Clé de Peau Collection Beauté Céleste Powder Compact

I'm trying to jog my memory but I can't seem to recall a face powder selling out as quickly as did Clé de Peau Collection Beauté Céleste Powder Compact for Holiday 2014. This powder compact is  out of stock everywhere online, and only few Clé de Peau counters still have a unit or two for sale. It's the packaging, obviously, as the compact and the embossed products are absolutely gorgeous. The fact that the powder itself is also made of awesome doesn't hurt, either.

Clé de Peau  Beauté Céleste Powder Compact is a light-reflecting powder is an incredibly soft texture and a beautiful matte(ish) finish. There's no visible shimmer or glow of any kind, and yet the final result is anything but flat. The powder has a winter white hue, as you can see on my finger, but it's transparent when applied to the face. I started my testing with various brushes, both fluffy and dense, but for one I find that using the ultra plush puff that came with the compact is actually the best application method, at lest for the center of the face. I then use a fluffy brush to add just a touch to the outer areas.

The result is a polished, well-put-together finish that might not be quite as airbrushed as NARS LRP or as glowing as Hourglass Ambient Lighting, but it has its own advantage. The powder does double duty as setting the rest of the makeup and as a strikingly beautiful and sophisticated finishing powder.

Going back to the packaging, this is one instance when having a velveteen pouch would have been a good idea, not just to protect the lovely compact, but also to give an extra cushioning for the delicate and soft powder. Be careful not to bang it, as it's so soft that breakage can happen easily.

Bottom Line: worth the hassle of trying to find it.

Clé de Peau Collection Beauté Céleste Powder Compact for Holiday 2014 ($70) is a limited edition product. Call your local Clé de Peau counters (Saks, Neiman, etc.) before branching out to customer service lines where they can help locate a compact at other stores.