictures. The color’s a lot lighter then I thought it would be, however, and the darker purple shades in the smaller butterflies turned out to be an overspray (bummer). BTW, the flecks of glitter in the pan are HUGE! MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B
Ombre Lagnetique Long Wearing Shadows in Disco Gold and Disco Silver ($25 each)
Both deliver mad sparkle. If you like gobs o’ glitter and don’t mind a somewhat dry cream texture, these might make you wanna boogie down. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B
French Touch Absolu Lipstick in Berry Rose ($35)
How cute is this tube? It’s got a cool disco ball thing goin’, but it picks up every fingerprint. This pigmented creamy berry, unscented and unflavored, feels smooth and slick on my lips. MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-
Butterflies Fever Ultra Lavande Blush, $40
Ombre Magnetique Long Wearing Shadow in Disco Gold on the left and Disco Silver on the right, $25 each
French Touch Absolu in Berry Rose, $35
Swatches from the left with the flash: Ombre Magnetique Long Wearing Shadow in Disco Silver, Ombre Magnetique Long Wearing Shadow in Disco Gold, French Touch Absolu in Berry Rose and Butterflies Fever Ultra Lavande Blush
Without the flash
French Touch Absolu in Berry Rose
So what do ya think? Does it make you want to party like it’s 1999? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Rae says
Unscented, unflavoured, AND berry? I am *so* there.
As usual, thanks for the awesome photos & swatches, Karen 🙂
Karen says
You’re welcome, Rae! Have a great week. 🙂
AnieJ says
This is really pretty inside its packaging, but I’m not feeling the products for actual use. I feel like I’ve seen better stuff for spring. Sorry Lancome…
Karen says
What spring collections are you liking so far, Anie?
AnieJ says
Oh definitely the smoky eyes of Dior. The palette you reviewed (the one with the beautiful, drool-worthy grey liner inside), I think it was call Pink Design or Nude Pink Design (?) is really trying to just rip the money out of my wallet.
I just got Estee Lauder’s Gloss Stick in Summer Melon, and LOVE it. I think I might be skipping right to summer as a mid-winter pick me up… Anyway, Summer Melon makes me feel like I have the Givenchy orange lips squared away early!
Anyone else really feelin’ a Spring collection?
Karen says
Oh, Dior Soft Pink Design! Yeah, that gray liner is killer!
Estee Lauder has done a lot of cute things in the last year or so! I’m really looking forward to their summer stuff.
As for spring collections, right now I’m crushing on Laura Mercier Silk Road and MAC WW. Clinique’s Milly Palette’s a lot of fun too.
AnieJ says
Wonder Woman, oh my god your posts were brilliant to that! I’m sad to hear so much was weird with the packaging for that, i.e. jumbo lipglasses difficult to open and no mirror in humungo mineralized skin finishes.
I’m still dying for Pink Power, Emancipation, and Marquise d’ though. Nothing can stop me…not even a speeding bullet!
Karen says
Those are great colors! 🙂 I’m sure you’ll love ’em.
dani@callitbeauty says
ooh, LOVE berry rose! butterflies fever looks gorgeous in the pan, but the swatch is a bit of a disappointment for me because my skin’s on the yellower side.
Karen says
Yeah, I was hoping it would be darker and bit more purple, kinda like NARS Sin.
Chelsie says
I love the lip color on you! It’s lovely.
Karen says
Thanks, Chelsie!
Do you plan on checking out this collection?
AnieJ says
I second that, it’s a very nice shade on you, Karen. That’s a keeper! Maybe a V-Day lippy…hmmmm?
Karen says
You guys will have to try it! It looks kinda dark in the tube but it’s surprisingly wearable.
Makeup Morsels says
I’m so in love with that blush, and I don’t even normally wear blush. Too bad the butterflies are overspray though 🙁 The Ombre Magnetique in Silver looks pretty, I think I’m going to drop by and swatch it this weekend.
Karen says
It’s very cool! The shimmer is very BAM!
snoopysteph says
Totally want the blush! Saving my pennies though for when Chantecaille comes out with the turtle eyeshadow quad. That will be quite a splurge!
Karen says
What an awesome splurge. I’m already putting pennies away for Chanel summer… can’t wait!
Heidi says
And….. now I’ve gotta go dust off my Purple Rain soundtrack! You always do this to me with the 80s music, Karen!
“Oh, Missy….. we need to dance around to Let’s Go Crazy just once, THEN you can have the living room to yourself!”
Karen says
I’ve tried getting Tabs to dance with me but he won’t even try it! I think he considers my moves “uncool.”
Agnes says
bummerr! i was really looking forward to their blush as well cause it looks sooo gorgeous! kind of wished it wasnt just an overspray! and that it was slightly darker too… im scared that blush might turn out a bit ashy on me!
but thanks for the swatches karen 🙂 always count on you to get these up just when i need them!! 😀
Karen says
You’re welcome, Agnes. Have a great week!
gio says
The blush is gorgeous but it’s too bad the butterflies are oversprayed. Bummer! The lipstick is very pretty too.
Karen says
I know! The purple came off the first time I used it.
Amee says
that Lipstick and Blush is killing me…. : drooling: :drooling:
Karen says
Glad you like it!
Nika says
Love the shadows and the berry lipstick!
Karen says
Me too!
Kim says
Seriously, it’s called Disco Silver. How can you go wrong? 🙂 I don’t think I mentioned the last time that I think the Butterflies is very cute. I’m pretty much a sucker for that kind of thing.
That is so funny about Mr. White – I can imagine sitting through the band’s Purple Rain was fairly rough. That album always reminds me of the soccer bus – one of our gals was named Nicole and she played Darling Nikki over and over.
Btw, the Purple one could use a chest wax (or at least a trim) in that pic. That clump is a little creepy. 🙂
Karen says
Darling Nikki is one I always skip over… I know, sacrilege!
Kim says
I haven’t listened to it since then but I remember it was a bit on the filthy side (or at least it seemed that way when we were in high school). 🙂
Kerry says
I totally want this just because of the Prince reference. 🙂
Karen says
Haha! I’m sure the purple one would approve of this release. 🙂
Faye says
I hauled like a madwoman from this last week — and also thought of Prince! I bought the blush with the butterfly, the glittery lavendar cream shadow, both nail polishes (regular lilac and lilac with the blue glitter bombs in it), the Berry Rose lipstick, and the two other new lipsticks (Lily Rose and Daisy Rose, I think they’re called?). I love everything. It’s so girly and spring-y and fabulous. I’ll probably only wear bits of it at once, but it makes me wish I was the kind of girl who could wear it all at once :).
The berry lipstick looks great on you!
Karen says
Oh nice! I vote you wear all the colors at once just for the heck of it around the house. 🙂
Nina says
i <3 the lipstick on you … 🙂
i must have disco silver and disco gold — if only for the names LOL! gotta love that!
Karen says
Thanks. 🙂
I like the names too. They need one called Dancing Queen though, LOL!
Nina says
yes they do — it can be like a glittery pink or purple! 😀
BlovetBeauty says
the lipstick looks so good and pigmented on u! lovely!
Karen says
Thanks!
Ishi says
You’re so lucky Karen, me want all the stuff he he
Btw , I really like your blog n his mascot
Lisa says
I actually bought the Kohl Liner in Ultra Lavande and Nail Laquer in Le 54 from this collection just hours ago. Love them both! The nail polish requires at least 3 coats to look really good. Sheer purple with blue glitter?!? C’mon!!!! They had me at sheer purple! The blue glitter was the icing on the cake!
But honestly, you can never have enough purple….
Andreea says
Have tried out the palette with the sparkling lilac, really crazy and a LOT of purple. The colours are not so well pigmented, but that makes them rather wearable, only the dark colour gives alittle whamm.
The lipsticks are very nice, but they are hella expensive I think.
Here are oics of the Lancome Warm Lavande Palette:
http://www.mybeautyblog.de/news/lancome-ultra-lavande-2011-ombre-absolue-minerale-n%c2%b0-a70-warm-lavande/
Sorry, the text is in german, but the pics might be helpful for the Prince fans (purple rain, purple rain…)
Nancy F. says
I rec’d the Butterflies Blush, and it is lighter than I expected on my NC37 skin. But, it shows up nicely on my paler winter skin. I pair it with a nude lip (got a tube of MAC Cherish that I’ve been crushing on) and a neutral eye. I was a sucker for the pretty packaging of the blush, tho…but sadly, not much else in the launch grabbed at me except the Color Fever Gloss in the purple Lavande Ballerine to add some shine and shimmer…no real color factor for that either.
Landers says
I am dying to have the blush! It’s so beautiful, but I would probably never use it… just open it up, smile, and be happy! haha
Thanks for the review and swatches! Do you have the nail polishes? They look nice on the website.
Meghan says
I am still in love with the blush, but thats a little pricey!
@PTTScarlet says
I am still in love with that butterfly design on the blush – pretty and flirty!