L'Occitane Mine d'Or Peony Face Powder: Purty

I don't know about you ladies, but when I think of L'Occitane, I don't immediately think of cosmetics. I'd be more likely to think "French." Or "body butter." Or "lavender." And, of course, "how the feck do you pronounce it anyways*?!"

An education spent learning German doesn't really do much to prepare you for anything to do with the ol' beauty biz.

Having tried one of their new limited edition face powders, €31.50, I'm reckoning they might be as good a bet for make-up as they are for scented body bits. Shade two is called Mine d'Or, which is apparently a yellow peony, and this eponymous powder aims to emulate its golden glow. While the packaging (Benefit-esque round cardboard tub) suggests it wouldn't take kindly to being thrown into the bottom of a full handbag on a regular basis, it does look lovely when opened, embossed with the outline of, well, a peony in bloom.

There's a blend of coral pink shades and bronzers in the mix to warm the skin as well as golden glow-giving particles. You can use it all over the face, as a blusher, or as a light bronzer, and the effect is iridescent but not glittery, subtly bronzed but not tangoed, and eminently wearable for even very pale skins.

* Phonetically, it's "lox- ee-tahn"