When I signed up for Birchbox, I bought a year subscription so that I'd get bonus points worth $10 towards a purchase. I combined my points with a 20%-off deal they ran a few months ago to buy the Jouer Weekender Collection. Even without the discount, at $58 it seems like a deal for nearly a full face of makeup:
It comes with a "shimmering copper" lipgloss in Ginger (I'd call it champagne with a copper tinge), a matte translucent face powder and matte bronzer in Sunswept, a little pan of Cinnamon Tint cheek cream next to a Champagne cream highlighter, and a matte eyeshadow trio in In the Suedes.
I realize this set is sold out most everywhere, but I think it exemplifies the packaging of the brand and ultimately I can say I would avoid the powder products from this brand.
The Good:
The lipgloss has a doe-foot applicator and no scent or flavor. It is the kind of color you can apply without a mirror, though this set has three (one in each mini compact). The shimmer of it lasted through a scone and a cup of coffee, but the emolience did not last. That is par-for-the-course for lipgloss. I think it's a pretty solid product.
I really like the "tint & highlighter" compact. I like that they are a complementary duo and they last a long time and blend very well. I would consider the cheek tint to be a cream blush rather than a tint or stain. The color is not super-pigmented; subtle, but buildable and universally flattering. I think it wouldn't show up on darker skin tones, though. The highlighter would likely look great on any skin tone and adds just a glowy sheen. Neither disappeared on my oily skin and also worked great on my dryer complexion when I was in the desert (Las Vegas).
The packaging is a dull, gray-brown shade. I would have preferred a more luxe chocolate, sleek black, or just about anything else. I think this color is a bit old-ladyish. Is it too juvenile to expect a more exciting color from a brand called Jouer? Maybe with the "jouer" text they were going for a beige-and-brown Louis Vuitton feel. I think it brings down the fun factor.
However, the little compacts that interlock is a great idea. You don't need a makeup bag but your makeup stays together inside your handbag, which is convenient. It's also kind of fun to pull them apart and put them back together, and so on again :-) I guess that's the point of the name "jouer."
None of the mirrors are really large enough to be particularly useful for putting on the full face, though.
Maybe the mirror in the powder/bronzer compact is tall enough, but it's still too narrow. They are all okay for checking teeth/applying lipgloss so it isn't a total waste. The packaging does feel quite sturdy and not flimsy at all, but as you'll see from my powder review below I wound up feeling I'm paying for the packaging more than the cosmetic product. Also, the powder products have no applicators so I'd have to bring a bag of brushes along for them, anyway.
The Bad:
The powder products are nearly impossible to pick up. Even when I run my fingertips across or use a sponge, they are sheer and chalky as all gitout! The "bronzer" is way too sheer to use for contour and to be honest none of my brushes could pick up the bronzer or the powder with any notable success. The mattifying powder didn't control my oil at all (that is, assuming any actually wound up on my face), and the bronzer all-over didn't really add any color either. They're just too dry or hard-packed.
I had the same issue with the middle shade of the eyeshadow trio. Rub as I might, I couldn't pick up any of it. The lightest color is passable as a browbone highlight and can be picked up by my brush, but it hardly justifies the other two colors. The darkest can also be picked up by a brush but it doesn't blend well. I wind up with kind of a splotchy look on my eyes each time I use this. No likey.
In the future I would consider purchasing a similarly-packaged interlock set from this company, but I'd stick to cream products! They really need to reformulate their powders. Also, with such a portable package concept/design, I wish they had just stuck to products that were finger-applied such as a sheer cream shadow that won't crease (it appears they have such a product on offer). Looking at their website I see they have a creamy concealer compact as well. I understand wanting to sell powder products, but these are inferior and drag down the brand's image in my opinion. Also, a no-applicators-necessary set would have gotten a much more positive review from me!
