In 2006, Givenchy’s makeup and color artistic director Nicolas Degennes had an a-ha moment: combine four loose powders in one case to give skin an opalescent glow. Now, Prisme Libre is an icon.
Color Code
Best-selling shade No. 1 Mousseline Pastel ($58)—five new quads with other color combos just launched, too— features four pastels, but when blended on the skin, the result is translucent. “The skin on the face is never all one color,” Degennes says. “You have to mix three or four shades to recreate its natural radiance: Green corrects redness, blue balances dullness, pearlescent white captures light, and purple brightens sallowness.”
Couture Complexion
Much like the airy petalform gowns of Hubert de Givenchy’s Couture collections float down the runway, the Prisme Libre powder floats on top of skin. It manages to create a matte finish that blurs imperfections, while also imparting the silkiest sheen.
Light Works
“When I think about face powder, I can’t help but think about light,” Degennes says. “When light hits and passes through a prism, a rainbow is diffracted and all of the different hues come together as one. Prisme Libre has established itself as the ultimate light source. Its ultra-fine particles reflect light onto the skin, which delivers a luminous glow.”
Power Puff
For allover, sheer coverage, sprinkle some powder into the lid of the case, blend with a fluffy brush and apply as you would any loose powder. To mattify certain areas of the face, like the T-zone and around the eyes and lips, Degennes suggests the “shake and stamp” technique. “Hold the puff over the sifter, shake the case twice, then dab the powder onto your skin.”
