Guerlain’s Got the Flava, and It’s Way Two Spicy: The New Ecrin 2 Couleurs Eye Shadow Duo in Two Spicy

Was it a shout-out to ’90s pop music girl bands (SIDE NOTE: I like to think of myself as a hybrid, half Sporty, half Posh) or a reaction to a habañero pepper?

Was it a love poem hidden between bottles of paprika and nutmeg in the back of a medieval pantry, perhaps?

The world may never know…

Truth is, we may never know how Guerlain’s new Two Spicy Ecrin 2 Couleurs duo acquired its name, but you know what?

Who cares? 🙂

I’m just glad somebody cooked it up, because I kid you not, I’m tired of bland. All I’ve had to eat this week are tuna fish sandwiches on sourdough bread (well, mostly), and the only thing spicing up my life right now is this eyeshadow duo, one of eight new permanent shades in Guerlain’s Violette de Madame fall collection.

Inside each of these luxurious, trim treats (the gold packaging’s killer!) live two powder shadows — one, an intense matte, and the other, either a metallic or glitter. Wear them separately, or layer them on top of one another for a more intense look.

Two Spicy speaks to me… If you’re already comfy wearing neutrals on your lids but enjoy occasionally venturing into the Wild World of Glitter, I think you’ll like it, too.

The matte side is a rich, chocolaty brown with subtle plummy black undertones — kind of like MAC Brun, but waaaay smoother, and with a whisper of sheen.

If you like Dolce & Gabbana and Armani eyeshadows, you could totally get down and dirty dancing in the moonlight to this brown. It has a similarly soft, downy texture and looks almost indistinguishable from real skin, as opposed to looking like a product sitting on top of it.

Got fine lines?

I do. 🙂 But you won’t really see them when you’re wearing this.

Seriously, I’d love an over-sized pan, and I’d be happy just wearing it on my lids with black liner. It’s a workhorse when I wear it with NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof as a base.

The glitter side? Eh, I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I think the coral beautifully flatters the brown, especially when it’s packed directly on top of it, glittering and glistening in the light… It’s what I imagine Miami socialites might wear to a fancy charity ball, where they dance the night away to Flo Rida (“Boots with the fur, with the fur!!”).

But then again, I have a sometimes strange sense of humor…

On the other hand, the glitter can look really chunky-monkey if you don’t take the time to really work it into the skin.

I found a trick, though! Instead of using a flat brush to apply it, use your fingers instead, and pat-pat-pat it on your lids until the glitter lies flat. Then it lasts all day long, sans fallout.

I bet it would also work well as a highlighter, too, although I haven’t tried that…

Add coral cheeks and lips, and you’ve got plenty o’ spice to keep things tasty. 🙂

PRICE: $44
AVAILABILITY: New, available now in the permanent line at Guerlin counters, and coming soon to the world online
MAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

James Van Der Beek is my spirit animal

Okay, not really.

I just wanted to see what it would be like to say that out loud… And it was exactly what I expected — totally weird.

I recently saw him in a good movie on Netflix, though, called Backwards. He plays a high school girl’s crew coach, and also the main character’s love interest. She’s a gal named Abi who’s trying to adjust to “civilian life” again after many years spent pursuing her dreams of rowing in the Olympics.

It’s a sweet movie, something you could watch with your mom without feeling weird during the romantical parts. Highly recommended, especially if you just need some meow time on the couch.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen