Flashback Beauty Friday 63: Lancôme Ellipse

Post does not contain affiliate links or PR gifted items.

Last week I spoke (again) about the discontinued brand, Pout, in particular their Lipslick lipglosses (of which I own quite a lot). Today I have something from a limited edition launch 14 years ago.

I've shown you pieces from both the Spring and Autumn 2008 collections from Lancôme previously, but this was part of their summer collection. Now, information on this launch is scarce online. It's taken quite a bit of scouring to find the little snippets I have and unfortunately my memory isn't good enough these days to recall anything from back then. I couldn't find any other bloggers talking about this at the time and although I began blogging here in 2008, I never mentioned it either. I did eventually manage to find one campaign image, which confirmed I had my date correct and gave me the name of the collection.

The Summer 2008 collection was called Divine Summer and the item I have here, Ellipse, Spectacular Effects Eyeshadow, Silky Smooth and Long Lasting.  Lancôme previously launched a variation of this eyeshadow as part of their Luna Chic 2006 Holiday collection. These came in weighty metal compacts, which swung open, but the one I have today is most definitely a more summery variation. It's transparent plastic and very light with a silver mirrored circle where you swivel. The round eyeshadow pan is off-centre and slightly obscured by the silver, but the colour visible through the rest of the compact, creating this eclipse effect.

This version came with a little clear PVC drawstring bag holding the compact and small sponge applicator inside. It's really tactile, I like touching it! I believe the other shade had matching cord to the shadow, like how mine is blue. The transparency and finish of the bag and compact really compliment each other and add to that Summer by the pool feel.

I think there were maybe only the two colours in the summer launch; 004 Ultra Pool (blue), which I have here and 005 Infra Gold (yellow-gold). Upon close inspection the powder has very sporadic shimmer, not enough to be anywhere near a glitter or shimmer finish, but it's definitely not a flat matte when swatched. There's a little something there. I'm not even sure I'd go as far as calling it a satin finish, but it's not matte-matte in my opinion. It's a bright blue and quite staining. It's very pigmented, so you need to apply it carefully as removing mistakes will likely be messy.

Aaron de Mey was the newly appointed Creative Director of makeup at Lancôme in 2008 until 2015, so there were many exciting launches that year with interesting packaging concepts and colours.  Do you remember this one?