Le Métier de Beauté Summer 2012: Chauvet Pont d'Arc Kaleidoscope Eye Kit

Edit: It appears that there was an error in communication when I wrote the earlier post. It turns out that wasn't Chauvet Pont d'Arc, or any existing kaleidoscope at all. It was just a collection of shadows Dustin thought was approximate to the color shown on the press release and I erroneously took it for the real palette. I do apologize for the mistake and any confusion that has caused, and I promise it won't happen again.

That said, I kind of wish that was Chauvet Pont d'Arc. I don't see greens often enough in Le Métier de Beauté kaleidoscopes and that matcha green is particularly breathtaking. Below are pictures of the actual Chauvet Pont d'Arc Kaleidoscope Eye Kit.

The colors are as below:

• Umber - umbre-toned satin mauve
• Ocher - shimmering sandstone ochre
• Madder - shimmering terracotta
• Crystalline - silky desert matte teal

L-R: Crystalline, Madder, Ocher, Umber, first three shades/four shades blended

When blended together, Chauvet Pont d'Arc becomes a reddish brown true to its source of inspiration. While the first three colors are of its usual stellar quality, the fourth shade was less cooperative. It required a little more work to blend with the rest, and it also doesn't swatch as well. 

While the colors of this kaleidoscope are unique, I decided not to purchase it. Somehow, the blended result didn't complement my skin tone, and with so many kaleidoscopes already in my kit, I decided my heart wouldn't break if I missed out on this one. 

Le Métier de Beauté Chauvet Pont d'Arc retails for $95 and should be available at counters nationwide soon, if not already. My usual contacts are Dustin Lujan (212.872.8612) of Bergdorf Goodman and Traci Dastou (617536.3660 x2111) of Neiman Marcus Boston. When I visited Traci earlier today, she only had five left!

Note: I decided to leave the old post behind, if only for the memory of that matcha green.

I become unreasonably excited every time I get a sneak preview of a new Le Métier de Beauté release, and when I write the post I'm always trying to contain myself so I would sound like a rational human being. So, without further ado, here's the new summer release Chauvet Pont d'Arc Kaleidoscope Eye Kit. The inspiration for the kit is its namesake, the Chauvet Cave in southern France, where the earliest known paintings in the world are found.

The kit consists of a champagne cream, a matcha green (as in when applied it looks exactly like the color of matcha powder), an earthy brown, and a matte denim blue. While the first three tiers applied wonderfully, the blue (as expected from a matte shade) was a little chalky.

I was rushing to apply it on my eyes because I only got to the store around closing time, so these may look a little slapdash. I only managed to snap these pictures about four hours after application.

Eyes: Chauvet Pont d'Arc; Cheeks: Burberry Sheer Summer Glow; Lips: LMdB Cafe Crème

I'm not entirely pleased with the texture of the blue shade, but I have to admit the green color is a breath of fresh air. Le Métier de Beauté rarely features green in their kaleidoscopes, but in this case it is spectacularly done. 

Le Métier de Beauté Chauvet Pont d'Arc retails for $95 and will be available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and select Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue locations soon. While the palette has not reached counters, it is already available for pre-sale. In the past, the Bergdorf location receives new items slightly earlier than other counters. If you would like to pre-order one for yourself, do give Dustin a call at 212.872.8612, and let him know I sent you!