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I'm back with quite an interesting, innovative piece of beauty history for
Flashback Beauty Friday, both in terms of packaging and product. If you missed last week, it was a look back at
single eyeshadow compacts from Urban Decay and how they've changed over the years. Today, I'm going back to Spring 2008 and Gucci Westman's final collection at Lancôme as artistic director.
The Spring '08 collection was titled L.U.C.I. which stands for Luminous Colourless Colour Intelligence. It was all about iridescent light and transparency, such as the colours you see on butterfly wings or a shimmering shell and how they reflect and change in the light. As is usual with Lancôme, they had different shades in different parts of the world and actually now that I think of it, I have several lipglosses and a lipstick, also from this collection (some being US exclusive shades if I remember correctly). The item I have to show you today is the
L.U.C.I. Eyes, Light Colour In Motion - Eyeshadow Duo in 01 Ray Of Green Light. Now this also came in blue, both available in the UK and likely Europe, but there was a bronze which was the only shade available in the US (I think), but Asia had all three colours.
The compact is really weighty and shaped like a shell with the Lancôme rose incorporated and apparently designed by fashion designer Alexis Mabille. The compact has a slight pearlized sheen to it and the layers are really interesting for a makeup item, it's more like a piece of art.
It comes in a lined, velvet, drawstring pouch.
The box reads "experiment no-layer light on your skin. Apply the duo on the eye zone and on other rounded surfaces of the face (except lips) for a "Ray of Light Effect". Your beauty radiates".
Inside you have two shades of eyeshadow, a bigger one, the teal green and then a more luminous shade that shifts dramatically in the light and can create cool looks layering with the coloured shadow. Although this was hailed as quite a futuristic, scientific take on makeup, it reminds me so much of the Lancôme 90's Chrysalis collection which also played around with supposedly "white" shades which changed colour when layered. In that case, it was black as the base and you applied a colourless shade over the top and depending on which one you'd bought it turned purple or blue or green. They had eyeshadow duos and nail polish duos, which I had and that collection is one of my all-time favourite beauty campaigns ever (but more on that another time).
There's a mirror inside the lid with a pearl...I'm a sucker for pearls and shells to be honest.
It comes with a leaflet of ideas on which colours to apply where and here's what's written.
Lancôme invents colourless colour to reveal your natural glow.
- New generation of colourless colours which defract 100% light: Photonic Technology
- Mineral structures create dazzling light
Gucci Westman's tips:
Do not hesitate to play with the two shades and to apply one on top of the other!
Apply the white shade over the colour; the colour awakens, is transformed and its reflections become ultra-bright. Alternatively use the white as a base under the coloured shade; the white will provide the coloured reflections with a subtle depth.
I've swatched them above. From top, the teal shade, the light shade, then the last swatch (bottom or left) is the lighter shade over the top of the teal. The photo doesn't really capture the movement of the colours, but you get an idea. I've reached for this quite a lot over the years, as I really like the colour. It was the amazing compact I was drawn to though, it's just stunning. Do you remember this collection?
That looks cool! The packing reminds me so much of Star Trek haha!
ReplyDeleteTotally, I can see that!
DeleteHello Gemma! Greetings from Canada : ) I've been going down memory lane, wondering about with makeup that I've lost or is missing, and makeup I wish I bought. And I was thinking, there was a Lancome, transformation themed, beautiful pearly eyeshadow to layer, and was something 'new age' or modern..I even remember the Lancome lady explaining it to me, and how the package was so intense..but I remember I was younger, and not into makeup yet. I would have been my 3rd year of university. But I remember it now, and I wish it was available. So I did some googling and came across your blog. And was so lovely to read about it and see photos. I saw there is someone selling it on Ebay and I am tempter to get it. I've come to love makeup and collect beautiful pieces. But I'm not sure yet. Ive never bought online like this before. Any way, do enjoy it, and know, the blue one made it to Canada. I do remember being shown the blue one..and even the package..I thought it was a dark case but I may remember that wrong but I feel I remember a few shades, like at least two. But it was a small moment..left an impression! But I don't remember exactly. Anyway, thank you for your post!
ReplyDeleteWarmest wishes in colour!
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Hello, lovely to hear from you. I'm not blogging these days due to illness, but I do get notified of comments. I'm wondering if you're remembering that Chrysalis collection from Spring 1998 that I mentioned in the article, as they came in the (what was then regular) black compacts IIRC. I'm sure I still have a couple somewhere, the square pressed powder eyeshadows looked black and white, but the 'white' one changed colour when applied over the black. The nail polish did the same and came as a little set of two small bottles to layer. I LOVED that collection, that and the winter red makeup/snowglobe campaign images are probably my favourite ever makeup advertisements for visuals. This shell compact is really special too, it's really heavy and like an arty ornament in itself. I miss doing these posts, I've always been so drawn to weird and wonderful packaging, so they're really interesting to look at and talk about, even years down the line. Thanks for taking the time to comment, G x
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