Read on for an explanation of how to get these items- and reviews to see if they're worth the cost! I'm reviewing a number of products so it's kind of a long post.
The tricky thing about these items- and the reason I didn't buy them right off the bat!- is that they're extremely difficult to buy. They're only carried at Laduree makeup counters in Japan. A few resellers and importers carry them, but the selection is limited and the markup is pretty extreme. They're also sold at Sephora shops in France and at a couple shops in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but again, they carry a pretty large markup. Normally I don't mind paying a premium, but the cheapest item in the line is a $25 lip balm- so I want to save where I can!
Luckily, there are a few instore shopping services you can use to buy from them! Personally, I used Tenshi Shop. Their process is super-easy- you just link her to the items you want to buy and send her the money! I bought two items from her (the balm and the mini shadows), and the items were $64 total. Fees and EMS shipping were another $22, which is extremely reasonable to me and far cheaper than most resellers' markups. On top of that, the owner is very kind and personable, and she's always quick with communication and shipping.
The other advantage to buying from Tenshi Shop is one any beauty addict would love- cute packaging and samples! She sent all my items in the original boxes, which feature the adorable Laduree logo.
And the samples- they provided a TON! I'm not sure I want to try them. They sent along a sample of nearly every item in their skincare line, and while they look gorgeous, I'd have a hard time stomaching the $150 they charge for a face cream or $100 for their serum if I like them. They also sent along some cute cotton puffs and informational pamphlets, as well as samples of most of the foundations and primers they carry.
Overall, buying from Tenshi Shop was the way to go for me! I'm so happy that she was able to not only pick up these products for me, but was kind enough to give me so many samples and so much information, too!
(In the interest of full disclosure, the last product- the cream shadow- was actually purchased from a friend who ordered the wrong shade, and not through Tenshi Shop!)
Product Reviews
When I was trying to decide which product to buy, I couldn't find many reviews or informative posts about products other than the popular rose petal blush- so I thought it might be helpful to provide my impressions of these items! While the shades I bought for the shadow and gloss are limited edition, the formula is the same as items in the regular line.
Tinted Lip Balm
I don't always wear lipstick, so this tinted balm seemed like it would be a good fit in my routine! Plus, I couldn't say no to the adorable little tin.
The balm is described as follows on their site: "Creates an elegant look with a quick stroke. Feminine, alluring lips that are always beautiful and moist."
I took the time to upload the ingredients list to CosDNA (see it here). According to their analysis, it contains a preservative, BHT, that may be unsafe- however, the National Institute of Health has found that BHT is harmless in low concentrations in cosmetics (source). It also contains cocoa butter, which may act as an acne trigger; however, since this is going on your lips it's probably a non-issue. It also contains mineral oil, which I know some prefer to avoid.
I purchased this gloss in a limited hot-pink tint. A majority of the shades were very sheer or pale, so I figured that, even if it was heavily pigmented, they wouldn't show up that well.
It comes in a little round tin with a cute screen-printed floral graphic on top. It costs about $25 at the present exchange rate and includes 0.21 ounces of product. For reference, it's about one-and-a-half times the size of a Lip Smacker (which includes 0.14 ounces of product). I didn't find the price too insane for the quantity compared to other brands in the same price range- Chanel, for instance, sells 0.1 ounces of lip balm for $36.
The tin itself is pretty small- about the size of a US half-dollar- and roughly half an inch tall. I think it's a great middle ground- it's neither too deep nor pointlessly shallow, and it's easy to get a finger or brush in. I'm not a huge fan of jar packaging for lip balm since I like to apply it with my fingers, and sticking them right in there isn't hygenic, but it's not a total dealbreaker. My main concern with the packaging is actually that it could be dented!
The product itself has a nice, floral scent of rose and lavender. It goes on smoothly and non-sticky, and while it provides a little bit of shine, it's also extremely moisturizing. It has a small amount of iridescent sparkle. It's easy to apply and glides on smoothly, and the moisture lasts for a long time- I applied it before I went to work at 7:00 AM, and I didn't need to reapply it until I ate lunch at 12:00 PM!
The one downside, though, is the color payoff isn't great. I think it would be a better match for someone who had paler skin, because on my darker lips- this doesn't show up at all! I don't regret buying this at all, because I have been on the hunt for a moisturizing, non-sticky balm for quite some time- and this fits the bill perfectly. However, if you have darker skin and are looking for the tinted balm, this likely isn't the balm for you.
Petite Eye Color Collection
This little set is a miniature version of their normal eye shadows, with limited-edition packaging for the brand's third anniversary.
They describe this miniature palette on their site as, "A palette that brings good luck. Elaborately designed pearlescence creates an alluring look." Their descriptions aren't that useful, in case you didn't notice- luckily most of their products are pretty straightforward!
I also uploaded the shadows' ingredients list to CosDNA (see it here). Again, cocoa butter is the main potential acne trigger, but there aren't any other major irritants present.
This little set of shadows includes three shades- a pearlescent gold shimmer, a glittering warm grey, and a slightly iridescent purple. I'm so glad I went for this set of shades over the other options.
They're all housed in a small, sturdy cardboard container about the size of my palm. The individual shadows are in metal pans. Each one is about the size of a penny. It includes a total of 0.1 ounces of product, which is about the amount of product in one Chanel shadow or two Urban Decay shadows. This was slightly more expensive than either of those brands at $39; however, it's not a huge premium over either.
When you open up the container, you'll notice that they also have a distinct floral scent that's extremely heavy on rose. I love the scent, but if you dislike fragrances in your makeup, this might a the product to avoid.
The shadows have a nice color payoff, too. I've modeled them here- the top row is over primer, and the bottom row is without primer. The color is slightly more intense with primer; however, since the shades are all buildable, you could easily match the intensity of the shade over primer if you just built it up a bit. Asian shadows can sometimes be a bit sheer, so I was worried it wouldn't work on my skintone- I'm so happy that all of the shades are visible and work for my skintone! The gold shade is more of a highlighting shade or accent shimmer on me.
The staying power is pretty good, too. I wore the shadows over primer all day at work, and even though my lids can be a bit greasy, I experienced no creasing or wear! I also swiped over the colors with a cotton ball soaked in water, and as you can see below, it didn't take off any color for the shadows worn over primer, and only minimally smudged the shadow without primer.
Overall, I really like this little palette. I wish it was made of plastic rather than cardboard, since the cardboard would not be the most sturdy material for my messy makeup bag, but since I plan to keep these cute products at home I don't think it will pose an issue.
Creamy Eye Color
I actually got this final item from a friend who purchased the wrong shade from a reseller. Her loss- my gain! This is a really interesting cream shadow product in a brush-type packaging.
This product is described as, "All for clarity. Creamy Eye Color for a bright, crystal-clear eye look."
I also uploaded this products' information to CosDNA (see it here). It has a few potential irritants- cocoa seed butter and sodium lauryl sulfate both rate high as potential acne triggers, while triceteareth-4 phosphate and triethanol amine are potential skin irritants (source and source). I personally did not notice any issues but be careful when purchasing this!
It costs about $40 and contains 0.09 oz of product. The closest product I could find from a similarly-priced brand, which was Chanel's shadow base, costs $32 for 0.07 oz of product, so this provides a reasonable amount of product for the price.
This eye shadow is packaged like a liquid eyeliner with a brush tip. You can click the bottom portion to dispense additional product. This is really handy, because it ensures you don't put out too much! It's housed in a sturdy plastic container with simple gold embellishments. It has a light floral scent, like the rest of the line.
The brush tip is a bit tricky to use to apply product, since it dispenses enough for both eyelids in one pump, but once you get the hang of it- it's really handy to use! I normally don't like cream polishes, but I really enjoyed using this one. It goes on sheer but can be built up, but frankly I'm content to wear this a bit sheer. I purchased shade 04, which is a very pale mint shade, and if it went on opaque it would be way too much. Having a sheer shadow whose opacity I can control is perfect! It also dispenses just the right amount to cover my lids, which is very nice.
Below, I've shown some swatches over primer (top) and over bare skin (on the bottom). This is just a quick swipe of the brush, and then I've spread it around with my fingers to get even coverage.
Like most cream shadows on my slightly oily skin, the staying power is good over primer and just so-so on bare skin. When swiped with a cotton ball soaked in water, most of the shadow came off on my bare skin, though it stayed relatively well on the skin that had been prepped with primer.
If you have extremely oily skin, I would probably stay away from this product. I forgot to put primer on the first day I wore it and it had all migrated to my crease in about four hours. With primer, though, it stuck around all day without issues.
Overall, I really liked this product and I thought it was had nice, novel packaging and a good formula. I normally am not a giant fan of cream shadows, but I did enjoy this one! The price is a bit high, though, so I'm not certain I would rebuy it again- especially considering the limited range of shades (it primarily comes in pale golds, pinks, and blues) and that you only receive one color. I would rather pay the same cost and buy one of their shadow palettes.
Conclusion
Overall, though Laduree's items are quite pricey, I think it's worth the cost and I personally would buy from this brand again. I've been wearing the shadow nonstop and I've already emailed Tenshishop to purchase some of their blushes, and maybe one of their larger shadow palettes, as well. Everything I bought looks adorable on my vanity and using the products makes me feel extremely fancy.
This line is definitely meant for people who value cute packaging as much as product quality. The only item that couldn't be purchased elsewhere, the cream shadow, is nice, but not a must-buy. As for the other items, they offer a decent amount of product at a price and quality that is on par with higher-end brands, but most people probably wouldn't notice the difference between these products and a solid mid-range product.
Hope this helps anyone thinking of buying from this line!
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