Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette Swatches and Review

This was my first high end makeup purchase in a loooooong time. I'll tell you how much I wanted this palette. I currently work at an Estee Lauder counter, but since the store I work at isn't Nordstrom (the Violet Underground collection is exclusive to Nordstrom and the Estee Lauder website) I actually bought it at a counter that wasn't my own and WITHOUT my employee discount. *GASP* Haha. At least I can say I was a fan of Estee Lauder before my job and still am that much of a fan I go out of my way to buy the products.

This will be my longest and most pic-heavy post in awhile so lets get right to it.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette

 While I am more than happy with my purchase and the value I got for my money, I just noticed that a year and a half ago (January 2011) the 5 pan palettes were only $42. Then they jumped to $45 and now to $48. A $6 price increase in 2 years seems like a lot to me.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette

 None of the shades have names, which always bothers me for some reason! Haha. Also this palette only contains .15oz while the regular powder eyeshadow palettes contain .27oz, almost twice as much product. I would never use up a whole palette anyway, but I just wanted to note that.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette

The regular 5-pan palettes are gold, while this one is a blackened violet purple. And yes, I did set my palette in the grass to take this picture. ;)

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette

I don't think the colors in the palette are the most intuitive and easy to figure out as far as where to wear them on your eyes, but I think they are bold, edgy, fun, and a departure from what many expect from Estee Lauder. I knew from the first promo image I would have to have this palette even though I rarely buy anything without seeing many reviews first.

This palette has gelee eyeshadows instead of the regular powder ones. The texture is still a powder, but similar to Armani's Eyes To Kill or L'Oreal's Infallible shadows. According to Estee Lauder it is supposed to be a combination of a gel, powder, and liquid. I really like this eyeshadow formula. (Side Note- If anyone has one of the Bronze Sands palettes from Estee Lauder they aren't using I would totally buy it from you. It was LE and also the gelee formula and I'm so sad I missed it.)

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette swatches

 These are swatched dry over bare skin. They're smooth, nuanced, and not patchy in the least.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette swatches

These are swatched dry over a sticky base. The highlight shade is absolutely gorgeous. I try to go through and pick my favorite color and it changes every time. Even the black is smooth and pigmented.

Estee Lauder Violet Underground Palette swatches

Here is a comparison between the two swatch types.

My one caveat is that I think you need primer as I noticed a little bit of fading when testing on my eye without primer. And I think the shadows apply and look better being patted on versus roughly sweeped across the lids due to the texture. They apply beautifully wet and over a sticky base as just using them dry tends to cause a little fallout. But after applying there is no fallout throughout the day like you would get from glittery shadows.

This palette may seem intimidating, but I actually think it's pretty versatile. Used dry (I always wear primer) the colors are softer and even the bold pink is surprisingly wearable. The picture above is just the shadows over primer (Too Faced Shadow Insurance).

For a bolder look you can use the shadows wet or put them over a sticky base. I used a sticky base for the look above (LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/Base). This picture is a little washed out by the flash (you can tell by how much lighter my skin looks here than the above picture) but the colors really were a lot more vibrant applied this way.

Here is my whole face using the softer eye look.


So what do you guys think? Kind of a bold showing for Estee Lauder, hmm? I like this new direction the color cosmetics for the brand seem to be moving (Thanks to Tom Pecheux!). I'm more of an eyeshadow girl, but the purple lipstick and gloss from the collection are really tempting me...

My Lips But Better With Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

Thank you everyone for your continued support through all my griping, moaning, and complaining. It means so much to hear everyone's kind words. I'm so lucky to have a group of ladies like you all who stick with me even though I am far from the most uplifting person lately. I don't really talk about how bad things can get for me to people in my "real" life (ugh, is there a better way to say that? "In person life"? Haha, I dunno), and I feel like this is my safe place, so it sometimes just spills out. I just hate that helpless look on my loved one's faces where they don't know what to say or do to help me and they get frustrated by all my seemingly "one step forward, two steps back" lack of progress sometimes. So I've learned to just keep things to myself. Plus, not thinking about how shitty you feel is the best way to not feel quite so shitty, if that makes sense. Well, I'm a-ramblin' now. Anyways, thanks guys. Ya'll (fuck it, I'm from Texas, I'm allowed to say ya'll) mean so much to me.

Soooo, I bought this lipstick. I'm not sure why. It looked so ugly/boring in the tube (pinky brown) and even on the swatch on my arm but I ended up loving it on my lips. It's a gorgeous My Lips But Better (MLBB) shade on me. I really got it for work ;-) because I wanted something long lasting that I don't have to reapply every hour and would go with a variety of eye looks. When I think about it, I'm not sure why I bought one when I have access to tons of testers I can use anytime.  Haha, now I feel like I wasted money. Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about other people's lip herpes or whatever since it's MY lipstick.

Anyway, I like it. It's matte, lasts forever, and not drying. It's comfortable to wear and I forget I am wearing it. I'm a big fan of Estee Lauder's Double Wear line, and not just cuz I hafta be.

PICTURES!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

I think the reason I used to think of Estee Lauder as an "old lady" brand is exemplified by the picture above. The packaging just looks a bit dated to me. I think this may throw off a lot of people from trying the brand for that reason.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

In real life the lipstick looks darker and pinker in the tube. Dumb camera.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

I wasn't too impressed with the color when I swatched it on my arm...

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

But I ended up loving it on my lips.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Lipstick in Stay Honey

Sure it is probably the least exciting color in the whole world, but I don't always need a party on my lips. Especially if I'm going for bolder/more colorful eyes, which I usually do. If you DO want a party on your lips I recommend this.

So what are some of you guys' go-to "boring" lip colors?

Estee Lauder LIpgloss in Fuchsia Fantasy and Lipstick in Rubellite

Sorry, this is a bit of a lazy post! I'm running on the dredges of my photos I have in my "to post" folder and I really need to swatch some more things including the new Wet n Wild palettes and several indie makeup orders that are still in their packaging I received months ago. The bad thing about being a blogger is that you can't use anything until you've taken pictures of it, and I'm extremely lazy about taking pictures. Actually, I'm just lazy in general. Haha, it's not so nice of a feeling to realize that about yourself! But oh well, I'm too lazy to change! :D

I recieved (amongst other things I pawned off on my mom) a lipstick and lipgloss in an Estee Lauder gift with purchase thingy. I never posted about them because they were a GWP and I wasn't sure if they were available in the normal Estee Lauder line. I'm pretty sure the lipgloss is though. And you can find people selling these on eBay for like $5 each. Which I think isn't bad as I think the formulas are really nice on both the lipstick and the gloss.

From left- Fuchsia Fantasy and Rubellite

Estee Lauder Fuchsia Fantasy

Estee Lauder Rubellite

Estee Lauder Rubellite under Fuchsia Fantasy

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

FOTD: I'm Officially Obsessed With Green Eyeshadow

Yes, I am officially obsessed with green eyeshadow. Specifically Estee Lauder's Precious Shade cream shadow. I think I've used it the past 9 times out of the 10 that I've worn makeup. Which makes for some boring and repetitive posts. But frankly my dears, I don't give a damn. ;) (Love that book. Yes, BOOK!)

Eyes:

•  Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadowcreme in Precious Jade on lids
• Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeshadow in Envy on lid
• MAC Old Gold pigment dusted on and above the crease
• Physician's Formula Eye Definer eyeliner on upper lash line
• MAC Pure Show on upper lash line as well
• A mix of CoverGirl Lashblast mascara and Wet n Wild MegaLash Clinical Mascara on lashes
• Physician's Formula Canyon Classic quad matte eyeshadow in brows (darkest shade)

Face:

• Physician's Formula CircleRx concealer in Fair Light under eyes
• Maybelline SuperStay concealer in Ivory also under eyes
• Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light

Cheeks

• Estee Lauder Radiant Peach blush

Lips

• Wet n Wild Silk Finish lipstick in 511B
• Kiss My Sass lipgloss in Summer Lovin'

Does anyone else have any recently developed makeup obsessions?

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

FOTD: Jaded

I've been so lazy lately with my makeup and it makes me sad! I guess when it comes to waking up early to do more intricate eye looks so sleeping later, sleep always wins. Which makes for me being a boring blogger. The red and black eye from the other day was probably the most interesting thing you will ever see me do. For example, I have worn Estee Lauder's Precious Jade creme shadow about 4 out of the last 5 times I have worn makeup. the other time I wore a Benefit creme shadow, so not much improvement there. I love creme shadows because I can just slap them on and it takes me roughly 15 seconds. Seconds count when I'm trying to sleep as late as possible!

So here is one of my looks I did with Precious Jade.

Eyes:

•  Estee Lauder Double Wear Shadowcreme in Precious Jade on lids and below lower lash line
• Benefit Creaseless Creme eyeshadow in Platinum to highlight
• Wet n Wild Color Icon eyeshadow in Envy in crease
• Urban Decay Baked eyeliner on upper lash line
• Urban Decay Bourbon eyeliner on waterline
• A mix of CoverGirl Lashblast mascara and Wet n Wild MegaLash Clinical Mascara on lashes
• Physician's Formula Canyon Classic quad matte eyeshadow in brows (darkest shade)

Face:

• Physician's Formula CircleRx concealer in Fair Light under eyes
• Maybelline SuperStay concealer in Ivory also under eyes
• Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light

Cheeks

• Estee Lauder Peach Nuance blush

Lips

• Sleek Pout Polish Tinted Lip Conditioner in Sugar May

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Estee Lauder Peach Nuance Blush Swatches and Review

Who else besides me has always thought of Estee Lauder as a brand for people their grandparents' ages? I'm not sure where I got this impression, but it is entirely wrong. I have a few things from Estee Lauder and absolutely love them. Their Radiant Peach blush is my favorite blush ever, and I have a lot of blushes.  I was drawn in by the ombre, gradient effect of the powder in the pan of Peach Nuance and had high hopes for it (Can you detect a theme in my blush choices? First Radiant Peach and now Peach Nuance). The color is just as gorgeous as I hoped!

Estee Lauder's blushes are fairly expensive at $26, but they have quite a bit of product at .25 oz. By comparison NARS' blushes are $27 and only have 0.16 oz.

Here are the ingredients for those of you who are interested!

I don't care too much for Estee Lauder's packaging. I think it is one of the reasons I had the "old and stuffy" vibes about the brand. But this packaging would never prevent me from purchasing from the brand, it just isn't my favorite.

This picture is terribly washed out, but can you see why I was so attracted to this blush? The gradient is just so cool. And you can vary the color of the blush depending on where you put your brush.

The first swatch is the left side of the blush and the second is the far right. The third swatch is both sides mixed together and the last swatch is the blush blended out.

The top stripe is Estee Lauder's Radiant Peach for comparison. You can it is a bit pinker, darker, and more shimmery.

Radiant Peach has the best texture of any blush I have ever used. It is incredibly soft and pigmented and finely-milled. Peach Nuance, the one this review is about, still has a nice texture, but isn't as soft. I think the shimmer in Radiant Peach makes it have a better texture. Peach Nuance is nearly matte with only the slightest hint of sheen.

I love this blush! It looks really natural. It doesn't look powdery or chalky and it blends in well with my skin. I need more Estee Lauder blushes now!


Available:

• Retails for $26 and can be found at Estee Lauder counters and online places like Nordstrom or Macy's.

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Estee Lauder Precious Jade Shadowcreme- My New Favorite Cream Eyeshadow

I think I'm turning into an Estee Lauder fangirl and it kind of scares me! They make my favorite blush ever (Radiant Peach) and now I've fallen in love with their Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCremes. The ridiculously long name is the only thing I don't like about them, but I can overlook that as they are pure love in a jar sprinkled with pieces of heaven.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

Before buying this, Benefit's Creaseless Cream shadows were my Holy Grail cream shadow just because they never crease on me and I can wear them without primer. However, some of the colors are a bit on the sheer side and I wish that they had more vibrant color options. Buxom's Stay-There cream shadows come in a wider range of colors, but I can only get away with not wearing primer if I use a really thin layer. I still really like them though. I like Benefit's and Buxom's cream shadows for different reasons, but this one combines those reason into one product!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

At 0.17 oz these are bigger than Benefit's (1.16 oz) and Buxom's (0.12) and the same size as MAC's Paint Pots.

I don't particularly care for the gold packaging ad I think it looks a bit dated, but packaging, especially packaging color, is a bit of a non-issue for me.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

The swatch on the left is a heavy swatch while the one on the right is blended out. The color is a medium mossy green with gold shimmer. The texture is creamy and it spreads easily. I mostly use my fingers for cream shadows, but I didn't have any problems using a brush to with this (some cream shadows are notoriously hard to pick up with a brush). It blends well and the pigmentation is buildable. It does dry down, but it strikes the perfect balance for me of long enough to blend, but not too long to where it creases.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

This look is JUST the shadow and mascara. You can see that it blended out nicely at the edges but packs a nice amount of color on the lid.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place ShadowCreme in Precious Jade

Here is the same look after 6 hours. My mascara is a little smudged but- No creasing! And I didn't wear primer either! Just a disclaimer about my eyelids- I have pretty normal eyelids that rarely get oily. However I still have to wear primer with most eyeshadows or they will crease. I can't guarantee these eyeshadows will work without a primer for everyone, but they do for me.

This also works amazingly well as a base for powder eyeshadows. I used MAC's Jealousy Wakes and Hocus Pocus over the Precious Jade ShadowCreme.

I love this so much and want to buy them all! I wish they were cheaper than $17.50, but they are high end, so that is to be expected. And actually, they are the same price as MAC's Paint Pots, $1.50 cheaper than Benefit's Creaseless cream shadows, and only $0.50 more than Buxom's (which have less product).

Pros:

• Last all day without primer on me
• Very pigmented, but can be sheered out if desired
• Smooth and creamy texture
• Applies evenly, without patchiness
• Allow enough time to blend, but still dry down quickly
• Good base for powder eyeshadows

Cons:

• I can't afford to buy them all RIGHT NOW!
• There is a decent shade selection, but there could always be more. More bold colors would be nice, too.

Available:

• These retail for $17.50 and are sold on Estee Lauder's website, in department stores, and other various places online

Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!

Pink and Teal Never Looked this Good- Estee Lauder ShadowStick Duo in PinkTeal

It's in my nature to be lazy, so I love products of convenience.  I love Benefit's Creaseless Cream eyeshadows because I don't have to wear a primer.  One less step for my lazy bum.  Eyeshadows in pencil form rate really high on my conveniece chart IF they don't crease on their own.  I have been wanting to buy Urban Decay's eye shadow pencils but I want them all and can't afford them all.  So what I do in that situation is buy nothing.  I'm a spoiled brat at heart- if I can't have everything I want, I don't want to have anything to do with it!  Eventually i plan on picking some of those pencils up.  Maybe during the next Friends & Family sale at Sephora.

Needless to say when I saw reviews for Estee Lauder's ShadowStick Duo I was intrigued.  There were TWO colors in the pencil for the same price as one of Urban Decay's.  I've grown up with the misconception that Estee Lauder is an "old lady" brand and was extremely surpised at the colors they had for these eye pencils.  One of them is bronze and gold (which I now want) and the other is pink and teal.  PINK AND TEAL from Estee Lauder?! even Urban Decay doesn't have a pink shadow pencil.

I finally decided to brave the mall and go buy this.  And I'm so glad I did.  This is awesomeness melted down and poured into a pencil.

Estee Lauder PinkTeal ShadowStick Duo

Estee Lauder PinkTeal ShadowStick Duo pink side

Estee Lauder PinkTeal ShadowStick Duo teal side

Estee Lauder PinkTeal ShadowStick Duo swatches

 The swatch of each color on the left is just a few swipes of the pencil unblended.  The ones on the right are the pencils blended/sheered out a lot.  I'm actually a little surprised at how pigmented they are.

I thought I might have to sheer these out on the lid to keep them from creasing but I don't at all.  These pictures are taken after wearing the shadow for 4 hours and WITHOUT using primer.  My eyelids are normal to slightly oily and powder shadows most creams will definitely crease on me without primer.  This pencil gives you enough time to blend a bit, but doesn't take so long to dry that it creases.  The only negative i can think of is that these don't work so well on the waterline, as you can see above, but meh.  I don't really care about that.

Pros:

• Pigmented
• Smooth
• Beautiful, unique colors
• Easy to blend before they dry...
• But dry down before they can crease
• Last all day on me without primer
• Color stay vibrant all day as well

Cons

• None really, except that these are limited edition and they only have two color combinations!

Available

• These retail for $20.  They are sold out on Estee Lauder's website, but be some available at your local EL counters.  I was also able to find them on Dillard's website.