Guerlain Coup de Foudre Quad Swatches and Comparisons

Guerlain's limited edition Coup de Foudre quad is one of my first spring collection purchases this year. And based on Sonia's latest sweet makeup temptation, it definitely won't be my last.

But in the meantime, in line with my "one in, one out" policy, it's time to say goodbye to Shiseido Jungle and Addiction Thriller. Both of which I do like (I like everything I own) but Coup de Foudre turned out to be just too aptly named to resist.

Love at first swatch, anyone?

I had read some complaints in early reviews (from American bloggers like Messy Wands) that the grey shade was hard and lacked pigment, but mine was buttery and dense; the olive-bronze was the pan which gave me a little trouble at first, but after a few uses, it softened up beautifully. Overall I thought all four shades had excellent pigmentation (these are one-swipe swatches made with a sponge applicator) and superior textures (more buttery and blendable) to the permanent Guerlain quads.

natural light

Under bright lights / certain angles, the textural nuances come through: the coral is a refined satin, the mint a shimmer with very subtle duochrome metallic flash (alternately gold and silver, depending on angle) and the gunmetal and olive-bronze both imbed microshimmer in satin and metallic bases, respectively.

flash

Comparison swatches

The coral with Illamasqua Rude cream blush, Fyrinnae Picture It: Sicily and Catrice Dalai Drama

The mint with Addiction Silent Scream, Fyrinnae Ethereal Eire, and a mixture of Rouge Bunny Rouge Resplendent Quetzal and Periwinkle Cardinal 

The grey with Shu Uemura ME 471 (2nd gen, discontinued) and Addiction Thriller

The olive-bronze with RBR Abyssinian Catbird, Sue Devitt Golden Triangle Eye Intensifier Pencil and the olive from Shiseido Jungle

The olive-bronze and coral had unusually balanced undertones which turned out to be difficult to duplicate; even for a green and grey eyeshadow addict like me, the mint and gunmetal proved to be surprisingly tricky too. In combination, the most similar palette I own is Suqqu 07 Komorebi, and I've swatched the three main shades from that (skipping the bottom left primer/base pan), as well as Shiseido Jungle trio, to show how Coup de Foudre differs.

Overall, in mood and with its fusion of bold contrasts with soft freshness, Coup de Foudre has become my go-to palette for this transitional season, when I need colours with enough heft to withstand the January blahs but crave the lightness 'n' brightness of spring. Expect lots of face spam over the coming weeks. :)