Estee Lauder

4 Lipsticks I Love That No One Ever Talks About

March 25th, 2016 by Carolina Braina 31 Comments

Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Fiery on my lips

Well, I’m sure that some people did talk about them back when they were first released, but they seem to have fallen into oblivion in favor of more recent launches…

We beauty lovers are a little like spoiled children sometimes, don’t you think? We like our brand new toys for about 10 seconds, and then we want newer, shinier things to keep ourselves entertained. 🙂

But today is a different day, and I’m bringing back the love for four these not-so-recent lipsticks I absolutely adore!

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick Carthage Maybelline Superstay 14H Fuchsia Forever Tarte Matte Lip Tint Fiery Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick Rebellious Rose — Clockwise from the top left corner: Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Rebellious Rose, Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Fiery, Maybelline SuperStay 14HR in Fuchsia Forever, and NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage

Swatches NARS Pure Matte Lipstick Carthage Maybelline Superstay 14H Fuchsia Forever Tarte Matte Lip Tint Fiery Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Lipstick Rebellious Rose — L-R: NARS Carthage, Maybelline Fuchsia Forever, Tarte Fiery, Estée Lauder Rebellious Rose

1. NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Carthage ($28)

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Power Colors! The Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipsticks

March 17th, 2016 by Nicole Fraser-Herron 41 Comments

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte — Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte in Commanding

I was having a tough morning today, and by the time I sat down to get ready for the day, I needed a serious pick-me-up.

I remembered that one of my favorite professors in school shared her secret to getting over her nerves and insecurities.

Lipstick.

She says that everyone has a power color, and hers is pink. Whenever she has to speak in front of large crowds or finds herself in a situation where she may be nervous, she wears hot pink lipstick.

She says it gives her an edge, a decent dose of sass, and reminds her to be herself, because you can’t cower down when you’re wearing a bold lip. You have to own it.

So, today I wore a fur coat and a bold lip, because I can. 🙂

My power color changes, but today I went with the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Commanding ($30), because on these particularly rough days, I need a bullet.

Like, a lipstick bullet.

Liquid lipstick and glosses don’t hold the same figurative power for me as a classic bullet.

Also, the packaging. How can you feel down when you’re holding lipstick made from actual goddess magic in your hands? It’s simple yet substantial with an engraved lid and navy casing with gold accents.

They also close magnetically, which is so satisfying.

Putting this lipstick on even feels like a power move.

My lips are always moderately dry, so prepping them is crucial for me. When adequately conditioned, these lipsticks glide on evenly and last between 3-4 hours (with no lipliner!), even through light eating and drinking.

The formula is smooth and richly pigmented. It’s hard to mess up application with these guys. They have a subtle vanilla scent, too, which doesn’t last, and therefore doesn’t bother me.

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Estée Lauder Fall 2015 Collection: A Quick Look

August 11th, 2015 by Karen 20 Comments

I see you making grabby hands at these new liquid lipsticks!

Girl, I did the same thing. 🙂 Gimme those brights!

I know, when did Estée Lauder start doing such — how shall I put this? — hip stuff? I used to think of them as a fragrance brand mostly (I wore Pleasures and Private Collection for years!) or, like, the makeup that my aunties wore (it’s true), but they’ve been doing some interesting things lately, especially in the realm of color.

Their fall 2015 collection is huge, with lots of new things, including these liquid lipsticks, a new line eyeshadow singles, shadow sticks and a contouring kit for yo’ eyes.

Press play for a look at a few pieces from the launch. The collection is available right meow online and at Estée Lauder counters.

Products mentioned:

Estée Lauder Dimension Shape + Sculpt Eye Kit ($40)
Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion ($30 each)
Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Eye Defining Singles ($25 each)
Estée Lauder Magic Smoky Powder Shadow Sticks ($22)

estee aluder pure color envy liquid lip potion — Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion ($30 each)

estee lauder pure color envy eye defining singles — Pure Color Envy Eye Defining Singles ($25 each)

estee lauder eye defining singles — Pure Color Envy Eye Defining Singles ($25 each)

estee lauder smoky powder shadow sticks — Estee Lauder Magic Smoky Powder Shadow Sticks ($22 each)

estee lauder smoky powder shadow sticks 2 — Estee Lauder Magic Smoky Powder Shadow Sticks ($22 each)

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Estee Lauder Modern Muse Le Rouge: A Feminine Fragrance for Chicks Who Get Sh*t Done

June 19th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

GIRL. If there’s one thing Estee Lauder does better than well it’s the fragrant stuff. They’re scent-sational. I’ve been wearing them for most of my adult life — Pleasures, Sensuous, Private Collection, Bronze Goddess and Modern Muse.

They have so many light and easy-to-wear fragrances! They don’t give me headaches (which happens sometimes with heavier fragrances), don’t overpower the room, and whenever I wear an Estee Lauder scent, inevitably, someone will ask me or comment about it.

Estee Lauder recently came out with an updated version of their already marvelous Modern Muse. It’s called Modern Muse Le Rouge, and mmm! *sniffs wrist* — I can’t get enough of it.

Modern Muse Le Rouge is a fruity floral oriental — feminine, full and daring, but still approachable. In other words, it doesn’t aggressively get up in your grill.
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Another Look at the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Collection

March 12th, 2015 by Karen 8 Comments

I call upon thee, Zeus and Hera, to worship at the altar of the Bronze Goddesses! Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes collection is coming, and here’s another look at a few of the pieces, this time in 3d, and video.

OK, no 3d. Just video. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The Bronze Age Returns! Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes

March 11th, 2015 by Karen 17 Comments

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess 2015 — Wearing makeup from the latest in a long line of annual Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess collections

If I had to be a goddess, I would not say no to being a goddess of bronze, but what I’d really want to be is a goddess of cats.

No, scratch that. I’d be the goddess of plus-size tabby cats with low-hanging bellies, because it’s all about being specific.

Yes, I have no idea what I’m talking about. 🙂

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette — That’s the Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette on my eyes and cheeks, the All Over Illuminator on my upper cheekbones, and Pure Color Gloss Pen Nude Coral on my lips

Every year around this time, like clockwork, Estée Lauder reveals a new Bronze Goddess-themed collection, and this year it’s Shimmering Nudes.

The collection’s face and eye palette, stick highlighter and gloss, all of which will be available this April with the rest of the 14-piece collection at Estée Lauder counters and online, are telling me that 1) summer is right around the corner, and 2) I should probably book a vacation to someplace warm soon.

Is it just me, or does the Shimmering Nudes Face & Eye Palette ($55) radiate a MAC vibe?

Its eyeshadows could totally pass for Ricepaper, Amber Lights and Bronze, and even though I’ve seen the colors before, I still like this formula and the way they’re executed here.

The powders meld seamlessly into each other on my lids, and blending them is like three snaps in a Z formation. In other words, “haaay!” So good.

I actually did my foundation and concealer before this makeup look, and I didn’t have to do any additional cleanup under my eyes afterwords. No problems at all with fallout.

And I like the bronzer, too. It has a strong undercurrent of red that mimics a legit tan. There’s also golden flecks of glitter in it, which makes me think that this bronzer might even work better as an all-over warming product than one to contour (I prefer to use ashy cool-toned mattes to really carve out those cheekbones).

Interestingly, the face and eye palette is a Sephora exclusive, which is kind of cool and weird, and by that I mean this: have you actually seen Estée Lauder at your local Sephora store? Because mine doesn’t carry the line, and I don’t know if this is a one-shot deal or the start of a long-term trend. I really hope it’s the latter.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator — Bronze Goddess All Over Illuminator, $30

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Try Estée Lauder Little Black Primer for Lashes Curled Like Roman Arches, Lifted Like My Bangs in the ’80s and Defined Like Merriam-Webster

February 12th, 2015 by Karen 11 Comments

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer — Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer, $24, available now at counters and online

Holly Golightly. 🙂

I wonder what Holly would have thought about Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer ($24), because I know what Kendall Jenner probably thinks about it, or maybe, since she’s the official spokesperson, but I dunno…I’ve always been more of a Holly Golightly gal.

And Holly sure did love long lashes and little black dresses.

Not that Holly would have needed a lash primer like this one because her fringe always looked fierce, even when she was rolling out of bed at 2 in the afternoon (probably because she was wearing false lashes).

As for me, I will happily complicate my makeup life when it comes to things like eyeshadow (“Absolutely! A third color in the crease sounds like a brilliant idea!”), but not so much when it comes to mascara.

When it comes to mascara, I usually keep it simple. One tube, a couple coats on my top lashes, and that’s it.

Most of the time.

Sometimes, though, like when I’m feeling fancy, I’ll do a separate swipe of MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash mascara on my lower lashes.

But Estée Lauder’s Little Black Primer is turning me into a Lady Layers-a-Lot. When I use it with my regular go-to mascaras, my lashes look downright dreamy — curled like Roman arches, lifted like my bangs in the ’80s and defined like Merriam-Webster.