I saw photos of Cruel Gardenia in October last year and I knew I had to have it - it screamed collector's item. I have much too many highlighters but I think Cruel Gardenia is just beautiful to look at.
The design is intricate but perfectly executed.
Cruel Gardenia feels like a cream product to touch but has a powder finish. It is very easy to blend into your skin for seamless highlighting.
However I am not so enthusiastic about the packaging. I think Guerlain was very lazy to house this in a plastic screw top container with a cheap mock mother of pearl print. Worst of all is that when removing the lid, it is very easy to bump into the actual product - the catch on the screw top lid doesn't work quite as well as it should.
The size of the product took me by surprise - for some reason I was expecting something a lot smaller.
And here it is next to Rose Rendezvous by Laura Mercier. The texture and finish of the two products are identical, the only difference being the colour. I think it is pretty safe to say both products come from the same factory in Italy.
As you can see, Cruel Gardenia is a cool tone pink whilst Rose Rendezvous is a peach tone. As similar as they are in design, I feel it is worth having both due to differences in colour. But having said that, if you are not fussed about the design itself, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives on the market (one that impressed me was the Boots No.7 Spring Vital Enlightening Highlighter by Lisa Eldridge).
Guerlain Météorites Cruel Gardenia retails for £41 in the UK.
6 February 2012 at 09:00
Gorgeous! I don't actually think I could bear to use it!
6 February 2012 at 23:24
I bought this last week as I missed out on the Laura Mercier (I cant do the crazy eBay prices) and its absolutely gorgeous, I swatched it in the store and couldnt put it down. Now I've got it I cant bear to spoil it by using it hahaha! I do agree about the packaging though, knowing how Guerlain's packaging is usually so ornate it seemed a little on the simple side. You have to open it very carefully otherwise you could easily chip a piece off!
7 February 2012 at 08:29
Pandora - Yes I actualy avoid using it because I'm going to ruin the design :/
JA_UK - Exactly, don't want to ruin it! I wished they had put it in a nicer container that's easy to open. That would make it a perfect product.
10 February 2012 at 00:43
This is another Guerain product that is amazingly beautiful to look at! Of course, I do not doubt Guerlain's quality! Your photos (close-up shots) are amazing, Sylvie!
11 February 2012 at 23:00
Jess - You're too sweet. Thanks! x