estee lauder

How Many Kisses Does It Take to Get to the Center of an EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Colour Sensuous Rouge?

August 17th, 2011 by Karen 37 Comments

EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Colour Sensuous Rouge…

A sensuous rouge? Is that like Zorro or Robin Hood?

Wait — oh, rooozh. I thought I read something else. 🙂 I pictured a handsome roguish blush pan whispering into my ear (it had an accent like Antonio Banderas), “Hello, seÃ±orita. May I come over tonight, so I can make sweet love to your cheeks?”

Okay…chances are that’s not what EstÃ©e Lauder was going for when they developed this new line of 12 moisturizing lipsticks ($28 each). It doesn’t arrive on makeup counters till fall, but the colors are available for pre-sale online now.

See the dot in the middle of these two bullets? That’s what makes these lipsticks special. At the center of each tube, surrounded by lipstick, is a core of EL’s hydrating “lip elixir.”

Orchid Surrender (left) and Wistful Wisteria (right)

The idea with these, and I’ve been wearing two of the shades this week — rosy brown Orchid Surrender and pinkish berry Wistful Wisteria — is that you’re not just getting a lip color, but you’re also getting the benefits of a balm.
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EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette: Enchanted Berries

August 16th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

EstÃ©e Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Enchanted Berries ($45), available now at counters and also online.

I can’t wait to dig into that taupe on the right, and I the symmetry and the way the packaging shines…

Making Waves

August 15th, 2011 by Karen 10 Comments

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Duo in Waves, $30. Available now at Estee Lauder counters and also online.

Isn’t it pretty?

Estee Lauder Fall 2011: A Quick Peek!

August 2nd, 2011 by Karen 21 Comments

See anything you like?

Chips, Ahoy! It’s Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer, Matey

April 11th, 2011 by Karen 17 Comments

Estee lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer shades clockwise from the purple bottle on the left: Violet Diva, Fuchsia Flame, Purple Passion and Hot Coral

I try to treat my nails well. I really do. But the constant clacking away at the keyboard, coupled with the opening of countless cans of gravy, take a toll. That’s why I’m looking for nail polishes that do more than merely look good. They also need to stand up to the everyday drama/trauma I put my nails through.

I was hoping to find such a polish when I tried the new Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquers ($19 each). Last month the brand launched a newly reformulated line, adding eight bold, pigmented shades to their permanent collection (Frozen Fantasy, Rosa Rosa, Hot Coral, Pure Red, Enchanted Garnet, Fuchsia Flame, Purple Passion and Ultra Violet), as well as eight limited edition shades bound exclusively for Nordstrom stores (Sizzling taupe, Oyster Cult, Perfect Storm, Chocolate Crave, Mega Fuchsia, Violet Diva, Wicked Green and Wild Blue).

I’ve long loved EL’s polishes and really hoped these new ones would be just as great as their predecessors.

By all appearances, they are. The new shades sure look gorgeous on nails, don’t they? Vibrant, un-ignorable colors with a finish so shiny that it could cause temporary blindness? Hello!

Last week, along with my usual base and top coats, I wore two coats of Hot Coral on my fingers and Fuchsia Flame on my toes. From the get-go, things looked good; they applied just as smoothly as I hoped they would.

estee lauder pure color nail lacquer
Fuchsia Flame (left) and Hot Coral (right)

estee lauder pure color nail lacquer
Violet Diva (left) and Purple Passion (right)
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Estee Lauder Pure Nail Lacquer

March 17th, 2011 by Karen 12 Comments

My Essie mani from last week is on its last legs so I need to paint my nails tonight. I’m thinking maybe one of these shades from the new Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer Line ($19 each). Clockwise from the orange polish on the bottom: Hot Coral, Violet Diva, Fuchsia Flame and Purple Passion.

Do any of these catch your eye?

These Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Swatches Remind Me That Winter Won’t Last Forever

March 12th, 2011 by Karen 15 Comments

Yesterday I managed to squeeze in a visit to the Nordstrom beauty department, and the first thing I did was hit up the Estee Lauder counter to swatch the new Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil summer collection. I’d only seen bits and pieces of the release before yesterday and had been itching to see the whole shebang in person.

Estee Lauder has been having fun with this theme for the past few years (here’s a look at what they did for it back in 2008, 2009 and 2010), and after seeing this year’s colors up close and personal, I can say I’m not tired of it yet.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soleil Collection for Summer 2011: Swatches

For reference, I’m an NC35 in MAC foundations.

estee lauder bronze goddess 2011 swatches
Bronze Goddess Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette ($42); for swatches of the palette on lighter skin, check out Gaia’s post over at The Non-Blonde

estee lauder bronze goddess 2011 swatches
Shadow Stick Duo in Gold Bronze on left and Pink Teal on Right ($20 each)

estee lauder bronze goddess 2011 swatches
From left: Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer in Amber Bronze Medium ($30), Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer ($30) and Bronze Goddess Sea Star Bronzing Blush ($34)
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Estee Lauder Says DayWear Does It All, Yet This Moisturizing Sheer Tint with SPF 15 Comes in Just a Single Shade

March 10th, 2011 by Karen 32 Comments

Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release

Okay, here’s a product name I may not be able to remember: Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer.

Wow, 12 words? It could be a sentence if we squeezed in a verb.

Let’s try it!

Estee Lauder Likes DayWear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer…

Tada! 🙂 Let’s call it DayWear for short.

DayWear is a product I’d like to remember, because I think it has a few good things to offer fans of the barely-there makeup look. In a nutshell (I’ve always loved that phrase; I picture things in little nutshells), it’s a lightweight, super sheer tinted moisturizer that comes in just a single shade, and it’s designed to work on most skin tones, giving them a healthy, even-toned glow.

The product goes on as a grayish beige, but it slowly darkens as I massage it into my skin, which is kinda cool. The shade I end up with appears to be a pretty good match for my tan, and I like that its quiet, glowy finish doesn’t look flat or severe.

Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release
For scale…

Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release

“The all-day Super Anti-Oxidant Complex is so powerful,” Estee Lauder says about their proprietary blend, “no anti-oxidant we’ve researched comes close.” It’s a mix of compounds like Vitamins C and E, Eukarion (a synthetic anti-oxidant) and EGT (Ergothioneine, an amino acid with anti-oxidant properties).

Both of the active ingredients in the product, which is rated SPF 15, are sunscreens, octisalate (a UVB sunscreen) and avobenzone (a UVA sunscreen), so the general idea appears to be that it’s a tinted moisturizer that prevents sun damage.
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