ESTEE LAUDER

Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Persuasive 333 Review and Swatch + Giveaway

January 21, 2018

I’ve been obsessed with lipsticks lately, particularly in the color range of brick brown red/maple leaf sort of colors which is the color of the year. I was over the moon when I finally tracked down Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Persuasive 333 which is almost sold-out worldwide! If you can find one, get it right now! It is a stunning autumn color but I am totally loving it for the hot weather. All pictures in the post are taken with an iphone with my new illuminated selfie phone case that gives better lighting.

The Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte formula is amongst the best that glides on silky smooth and feels non-drying and lightweight even for the dry lips (on par with the Tom Ford Matte and Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution which are my top favorites). It is highly saturated so a little goes a long way. I suggest that for the application you just need to dab the color gently on the center of the lips and smudge with your fingers for a softer and blended-in look.

Closer look

The color Persuasive 333 is absolutely stunning and worth the hype. I describe the color as a dusty terracotta warm red with a hint of pumpkin undertone. As the warm-toned eyeshadow trend is taking over the world, this lipstick makes the perfect compliment. It goes well with most skin tones, and the bright base color instantly brightens up your complexion, whereas the muted tone still makes the color look natural and wearable everyday without looking too glamorous.

Swatch – taken with iphone with LuMee Duo phone case! No color filter applied

Here is a picture of me wearing Persuasive taken outdoor

Bottom Line: If you could have one lipstick this year, make it this one! The Pure Color Envy Matte range is available at Nordstrom and Estee Lauder US online. I bought it here in Australia, and you can also find it on David Jones online. Selfridges is another place where you can try your luck. It seems the shade Persuasive is out of stock everywhere, but there are some other beautiful similar shades such as Raw Edge, Decisive Poppy; Irrepressible and Desirous from the same range that I am also drooling over!

I was recently sent the LuMee illuminated DUO phone case and absolutely adore it! It has adjustable front and back LED light so you can take pictures and selfies in any lighting condition. I prefer using the dimmed light during the day, and at night the full light setting is guaranteed to give you good quality pictures without the use of flash. Here is a giveaway for one lucky winner. The prize is a LuMee iPhone case of your choice with the value up to USD$100 that you can find from the LuMee website!

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment below and I will pick the winner at random. The giveway is available to US residents only.

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Labels: ESTEE LAUDER • FOTD • light up selfie cases for the iphone • LIPSTICK

All About Sunscreens

March 14, 2015

I have been road testing a lot of sunscreens in recent years, and in this post it covers some of my absolute favorites. As we all know, there are two different types of UVS – the UVA and UVB . What you probably aren’t aware is that UVB rays can burn the skin, whereas what we women really have to watch out for on a daily basis is the UVA rays that causes aging and pigmentation. SPF is only for blocking UVB. In most western brands, if the sunscreen also protects you from UVA it is indicated by the word “Broad Spectrum”, however how much coverage it provides is unknown. I personally prefer the Asian standard of labeling for UVA protection as it is denoted by the PA+. The more plus signs there are, the better job it does for blocking UVA which is valuable information for those who are sensitive to the sun.

1. Estee Lauder CyberWhite HD Advanced Brightening UV Protector SPF 50 PA+++: My top favorite and I would repurchase it over and over. It has all the protection I need, and the texture is like a lightweight gel cream that feels invisible and hydrating on the skin. It is neither greasy nor drying. And unlike other gel sunscreens, this one does not flake up and sits well under makeup. Highly recommend! (Asia version here)

2. DIOR DIORSNOW White Reveal UV Protection SPF 50 PA+++: It’s a sunscreen with moisturizing and brightening ingredients, so it doubles up as a makeup primer as it helps to brighten up and even out the skin tone. The texture feels very rich upon application – almost like a heavy moisturizer for dry skin but it absorbs into the skin after a few minutes without the oily residue, leaving your skin supple and slightly dewy. A lot of my friends who have dry skin really love this sunscreen because of the dewy finish. (Asia version here)

3. Lunasol Control Essence UV SPF34 PA+++ : It feels just as good as the Estee Lauder -very lightweight, and has a luxurious serum-like lotion texture that feels refreshing and hydrating on the skin without changing the skin color. I would rate this one as my second favorite because it has a lower SPF.

4. BECCA Mineral SPF30 Face and Body Sunscreen: This is a mineral sunscreen so it is better for sensitive as well as acne prone skin types, and more importantly, they become effective immediately upon application as opposed to the classic sunscreens that should be applied at least 20 minutes before exposure to the sun. The texture of this is lovely – it is creamy but non greasy, feels refreshing on the face but it might leave a white cast if your skin tone is darker than NC30.

5. ORBIS UV Cut Sunscreen FACE SPF34 PA+++ – A Japanese drugstore brand and their UV CUT line that is highly raved about and just blows the western drugstore sunscreens out of the water. This is a mineral sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It has a watery milky lotion texture with more than 80% moisturizing ingredients that just melts into your skin and prevents oxidization. It sets immediately to a semi-matte finish without feeling drying nor powdery. I love using this one on days I don’t wear makeup, as it is tinted with a pale beige color that makes the complexion look really fresh and clean. My top pick for an affordable sunscreen!

6. ORBIS UV Cut Sunscreen SUPER SPF50 PA++++: Offers maximum protection, and the texture is very similar to the face product without the beige tint, so it can be used for both the face and the body without leaving a white cast as it goes on invisible. Since it has the highest PA protection, it is great for prevention from being tanned.

7. Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral: Another mineral sunscreen but in powder form! I thought this is a brilliant idea as I like to re-apply sun protection every few hours without having it messing up my makeup! It applies pretty much like transparent loose powder, but the brush feels coarse and it doesn’t fit into the cap so it can get messy for carrying it around.

Swatches from left to right: Estee Lauder; Dior; Lunasol; Becca; Orbis Face; Orbis Super

slightly blended

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Labels: BECCA • DIOR • ESTEE LAUDER • LUNASOL • ORBIS • Peter Thomas Roth • SKINCARE • SUNSCREEN

Beauty Wishlist

July 27, 2014

My current beauty wishlist include some neutral eye shadow palettes, a foundation and some fragrances which are the 3 main things I am obsessed with lately. The most exciting product has to be the new Tom Ford’s Traceless Perfecting Foundation that has just been released – I haven’t bought any Tom Ford’s foundations yet because I was eagerly awaiting for this one! My second must purchase item is the Bottega Veneta Essence Aromatica as my all time favorite fragrance is the Bottega Veneta Eau De Parfume, and this lighter and fresher version of it sounds alluring!
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Labels: BOBBI BROWN • ESTEE LAUDER • EYESHADOW • FRAGRANCE • NAIL POLISH • SHOP • Tom Ford • YSL

Loving Right Now

June 22, 2013

JCREW Cashmere: I love wearing cashmere, particular from JCREW. There is nothing more cosy and luxurious than the feel of pure soft Italian cashmere brushing against your skin. My favorite style from JCREW is the BOYFRIEND Cashmere Sweater which is slightly over-sized with a straight slouchy fit and I just love the effortless look. It looks great with everything such as a pair of skinny/boyfriend jeans, or chinos for spring and summer. I have them in the color of Navy and Hthr Neon Pink, and there is few more colors on the way as JCREW is currently doing a 20% OFF with code 20INSIDER for international orders, and 25% OFF with code NEWSTYLE for US orders!

Stella McCartney Sunglasses (bought here): Perfect size, perfect style, and great for everyday wear.

Jo Malone Osmanthus Blossom (available here): I am a big fan of Jo Malone fragrance, and this new LE cologne is everything that I expected . It is a delicate floral scent with a top note of osmanthus that smells pure, clean and fresh. If you love wild bluebell, orange blossom, red roses, I can guarantee you would love this one!

Estee Lauder Cyber White Brilliant Cells Brightening UV Protector SPF 50+ (bought here): The Japanese are known for their ultra light weight and water resistant sunscreen, and to get a fair share of the Asian market, this year the major Western beauty houses such as Dior, Chanel, Estee Lauder etc have really stepped up the plate and released some great sun protection products exclusive to the Asian market. The newly improved formula has a significantly lighter texture, more absorbent, leaves no white cast, and they are more reminiscent of a makeup primer than the traditional face sunscreen. I love the Estee Lauder because it works great for my dry skin. It is hydrating without the greasy feeling and gives a lovely dewy finish. I normally skip my makeup primer if I wear this one underneath the foundation.

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Labels: ACCESSORY • ESTEE LAUDER • Fashion • JCREW • Jo Malone • My Favorites • SHOP • Stella McCartney

Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush Plush Petal Review and Swatches

June 6, 2012

I call this ‘The Blush of the Year’ – Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Blush in Plush Petal 14 . Isn’t it just incredibly pretty? As soon as I spotted the new collection of Pure Color Blushes at David Jones which retails for AUD$65 each , I had to have the Plush Petal. But it was all sold out so I had to back order it, and it finally arrived not long ago!

I don’t usually buy makeup from Estee Lauder, as I still relate them with granny makeup 😛 But this beautiful blush created by the legendary makeup artist Tom Pecheux really blew me away. The texture feels silky smooth and buttery soft, and the powder is densely packed so the color payoff is intense and rich. What appeals to me the most is the gradient hue that fades from a strawberry pink to to a soft hibiscus pink, which gives you a good control over the application as you can ‘fine tune’ the shade of pink that you like. When swirling together, it blends into a soft coral pink. Plush Petal has very fine shimmer that is only visible under certain lighting, and gives a satiny finish with a soft glow when applied on the skin.

Swatch of Plush Petal

Being a beauty blogger I am sometimes guilty that I am not doing enough comparison swatches for my readers…It’s just that the thought of rumbling through my stash (I am a neat freak by the way) and realizing how much makeup I have really puts me off! But I am working on it, and for this post I have pulled out these pink blushes to compare that range from hot pink to cool lilac pink.

CLOCKWISE: Nars Desire, Estee Lauder Plush Petal, Shu Uemura M Pink 30 (my all time favorite pink blush), Dior Rosy Glow, Blush Horizon de Chanel, Chanel JC Narcisse

Bottom Line: I love it, and looking forward to more gradient shades!

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Labels: BLUSH • ESTEE LAUDER

My Best Concealers

December 15, 2011

I’ve been meaning to do a concealer post for a long time. I can live without foundations but I can’t live without a good concealer, because I would never leave my house without wearing one hence I have collected many… My concealers are mainly for highlighting the under eye areas. I don’t really have visible dark circles but I find that brightening the under eye areas makes a HUGE difference to my complexion, as it just instantly makes me look more awake and my face looks more lifted.

I am a little lazy doing a proper review on each concealer that I own (you know as a beauty blogger once in a while you lose the blogging mojo!…), so I thought I’ll just quickly share what I have with you now.

THE BREAKDOWN:

Chanel Corrector: It’s a good concealer but not the best, will not repurchase.

Shiseido Natural Finish Creamy Concealer: Nothing special about this one, will not repurchase.

SANA Make Essence Concealers: One is a yellow based concealer in an essence (serum) consistency to cover dark circles, and the other one is a pink based concealer with silicone to cover pores. Best value for money as they only cost less than $10 each.

ColorScience Eyes Wide Open Eye Brightener: Strictly speaking it is an eye cream with a baby blue color made of all natural botanical ingredients. It has a lotion consistency that sinks into your skin straight away. When it is first applied it has a cooling sensation, then quite magically it brightens and takes away the dark circles very effectively. A great alternative for those of you who don’t like to wear makeup. I bought it on skinstore, and you can find more reviews on this product there as well.

Ellis Faas Concealer: My most recent favorite! The texture is creamy but not heavy, easy to blend and provides very good coverage as well as brightening. For those of you who prefer a lightweight concealer that has a better coverage than the YSL Touche Eclat, this is the product to try.

YSL Touche Eclat: My all time favorite concealer for the under eyes! It just has a perfect formulation to diffuse light and create a soft illumating effect. The texture is neither too creamy nor too silicony, which makes it perfect for the delicate under eye areas as it will not enhance any fine lines. In the meantime it is great for retouching your makeup any time of the day, as it glides on smoothly without rubbing off your base makeup.

Estee Lauder Ideal Light: A cheaper dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat.

Bobbi Brown Corrector: Very creamy and emollient and it covers the dark circles well, I don’t feel the need of applying another concealer on top of it as recommended by Bobbi Brown. My only gripe is that it doesn’t last the whole day and it makes my mascara smudge.

Shu Uemura Pro Concealer: A heavy coverage and dryer concealer that I use to cover occasional spots.

Cle de Peau Concealer: Another holy grail concealer for me. This is my third tube! Formulation is perfection and it is versatile enough to cover both the dark circles and freckcles/blemishes in a natural way.