Review: Edward Bess Quad Royale South of France 01

Edward Bess Quad Royale South of France 01 ($45 for 0.25 oz) is a beautiful subtle highlighter that can also be worn as blush.

The below picture is my best effort to capture the color base of South of France. In clock-wise order is champagne (top left), cool pink (top right), pinky beige (bottom right), and pinky mauve (bottom left). All shades contain delicate golden and lavender shimmer all the through, which was muted out by the overcast lighting in this picture. 

The top two shades are very sheer, no matter how heavy I swatched. They cast a veil of soft shimmer over my skin. The bottom two shades have more color but still lie in the sheer side. They are, however, buildable without caking me up. I love to wear South of France alone as a blush with 4-5 layers. It creates a healthy glow, just enough to warm up my complexion. 

South of France looks cool in the pan, not on my skin (medium, warm undertone). When swirled together, it creates a beautiful soft pinky beige. The golden shimmer warms up my skin while the lavender shimmer brightens it up. Don't let the shimmer concerns you. It's obvious in a good way, soft and elegant, making South of France a very wearable highlighter.

South of France as well as the other Quad Royales have superb finely milled texture. It stays fresh for a typical working day. 

Quad Royale comes with a nice square blush and large mirror. The brush works perfectly to sculpt your face but if you want use all four shades together, I would recommend a MAC 109 type of brush. My only complain is the loosely closed case. Powder spills out of the palette, which isn't a deal breaker but a small improvement will complete the luxe for the product. 

Swatched all together

Closed up

Now, Edward Bess is a luxurious brand. Quad Royale is no exception, yet they're priced at the same level as Dior Shimmer Star (here and here) ($44 for 0.35 oz) . The two products are designed differently. Dior Shimmer Star is a highligher. Edward makes Quad Royales multi-tasking or highlighting-contouring palette. I think the price point is reasonable.

Bottom line. South of France would flatter all skin tone (warm, neural, cool) by creating a healthy looking skin. Lighter skin tone may double it as blush while deeper skin tone can use it as highlighter. Easy-to-use, conveniently packed, high quality and chic color, this particular quad is perfect for a dynamic woman whose sense of fashion can be described as exquisite.

Stay tuned for reviews on Monte Carlo and Summer in Capri.