The lazy girl’s guide: Spring 2019 makeup collections

Let’s have a look into how this explosion of pink came to be, and if something of it is worth your money, or your time. I, for one, am thoroughly pinked out now!

Somewhere in Paris, Fall 2018.

Some people are skyping Lisa Eldridge, asking for ideas about the Lancome Spring 2019 collection. Two hours later…
“What did she propose?”
“I’ve no idea, but doesn’t she have the most soothing voice!”
“Well, it’s Spring. We can’t go wrong with pink and playful, right?” “Right.”

At Guerlain HQ, an imposing Madame speaks to her harried underlings: “Just book that Russian model again, and use pink! And embossing, embossing!!! Where?! On the LIPSTICKS, Angelique, don’t be difficult, where else? I’m out for lunch. Don’t expect me back until five!”

NARS HQ. A group of people sit in a black and white room. There’s an artful Japanese flower arrangement on the table. Nobody speaks. Until… a voice: “We… just… put Naomi’s face on it?!” Other voices, relieved: “Great idea!” “Smashing!” “Awesome!”

Across the city, Peter Philips wakes up from a dream about candy canes, violet pastilles and sugar cookies, and is confused. Did Tom talk to him again about the importance of sugar work and that English TV baking show AGAIN?

Tom Pecheux, at the same time, discovers he’s a holosexual. A whole new world of shimmer, rainbows and sparkle opens up before him, and. He. Dives. In.

In the meantime, at Clarins:
“Did you know that people now takes pictures of themselves and post them on the internet, and it’s called a selfie?”
“No way!”
“But there’s more: people post pictures and give product recommendations and, get this, are paid for that!”
“You’re kidding me.”
“AND: people listen to them!!!”
“Let’s get into that.”

Elsewhere, at the same time

MAC, 5^th Avenue, New York.
Some executives commiserate over numbers. “Do you have any idea what happened”, one asks mournfully. “No idea”, the other answers.
“Influencer lipsticks didn’t work that well.”
“And don’t mention the Holiday Collection!”
(…)
“So, for spring: some influencers? Some extra packaging?”
“Sounds reasonable.”

In Bangkok, Thailand, Lucia Pica wakes up in the executive suite of the W Hotel. Languidly, she looks out over the bustling city, while nibbling on the perfect croissant, sipping a cappuccino. “Asia is so incredibly inspiring”, she mutters to herself.

Recommendations – hot or not?

Lancome – Café Bonheur

The colour scheme is firmly pink and glittery. Marbled pastel-coloured lipsticks, a ten-pan eyeshadow palette ranging from neutrals to pink (one pop of turquoise), a glittery pink nail polish and a blush (pink-hued) that poaches the Meteorites from Guerlain, but make it letters, not balls! Been there, done that?

Guerlain – Morning Love

Pink everywhere. The star product is the highlighter duo on lavender and pink. The KissKiss lipsticks (all LE colours) are, in fact, embossed with a star and moon pattern, and rather sheer and shimmery (Grandma alert!). (Some swatches at BritishBeautyBlogger.) The eye and brow palette comes in purple and nude, and baffles me. Purple brows seem a bit forward for Guerlain, n’est-ce pas?

Nars – Wanderluxe

Cleverly called ‘edit’, we get a hodgepodge of perm eyeshadows, a lipbalm, and a tri-colour blush/bronzer/highlighter thingie. Come on, give me something to work with, NARS! Invest in product development instead of super duper models.

Dior – Lolli’Glow

Dior is living in a Polly Pocket universe right now. Let me just mention the obvious dissonance of selling products alluding to kiddy makeup to grown women in the luxury/high-end sector… Ok. Dior discovered the baked gelee textures and – it’s not good.
The blush is pink and glittery, the highlighters we’ve seen before (plain plastic packaging now), and the eye shadow quints are pastel and glittery. The Double Rouge lipsticks with a coloured centre look like regular lipsticks in swatches and the swirly Lip Glows are – well, coloured balms. (Temptalia swatched a lot of this collection.) Thank U, next.

YSL – Shimmer Rush

Discovering holo packaging and a pastel pink colour scheme. (Maybe it’s just a sugar rush?) The eye shadow palette is a sad mix of metals and pinks, the Face Shimmer Palette can only be worn by the palest of beauties and the lip oils? Glossy, pink and lilac – what else? (Some swatches here, here, and here.) Oh, and a COTY nail polish! Sigh.

Clarins – Selfie ready

Here we have a small collection of what the good people at Clarins think is trendy: a neutral palette, a primer, mascara, and two duo blush and highlighter sticks. It’s not bad, it’s just too late. Clarins, look at the EstéeEdit to see what happens when established brands think they have to suck it up to the insta generation.

MAC

The intro made you think that there’ll be a conventional Spring LE, right? There won’t. Or, at least, MAC won’t tell you until a few days in advance. Sorry guys, but that’s how the cool guys do things now! (Sneak peek, tho.)

Chanel – Vision d’Asie: L’Art du Détail

Let’s slap something Asia related on so it will sell in China, ok? The Quintessence palette (includes 9 shades) is a wild mix of colours that are nevertheless muted. If you’ve a hankering for blues, reds and golds without transition shades – go for it. (Also, great swatches here, here, and here.)
The cheek balms (Baume Essentiel) – use Vaseline instead? (They add some glitter, though.) Nice for youthful model skin – but useless for skin with foundation applied, or oily skin. I personally can’t deal with the lip powders, and the Rouge Allure Velvets come in (wait for it) beige, red… and pink! (The addition for the Asian market, I guess.)

Spring 2019 makeup collections roundup

If you like pastels and pinks, you’re especially in luck this season. If that doesn’t suit you – hey, money saved, eh?!

Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.