Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia Collection - Review & Swatches

As promised, here is a quick look at what I consider to be the key pieces from the limited edition Blue Dahlia Collection by Tom Pecheux for Esteee Lauder. The focus is the two 5 colour eyeshadow palettes and the 2 pure colour gloss sticks.

Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia Collection

I am a very late convert to Estee Lauder. When I was younger, I always considered it as a brand that was more suitable for my grandmother than me. I am not entirely sure where this impression came from but as I had had it for years, I knew it would take something special to convert me.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss Sticks in Orchid Dream & Rose Dusk

Sure enough, this season's Blue Dahlia Collection tempted me and now I cannot understand my reluctance to try the range the so many years. The products I have tried so far I am very impressed by.

Out of the 4 items I bought, my favourite has to be the Pure Colour Gloss Stick in Rose Dusk. It is the perfect natural lip colour but better with a modern glossy sheen and is so quick and easy to apply. I have worn it everyday since I purchased it and am considering stocking up on a second, something I have never done before with any makeup!

The range has been designed so that the Rose Dusk lip colour is paired with the Blue Dahlia eye palette and the brighter Orchid Dream lip colour goes with the Surreal Violet palette. Although Rose Dusk is my favourite, the Orchid Dream is a fab bright pink, and the finish makes it just wearable enough for day to day if you are on the brave side (I would not be able to carry this off if it was matte). The swatches really capture the gloss finish.

From left to right: Orchid Dream, Rose Dusk

After taking the plunge, I can say hand on heart that I will definitely be buying more of the Estee Lauder Pure Gloss Sticks in the not to distant future. They are my new favourite lipstick.

The Blue Dahlia range by Estee lauder is available nationwide or online at http://www.garden.co.uk/. The Pure Gloss Sticks are £17 each.

A closer look at the eyeshadow palettes with swatches will follow in the next post.

Top 5 August Must-haves & Lust-haves

This will be a regular feature every month, where I list the top 5 beauty products I have been using and the top 5 beauty products I am desperate to get my hands on (it will be hard to restrict it to 5!).

Must-haves

1. Estee Lauder Pure Gloss Stick in Rose Dusk £17 - the perfect everyday colour with a great finish
2. Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser with SPF 50 £25.50 - essential to protect against aging sun damage
3. By Terry Rose de Rose Sheer Liquid Blush £38 - the secret to subtle, glowy pink cheeks
4. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc -£29 gives a stunning natural finish, your skin but better
5. Tom Ford Private Blend Lipstick in Pure Pink £35 - crazy price but fantastic pigment & texture

Lust-haves

1. Urban Decay Naked Eye Palette £27 - 12 of the best neutral, everyday shades
2. Dior Misty Mauve Eyeshadow Quint £39- I'm on a lifetime mission to collect all the Dior quints in existence, but sadly at this point my collection exists of 1
3. Burrberry Light Glow Blush in Peony £28 - am under the delusion that it will magically turn me into one of the Burberry models!
4. Nars Soft Touch Eye Pencil in Palladium (I could add the whole Nars Fall Collection) £17 - used as a base will add a new dimension to all my existing shadows
5. By Terry Touche Veloutee £29 - I am always on the quest for the perfect under eye concealer and maybe this is it?

So here is my list, what products did you find indispensable this summer and which items are on your wish lists?

Although not in my top 5, my quest for September is to find the ultimate lip balm to soothe my very chapped lips which will only get worse one the central heating comes on. I have tried various different brands but find that most only provide relief for the first 5 minutes and then they promptly disappear. If anyone has any recommendations do let me know, I'm currently considering splashing out on either the Creme de la mer lip balm or By Terry Baume de Rose so if anyone has tried these I'd love to hear how you found them. However, suggestions of cheaper alternatives would be greatly received!

Picture: Burberry Beauty Advertising Campaign by Mario Testino

No.7 Colour Rebellion Eye Palette Review & Swatches

Here are photos and swatches of the new No.7 Colour Rebellion Eye palette, part of the limited edition Autumn Collection created by makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, available from Boots. The palette costs £10.50 and consists of 4 vivid eyeshadows, all with a slight shimmer to them. The outside of the palette is faux snakeskin with a gold No.7 embossed on the centre. The colours are described as:

Indigo Blue
Purple haze
Red lead
Chrome Green

Each of the four eyeshadows has the same snakeskin embossed detail as the outside of the palette which is a nice touch. But now for the colours:

They look incredibly vivid at first sight and although many might think they are pretty jewel tones, their brightness could put some people off. However, when I applied them for swatches, they were less pigmented than they appear. In this instance I would say it is a bonus because if you are feeling timid, it is easy to be more restrained in application and get a pretty wash of colour. Then, when you want to vamp it up a bit you can make the colours more intense. The first swatches are of the colours applied dry but the second is of the colours applied wet. You should be able to see the difference in intensity.

Applied dry

Applied Wet

All 4 colours are stunning and I think would look great used wet as eyeliners if you aren't keen to use them all over the eye. My favourites are the purple and the bronze as I have green eyes and I know that these shades really make my eye colour come to life. 

Both the hues of the azure blue and the bronze applied wet  reminded me of couple of the Estee Lauder Liquid Eyeshadows from the Summer Bronze Goddess Collection, so if you missed out on those, this could be a cheaper option, albeit without the phenomenal EL staying power. 

Compared to some of the more muted smokey colours released this season by brands such as Dior and Chanel, this palette stands out as something original (and less than a third of the price!) and is well worth a place in anyone's makeup bag.

If you want more inspiration on how to use the colours together, Lisa Eldridge wore the bronze on the lid and the lilac just under the eye, paired with a nude lip, in a giveaway video on her website http://www.lisaeldridge.com/. It is well worth a look as she looks stunning and is a testament to the versatility of the palette.