As much of a treat on the outside as it is on the inside, here’s our edit of ‘Star Buys’ from the limited edition designer range to act as your essential shopping guide
In past years, Lancôme has treated us to limited edition one-off collections with fashion houses such as Alber Elbaz and Sonia Rykiel - and all have been supremely easy on the eyes. But this year’s collaboration with contemporary art and youth culture-inspired brand, Proenza Schouler, could be their best yet. The result is a range that will not just nudge you out of your colour comfort zone, but full on push you out of it.
The 19-piece collection covers everything from eyeshadow to nail polish - a high end wardrobe of new season staples to help shake up your makeup routine. Described by designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez as “Strong, graphic, ultra-pigmented...” they drew inspiration from the work of painters like Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera and their distinctive and hard-edged approach to colour and shape. The range is the perfect embodiment of that - think strong shades and bold strokes for creating stark but wearable colour-blocking or finer, sharper lines.
Full of creativity and colour potential, here are our thoughts on some of the collection’s hero products. Which are worth buying before they sell-out? Read on to see our ‘Star Buys.’
Chroma Eye Palette, £50
Shades: Available in Cold Chroma (the one that I tried) and Warm Chroma
What we thought: These are the star pieces of the collection and it’s easy to see why. Each contains 10 vibrant and versatile shades that are creamy and easy to blend so your finished look can be as bold or pared back as you like - you can have a lot of fun with them. As expected, the packaging is also wonderfully eye-catching too. A great array of colours to unleash your creative streak, but I’d recommend using your own brushes - the one included isn’t the best for getting the most out of the shadows which is a bit disappointing considering the price.
Cushion Highlighter Chroma, £30
Shade: Universal - a shimmering champagne.
What we thought: Star buy. This was one of my favourite items in the collection. Just a gentle squeeze of its cushion applicator is all that’s needed for adding a soft illuminating pop of iridescence that instantly makes cheekbones pop.
L'Absolu Rouge Chroma Lipstick, £25.50
Shades: Four - two velvety-finish creams called Minimal Red and Graphic Orange; and two sheers called Abstract Burgundy (my personal favourite) and Pure Nude.
What we thought: A colourful capsule edit of summer lip options that covers both nudes and brights. They glide on like a dream, provide pretty incredible colour payoff with a single swipe and come with the distinctive Lancôme lipstick scent that instantly reminds me of the ones my mum used to wear when I was growing up. Team with a lip liner though to give your handiwork greater staying power.
Lip Kajal Duo Chroma, £25.50
Shades: Four - Pure Brown, Orange Arty, Pink Chroma and Bold Red (the one that I tried).
What we thought: Star buy. These double-sided lip colours provide a wide variety of options at your fingertips with a lip pencil/matte lipstick on one end and a satin gloss on the other. Ideal for a statement lip, they also save on handbag space too.
Ombre Hypnôse Kajal Chroma Eyeliner, £20
Shades: Four - Black, Grey, Brown and Petrol Blue (the one that I tried).
What we thought: Super smooth with a creamy formula, these pigmented pencils work double duty as both eyeliner and buttery eyeshadow. Great on upper and lower lash lines, they can be used to add, as the name suggests, an ombre effect, or a flash of colour instead - think of them as crayons for grown-ups.