Guerlain's Christmas Collection this year is one of my favorite. I am especially loving Petrouchka Palette and the golden nail polish with foil finish. I was initially not interested in limited edition Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade but after feeling the hype about it and seeing it literally flying off the shelves, I started thinking about getting it. Then I have read a review on a "big blog" stating this is very close to Tom Ford Vampire Kiss, my favorite red at the moment, I decided to get one without swatching since there were no testers at the counter, just to find out that it has nothing to do with Vampire's Kiss. It is like not even close...
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| Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade and my Rouge G Collection |
Let me put the expectations and reality aside, Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade is a beauty. The usual silver/chrome parts of the lipstick is gone in golden and it is hosted in a lovely red limited edition casing. It almost looks like a jewelry other than a lipstick. Some may find the package a bit bulky but I love these. You can see that in the photo above *grins*. It is not only the case but also the formula of Rouge G which I love. It is very pigmented and cream, stays long and doesn't dry out my lips.
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| Swatch: Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade |
Rouge Parade is a warm red. I have to underline warm because there seems to be a misconception about it. I have pulled out some reds that you might be familiar to for a comparison so that you can see what I mean. Almost al the reds I own are cooler than Rouge Parade. Vampire Kiss which was listed as close is almost pink compared to it. Chanel Rouge Allure #101 Passion, #99 Pirate are both significantly cooler, more pink. MAC Damn Glamorous from recent matte collection is also warmer. Armani's classical red, #400, which is the most "natural" red I own is also a tad cooler. The only red which comes close to Rouge Parade is Chanel Rouge Allure #98 Coromandel. Coromandel is just so slightly warmer than Rouge Parade.
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| Comparison swatch: Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade |
On one hand I am happy that I don't own many colors which are close to Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade. On the other hand I have to pay good attention to wear warm makeup, like golds and beiges for this color to work on me. It is not a swipe and go you will look fabulous color for my skin tone, nevertheless is it pretty,
I thought I would never say it but it seems buying a product just by looking at the swatches and reading beauty blogs is not a good idea, if you can't return it. And I sincerely think that only when the products are swatched side by side, in the exact same lighting conditions, it makes sense to trust the comparison. It is a lot of work, but it is reliable!
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| FOTD with Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade |
Final thoughts: If you like warm reds and fabulous Guerlain Rouge G Formula, Guerlain Rouge G #820 Rouge Parade might be your signature red.
When was the last time you made a mistake in purchasing a product by judging the swatches in a blog?
Oops, I'm sorry to hear this isn't exactly what you were hoping it to be! This pulls much warmer on you than it does on me, although I really just finished swatching it so I still have to take a closer look. It looks great on you!
ReplyDeleteHi Sunny,
Deleteyes these type of shades pull warm on me, some reds pull orange too. Thanks, I think the more I wear it, the more I am getting used to this one.
you look lovely as always!!! Christy
ReplyDeleteThanks Christy!
Deletehi sara!! omg....i have learned that unless i actually wear the color there is no way of knowing if i'm going to like the color on me. i like to always look at the campaign model (on the tester unit) to kinda see what direction or "vision" that the artist has but, that's about it! i met a very nice makeup artist who spent a nice amount of time working with me. he made me a detailed makeup chart and, i left with over $300 worth of makeup. he swatched the colors on his hand and i looked at the actual products in front of me. huge mistake!! so, this is why i'll never order makeup online based on pictures, suggestions, swatches, etc. it has resulted in a lot of inconveniences for sure. i was fortunate that the return policies were pretty liberal. i've also learned to definitely read the fine print of what free returns really means. your comparison swatching and FOTD is wonderful and, i sooo look forward to reading your new posts all the time. i'm a 10 in chanel maybe a little less but. i think 10 is their lighest. i can tell you that chanel's jersey and guerlain's rosy boop looked nothing like it looked on you. i think you look very pretty with the guerlain colors but, i will pass on this collection for me. xo to you!!
ReplyDeleteFran says: Have been reading your blog all year and have thoroughly enjoyed your reviews. The color looks very pretty on you and IMO all reds require more work. My last online mistake was a Rouge d'Armani Sheer in 502 which was too cool a pink (I think I got my numbers mixed up). Generally I don't trust the online swatches unless I can find two or more different ones to confirm. The lighting and skintone have a big impact and sometimes the blogger gets mixed up and confused herself especially if she is trying to do a lot at a time. Having said that, the online research and people like yourself have made me try colors I may not have gone for at the counter. My mistake got saved by using it as a blush and mixing it with other lipsticks.
ReplyDeleteI'm totaly in Loooove with it !
ReplyDeleteOn me it doesnt look warm, and i Love it that way !
On Christine from temptalia, it also look warm on her pictures.
Sorry that it doesnt meet your expectations. You look lovely with it !
Xoxo
Michelle
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Hi, Sara! What a lovely shade of red! I love the warm red lipsticks. And you look great (as always).
ReplyDeleteI really like the design of this lipstick, as well as all the Christmas 2014 Guerlain collection generally. But this theme... I am from Ukraine and Russian style is of fashion here now)... I tested this one on my hand, and saw the red-berry shade!) So, I convinced myself that i don't need this lipstick, because I have a very similar - Dior 869 Rouge Massai from fall 2014. But I see now that store lighting deceived me!))))))))))))) Olia.
I love it on you Sara!! I'm still learning not to completely decide on products based solely on blog swatches. It's usually OK if I have access to the counter, but where I need to order online, it's likely the item will look different in person and applied.
ReplyDelete:( No swatch is perfect, but YOU LOOK PERFECT! I'm sorry the red isn't what you were hoping. I've also heard this red described as a perfect neutral red, but it does lean very warm on you. Despite taking a little extra work for you, your readers get to enjoy seeing how pretty you look with this color.
ReplyDeleteI do love the beautiful Guerlain holiday things (plus your impressive stash of Rouge G's!)!!
Well, even if she wasn't what you were expecting, you should have no qualms about the way you look wearing her. This seems to be an astonishingly difficult colour to capture! I swatched it and insisted that on me it looked like a warm red in store, but when I got it home and put it on my lips, lo and behold, it turned cool-ish. I'm confused. Very happy with the colour, but totally confused.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm still uber-jealous that you have Vampire Kiss.
I think a good red is one of the most difficult colors to locate and really must be tried before purchase. It is a strong, powerful, dramatic color that has so many variations, it makes my head spin! And, because it is such a statement making color, if it doesn't have the right undertone and finish and if it isn't applied with care, it can look harsh, garish, or cheap. So, when it comes to red, I'd never buy it based on blog or store swatches. A blog will certainly pique my interest, but then I have to experience the color for myself before actually purchasing it. As for blogger "dupe lists", I think they're rather feeble. Perhaps it is because I can easily discern subtlties in color, but as I look at the "dupes", I find myself thinking "Naw!" "Nope!" "No way!" LOL Anyway, getting back to Rouge Parade, the color does look lovely on you and is worth the extra attention to pull it off. As for the Rouge G formula, it is my all time favorite--creamy smooth and richly pigmented with a soft and dewey finish. Superb!
ReplyDeleteEven though it didn't turn out to be something you hoped for, I still think it's a gorgeous red and one that looks great on you, Sara! I can see how much you love these Rouge G lippies! ;D I agree with you that the best swatches for dupes are ones that are taken with the same lighting and temperature. But if you have about 10,000 of products to compare, it's probably impossible to swatch them all side-by-side. I think trying to get the lighting as constant as possible is the key. Oh, and hope for the best. LOL. I always appreciate your swatches, though. They help me a lot in deciding what I should or should not invest in and if I already have something similar or close. :D
ReplyDeleteIt's very pretty but glad to see your comparison here. I have Armani #400 and was wondering how it compared in tone. I know this one is not a must-have like I originally thought. Still pondering it. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteI received mine last night and I love it! Rouge Parade is my first Guerlain lippie and the texture is like no other lippie that I have. Based on numerous reviews, including yours beauty, it seems that RP changes color depending on your skin tone. On me (I have Winter undertones), it applies as a true red, leaning slightly warm, and then dries down to a red with pink tones.
ReplyDelete