What's up at Estee Lauder

Sep 20

Estee Lauder is an old skincare brand from way back in 1946. The icon, Audrey Hepburn, once said in 1992 when asked what her beauty secrets are: "...health, lots of sleep, lots of fresh air, and a lot of help from Estee Lauder". That's perhaps part of the reason why it's a name associated with elegant, mature women who like to splurge on beauty goodies. However, with its latest products, I think that I can safely say that Estee Lauder is now also catering to a younger (albeit more refined) market. Their latest releases illustrate as much.

I visited their counter in Rustan's Makati to see first hand just what's up with the brand. First off, let's check out the eyeshadows designed by their creative director, Tom Pecheux: the Pure Color Eyeshadow.

The packaging for these eyeshadows is extremely luxe, done in faux gold casing with the logo embossed on the top and side of the case. There's a bit of heft to it.

There is a wide color selection, but some of the shades have sold out. The only remaining ones are those you see in the photo. The colors aren't just your typical ol' neutrals - there are, surprisingly, greens, purples, and blues! I spotted some dark shades that are perfect for a deep smoky eye. Nonetheless they are still wearable, characteristic of Estee Lauder makeup.

I wasn't impressed by the pigmentation and the formula of the eyeshadows when I swatched them on my hand; as you can see in the photo, they look uninspired. But I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched some colors on my eye lid - the colors popped out in one swipe, felt like silk, glided on smoothly, and looked just flawless even without a base.

Would I say that these are worth the P1,250 price tag? Well, there are many great eyeshadows for a cheaper price, but if you like a high-quality, smooth formula to go with great pigmentation, then this one isn't bad for the price it goes for.

The Pure Color Gloss is another new release by the brand. I love the thin, non-sticky texture of this product. It's also long-lasting and moisturizing. It has this amazing smell that EL describes as their "signature fig scent", but I don't know what fig smells like, so I'd call the scent fruity - like passion fruit, perhaps.

Like the eyeshadows, the packaging is also luxe and classy. There are also lots of colors to choose from. My only gripe is that the glosses I've tried aren't as pigmented as I would like. The glosses give that tinted, watery effect on the lips which is pretty as it is - it's just not my thing when applying glosses. I'd say this lip gloss is not true to the color you see on the tube as the formula is sheer.

I recommend this for those who prefer pretty, but not all-out color on their lips.

Ruby Star on my lips

Of course, what is Estee Lauder without skincare? They have a new product called the Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream. This will only be released in October, but you can avail of the sample size when you buy the face serum. Retail price of the set is P3,150.

The Advanced Night Repair face serum felt like cool water on the skin. Very refreshing. Too bad I can't tell you about long-term benefits (if there are any) since I don't have one. :P

Last but not the least, EL also has a new fragrance called Pleasures Bloom. Love the scent - it's exactly my thing! It's light and carefree with bursts of grapefruit, raspberry, and lychee melded with floral notes. It's pricier than the average though at Php 3,450 for the 1.7 oz / 50 ml and Php 4,900 for the 3.4 oz / 100 ml.