Hello everyone,

it’s been a while since I wrote a letter to a beauty brand, and that’s because I find it hard to write them unless I have something to rant about. I guess I could rave about how much I love Sleek Makeup, or Barry M or Shiro Cosmetics but let’s face it, after the first paragraph you’d start to yawn and leave the blog. So, I thought I’d just write shorter letters to express my thoughts on certain brands and see if you share them too. And feel free to write your own letter to any brand in the comments!

Hello everyone,

wanna buy something special for your mom for Christmas? Here are some lovely ideas:

Caudalie Beauty From The Vine: this nice set features a Hand and Nail Cream to moisturize and nourish hands, and a Lip Conditioner with a vanilla scent to soothe dry lips. ($15.00)

Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater Little Luxuries: This lovely set contains Rosewater Body Lotion, Rosewater Bath & Shower Gel and Rosewater Body Cream.The fragrance is a captivating blend of rosewater, violet, florals, and musk. ($12.00)

NYX Natural Look Kit Nude On Nude: this palette contains 9 shades of neutral eyeshadows and 2 complementary lip colors to create a fresh, natural and polished look. ($12.99)

Clinique ‘Smoothie Kisses’ Set: this cute silver mini cosmetics bag contains Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Color in Berry Boost, Pink Me Up, Mango-thon and Goodness Grapecious. ($28.00)

Bobbi Brown Classic To Go Palette: this pocket-sized palette includes eyeshadows in Bone, Cement and Caviar; a High Shimmer Lip Gloss in Naked Plum; and Lip Colors in Pale Mauve and Tulle. ($25.00)

Estée Lauder ‘Double Wear Eye Looks That Last’ Set: this elegant red case includes Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara in Black, Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Onyx and Lash Primer Plus Full Treatment Formula. ($25.00)

L’Occitane Hand Creme Confections: A travel-size set of five nourishing hand creams in Fleur Cherie, Pivoine Flora, Cherry Blossom, Verbena Cooling Gel, Shea Butter.($40.00)

Philosophy Unconditional Love™ Fragrance Layering Collection: this cute set features three products scented with Philosophy’s Unconditional Love fragrance. The products included are Spray Fragrance, Body Butter and Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath. ($49.50)

Olay Regenerist Skin Care Starter Trio: the set contains Regenerist Daily Regenerating Cleanser, Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream and Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum. ($33.99)

Yves Saint Laurent Sephora Holiday Glamour Set: this Sephora exclusive set contains aTrial Size Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara in Black, Golden Gloss in 10 Golden Peony (light strawberry pink), Trial Size Waterproof Eye Pencil in Black, Touche Éclat in 2 Luminous Ivory (for fair to light complexions with yellow undertones), Black faux-patent-leather clutch with hot pink lining and Black faux-patent-leather framed mirror. ($65.00)

Elemis ‘Superstars’ Collection: this lovely set features the brand’s best-selling products. It contains Papaya Enzyme Peel, Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules, Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Frangipani Monoi Bath and Shower Cream, Skin Nourishing Milk Bath and Exotic Monoi Moisture Melt Oil. ($85.00)

Laura Mercier Color Portfolio: this beautiful palette includes everything you need to create natural and polished looks. It contains six eyeshadows in Primrose (sateen finish), African Violet (luster finish), Merlot (sateen finish), Truffle (matte finish), Topaz (luster finish), Stellar (sateen finish); three Tightline Cake Eye Liners in Ground Espresso, Black Ebony and Burgundy Wine, two Second Skin Cheek Colors in Rose Petal and City Pink; and three travel brushes (Ponytail Brush, Crease Brush and Flat Eyeliner Brush). ($98.00)

I’m so not in the mood for fall collections yet but I think The Pure Color Modern Mercury Collection for fall 2001 is absolutely stunning. The collection features a mixture of earthy and warm, bold and intense shades, with a metallic touch that is perfect for the upcoming season. Here’s what it includes:

PURE COLOR EYESHADOW DUO
Available in Black Chrome, Modern Mercury and Platinums.

PURE COLOR LIQUID EYELINER
Available in Black Quarts, Graphite and Silver Zinc.

PURE COLOR ILLUMINATING POWDER GELEE
A new three in one (liquid, powder and gel) “multi-powder” formula with gold shimmers and pearl to create a beautiful glow on the skin. Applied dry it provides a blur of shimmers, wet it gives a fierce flush of color to the skin.

PURE COLOR VELVET LIPSTICK
Available in Fuchsia Velvet (magenta), Nude Velvet (beige) and Red Velvet (true red).

PURE COLOR NAIL LACQUER
Available in Metallic Sage. This is my favourite item in the collection. I just love green nail polishes and this one is gorgeous!

What do you think of this collection?

Name: Pure Color Lip Palette in Extravagant
Brand: Estee Lauder
Size: 6.2g
Price: €48,00

From Estee Lauder’s website:
A palette of five lipcolors and glosses. Brilliant sparkle, shimmer and shine for lips.

What I liked:
- sheer, wearable colors with a very shiny finish
- moisturizing, feel comfortable on the lips
- the scent
- elegant packaging

What I didn’t like:
- the colors are very sheer
- just slightly tacky
- colors need to be reapplied throughout the day
- the price

When I first saw promo photos of the Estee Lauder Pure Color Extravagant Holiday 2010 collection, the Lip Palette in Extravagant instantly caught my eye. Just look at the colors in the pan: aren’t they pretty? The palette contains a sheer, shimmery gold gloss, a sheer nude gloss with gold shimmers, a sheer coral lipstick with gold shimmers, a shiny, bronze red lipstick and a satin red lipstick.

I’m sad to report though, that these colors don’t translate to the lips at all. They are all, even the satin red which is the most pigmented of the five shades, very sheer and give lips just the slightest hint of color with a very shiny or satin finish. This makes the colors suitable for everyday looks or you could just apply them on top of lipsticks to add some shine to them. They do look very pretty layered!

While I’m sure a lot of people would appreciate the sheerness and versatility of the glosses, others may find it disappointing (I admit that I too am a bit) and considering that this is a very pricey palette, I urge you to check it out in person before purchasing it. As for the quality of the lip products, that’s impressive.

All the five shades have a moisturizing texture that feels comfortable on the lips and doesn’t dry them out. They are not sticky, but just slightly tacky and last about 3 hours on me before disappearing so the colors would need to be reapplied during the day. And have I mentioned how much I love the fig scent of these lip products? It’s simply delicious!

Available at: esteelauder.com and Estee Lauder counters

Summary
Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Palette in Extravagant contains two glosses and three lipsticks in reds, coral, gold and nude tones. All the shades are very sheer with a shiny finish, moisturizing and only slightly tacky. They last about three hours on the lips. However, it is a very expensive palette and due to the sheerness of the colors, you may wanna check it out in person if you’re thinking of buying it.

Rating: 3.5/5

Have you checked out the new Estee Lauder Pure Color Glosses and Eyeshadows yet? I took the opportunity to do just that at the Estee Lauder event I attended last month and boy, I’m impressed!

The Mono Eyeshadows (€24,00 each) are available in 12 shades ranging from colorful greens and purples to elegant and safe shades like golds and browns, in four different finishes: matte, satin, iridescent and metallic. There really is something for everyone! In addition, all the shades have a silky soft texture, blend easily and have great color payoff. They are available in:

- Chocolate Bliss: matte
- Ivory Slipper: satin
- Tranquil Moon: satin
- Iridescent Violet: satin
- Nude Fresco: satin
- Sugar Biscuit: satin
- Amethyst Spark: iridescent
- Hot Cinnamon: iridescent
- Tempting Mocha: iridescent
- Enchanted Forest: iridescent
- Peacock Blue: iridescent
- Sizzling Copper: metallic

While I was very impressed by the lovely texture and pigmentation of the eyeshadows, it’s the glosses that blew me away. The Pure Color Glosses (€24,00 each) are available in 17 shades ranging from nudes to plums, from reds to pinks, in three different shiny finishes: metallic, satin and chrystalline. Fairly moisturizing, these glosses feel comfortable on the lips and smell like fig! An unusual scent for a gloss, but it is absolutely delicious. The shades available are:

- Tempting Tearose: chrystalline
- Nude Rose: chrystalline
- Simply Pink: chrystalline
- Passion Berry: satin
- Praline Paradise: satin
- Wild Copper: satin
- Rock Candy: satin
- Pink Kiss: satin
- Magnificent Mauve: satin
- Garnet Desire: satin
- Mod Poppy: satin
- Plum Divine: satin
- Opulent Opal: metallic
- Frivolous Pink: metallic
- Blazing Coral: metallic
- Star Ruby: metallic
- Raspberry Pop: metallic

What do you think of this mini collection?

Name: Pure Color Lipstick in Extravagant Red
Brand: Estee Lauder
Size: 3.8g
Price: €23,00

From Estee Lauder’s website:
Intense, long-wearing color creates maximum impact. High fashion shades with medium-to full coverage. Luxurious formula pampers. Delicately fragranced with a delectable fresh fig scent.

What I liked:
- beautiful classic red shade would suit every skintone
- good color payoff
- creamy texture, glides on smoothly
- the scent
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- some people may be disappointed that the gold glitter is just overspray
- needs to be reapplied throughout the day
- the price

With 2010 quickly coming to its end, this is a time to make resolutions for the new year. What’s my resolution? Wearing red lips more often. I do not own many red lipsticks because it is hard for me to find a shade that I can pull off and, when I come across one, I always chicken out when it comes to wearing it outside the house. That’s a shame, because when a red shade works for you, it really works, you know? It makes you look sexy but classy and it’s just beautiful.

Where does my new found love for red lipsticks come from? Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Extravagant Red, one of the two shades released in their holiday 2010 collection. Extravagant Red is a warm coral red with tiny gold shimmers. The bullet is coated in gold glitters and looks simply stunning, but those that aren’t very daring with their lip products will be glad to know it’s just overspray that won’t translate on the lips.

I have to say that I was slightly disappointed about that at first, but I gotta admit that the shade itself, even without the gold glitter is still beautiful and definitely very wearable and would look good on any skintone. I was a bit weary I wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but after one swipe, I was in love. It’s not too bright either, just a simple classic red shade that would appeal to anyone and, unless you already have a dupe in your stash, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Not only is the color beautiful but also very pigmented: you get an opaque coat with only one swipe and the formula’s wonderful too. It is creamy and moisturizing and glides on very smoothly. I would recommend wearing lip balm underneath only if your lips are dry, otherwise, Extravagant Red will feel comfortable and moisturizing on your pout. And did I mention how much I love the fig scent of Estee Lauder lip products? It is more subtle in their lipsticks than in their glosses, but it’s still deliciously and not overly sweet.

Instead, what I don’t like about this lipstick (apart from the price, of course) is that it only lasts about 2 hours (sooner if I eat or drink) on me before disappearing. That means that you will have to reapply it throughout the day and I was hoping it would last longer considering the price. But if you have a hard time finding a red that suits you, and you don’t mind the price tag, I think you should check this one out.

Available at: esteelauder.com and Estee Lauder counters

Summary
Estee Lauder Pure Color Lipstick in Extravagant Red is a warm coral red lipstick with tiny shimmers that would look flattering on all skintones. Although it is coated with glitter, that’s just overspray and won’t transfer to the lips. Pigmented, creamy and moisturizing, it smells delicious but only lasts 2 hours on the lips. Oh, and it’s expensive too.

Rating: 4/5

Hello everyone,

as you know I’m reviewing a few products from the Estee Lauder Pure Color Extravagant holiday collection at the moment, so I’ve been wearing them a lot lately to test how well they perform and last. So, I thought it’d be nice to share with you all one of the looks I did with them.

On my eyes, I used the Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold. At the event I attended, we were told to use the colors diagonally, three at a time, but I decided to just use them all in this look. It’s more fun that way, isn’t it? I wanted the lips to be shiny but natural so I used two of the shades in the Lips Palette 01 Extravagant, which are sheer.

I know this look, is not really natural nor extravagant but it is for me, since I usually wear much bolder and colorful looks. Yes, I’m not very creative when it comes to naming looks I’m afraid but I still hope you like the look. Let me know what you think of it!

Products used:
- Too Faced Shadow Insurance
- Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
- Layla Love For Lash mascara
- YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation
- Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Porcelain
- Sleek Blush in Rose Gold
- Wet n Wild Cover All Concealer Palette
- Estee Lauder Pure Color Lips Palette 01 Extravagant

Directions:
- Apply an eyeshadow primer (I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance) all over the lid to make the eyeshadows stay put all day.
- Apply a gold shade (I used the one in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold) on the inner part of the lid. Sweep the same shade on the lower lashline as well.
- Apply a reddish brown shade (I used the one in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold) on the outer part of the lid and blend where it meets with the gold.
- Now, sweep a medium brown shade (I used the one in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold) on the crease and blend well. You don’t want any harsh lines. Apply the same shade on the lower lashline and blend where it meets with the gold.
- Apply a dark brown matte shade (I used the one in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold) on the outer corner to darken the color there. Blend well.
- Sweep a pearly cream beige (I used the one in the Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold) on the browbone to highlight.
- Line your upper lid (but not all the way, only till the middle of the lid) with a brown liquid eyeliner (I used Estee Lauder Double Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Brown). This will define your eyes in a more natural way than a harsh color like black would do. Apply mascara.
- On your face, apply your usual foundation (I used YSL Teint Singulier Sheer Powdercreme Veil Foundation in no.5) and then concealer (I used Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Porcelain) to cover dark circles or any other imperfection you may have.
- Sweep a peachy pink blush with gold shimmers (I used Sleek Blush in Rose Gold) on the cheeks and highlight the cheekbones, middle of the nose and chin with a white highlighter (I used the white shade in the Wet n Wild Cover All Concealer Palette).
- On my lips, I mixed the gold and orange shades, both of which are sheer, from the Estee Lauder Pure Color Lips Palette 01 Extravagant lip palette.

Name: Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Extravagant Night
Brand: Estee Lauder
Size: 9ml
Price: €19,00

From Estee Lauder’s website:
Intense color, wet shine. Quick-drying, long-wear.

What I liked:
- beautiful, complex color
- good color payoff
- wonderful formula, easy to apply
- easy to remove
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- takes a while to dry
- chips easily
- the price

If you are into sparkling nail polishes, then you are going to fall in love with Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Extravagant Night, one of the two nail polishes in their holiday collection. Extravagant Night is a difficult shade to describe (and photograph) as it is so complex: it is a deep purple, with a brown tint to it that becomes apparent under artificial light, chock full of purple, gold and silver shimmers.

Despite the shimmers, though, it has quite a smooth finish and it is easy to remove (a little too easy if you ask me, but more on that later). This is a truly stunning and unique color and I can’t honestly think of any dupe for it. Also, the shade is quite pigmented so you only need two coats for the color to be opaque.

And the formula is lovely too: even though it is on the thick side, it is still easy to apply and achieve an even coverage. However, it takes a while to dry (about 20 minutes or so), so I would recommend applying it while watching a movie or something. Or just apply a quick-drying top coat on top to reduce the drying time to just 5 minutes (that’s what I did the second time I used this ).

However, the main con of this product is that it chips really easily on me if I don’t use a top coat (if you do, it’ll last a few days longer). It was fine for the first couple of days but on the third, I noticed really bad chips. All the other reviews I read about this polish don’t mention this problem so it could just be that I experienced it because I use (and wash) my hands a lot. If you’re gentler with them, it might last longer on you. But considering how expensive it is, I was really disappointed to see that it chipped so badly so soon.

Available at: Estee Lauder counters

Summary
Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Extravagant Night is one of the most beautiful nail polishes I’ve ever come across: a deep plum with a brown undertone and multi-colored flecks, it a lovely formula that’s easy to apply and provides an opaque coverage in just two coats. Although easy to remove, it can take a while to dry and it chips easily (at least on me). Oh, and it is expensive too. The color is really unique though, so if you really want it, go for it.

Rating: 3.5/5