*They* say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
I don’t know about that… *They* obviously haven’t seen the Estee Lauder Vintage Jewels collection yet because it’s breaking a lot of those diamond friendships.
The collection’s adventurous eye, lip, face and nail shades remind me of jewel-filled pirate treasure chests bulging with amethysts, emeralds and sapphires. Aye, matey! I’ll walk ye plank for these colors!
Try three bejeweled looks in amethyst, sapphire and emerald.
Eyes
Signature Eyeshadow Duos, $25
- Amethyst: shimmery violet and shimmery violet-pink (limited edition)
- Sapphire: shimmery navy blue and shimmery cool-toned grayish blue (limited edition)
- Emerald: shimmery green and shimmery beige (limited edition)
Smoked Eye Pencil, $18.50
- Smoked Amethyst: violet with pearl (limited edition)
- Sapphire: navy blue with pearl (limited edition)
- Emerald: forest green with pearl (limited edition)
Sumptuous Mascara, $19.50
- Black: true black
Lips
Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick with Faceted Design, $19.50
- Black Cherry: deep cool wine with golden pearl (limited edition)
- Ruby: creamy red with a touch of fuchsia (limited edition)
- Rich Red: creamy medium blue-red
Face
Shimmering Jewel Powder, $32
- Gold highlighting powder for face and body (limited edition)
Nails
Pure Color Nail Lacquer, $18
- Black Berry: creamy deep cool wine (limited edition)
- Ruby: creamy red (limited edition)
- Red Tango: creamy warm red (limited edition)
Blue cast a charm spell on me this fall. I trace it back to my run in with the Cargo Color Palette in Vienna.
I couldn’t wait to try the Sapphire eye products in Vintage Jewels and tested some of them this week, along with a smattering of colorful face and lip items from the collection.
Shimmering Jewel Powder
Shimmering Jewel Powder comes housed in a sleek gold compact with a faceted pattern pressed into the pan — so pretty! It’s a cool-toned highlighter with lots of shimmer, not at all like last holiday’s Platinum Illuminator Loose Shimmer Powder, which was a very warm, peachy gold.
A dusting of Shimmering Jewel Powder delivers plenty of small-to-medium flecks of glittering gold shimmer. It functions best as a highlighter because it’s basically pure shimmer, so I prefer to pair it with other blushes rather than using it by itself. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
Signature Eyeshadow Duo in Sapphire
I’m so blue… No, not like that (at least not today, LOL!). I mean to say that I’m so into blue eyeshadow right now.
The two shades in this duo don’t exactly fit the swashbuckling, adventurous analogy because of how well they suit novices and the faint of heart. They apply with sheer-to-medium color payoff and are easy to blend, too. That spells easy, which is something I like. 😉
Some girls might find them a little too sheer, but I like how easy they are to control. With these, the sheerness means being able to carefully manage how much color gets applied, from one or two layers for just a hint of color to three to five layers for a more intense look. And if I want something lusciously rich and dramatic, I’ll reach for a wet brush.
They do need a lil’ help as the day wears on, though, fading a touch faster than my MAC or Lancome shadows. If I’m going to dinner after work, the duo comes along for quick touchups. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
Smoked Eye Pencil in Smoked Sapphire
Um, wow! Pardon my French, but this blue liner is the sh*t! It’s rich and deep like Lake Tahoe and glides along my skin without any tugging or skipping at all.
Estee Laduer should’ve called this a long-wearing eye pencil, too, because DANG, this stuff stays on forever. Once it’s on it hangs around longer than your stalker ex-boyfriend, on *both* the lash and water lines. I think I might love this even more than Lancome Le Stylo waterproof (gasp!), which I’ve been wearing practically non-stop for months, and I’m even tempted to get the two other shades. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+
Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Black
I think Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara (say that five times fast) plumps lashes fairly well. As for thickening, my results with it haven’t been as pronounced as they are when I use Chanel Exceptionnel, but still… I’d say it makes lashes about 25% thicker.
The formula is a little clumpy, but I’ve found that if I take extra care during application and use the skinny tip of the brush, I can keep the clumps to a minimum.
It doesn’t smudge or flake, but where Sumptuous Bold mascara really excels is in curl hold and staying power. While wearing two coats, my lashes kept the curl all day long.
Wistfully, I wish it lengthened better, but if you’re looking for a basic daytime mascara with pretty good thickening power that holds the curl, you could do a lot worse. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B+
Signature Lipstick
I fell for Estee Lauder Signature Lipsticks last holiday season. With richly pigmented color, a lighter-than-air feel on the lips and lots of moisture, Ruby and Black Cherry, the two limited edition holiday 2008 shades, share signature (ha!) hallmarks with their 2007 cousins. Notice the faceted cuts on the tubes. I think they’re a pretty update and keep in character with the jeweled theme.
Ruby
Ruby on lips
Ruby’s an easy to wear, shimmerless red with a touch of fuchsia. Because it’s so heavily pigmented, I have to apply it slowly using a lip brush — no straight from the tube action here, girlies. I love the results, though, when I get it just right.
Black Cherry
Black Cherry on lips
A deep wine with golden pearl, Black Cherry is a little more user friendly than Ruby, and I can apply it directly from the tube. I see it as an option for looks in which I want to go dark but not vampire dark.
A Few Swatches
From left to right: Sumptuous Bold Volume Lifting Mascara in Black, Smoked Eye Pencil in Smoked Sapphire, Signature Eyeshadow Duo in Sapphire light shade, Signature Eyeshadow Duo in Sapphire dark shade, Shimmering Jewel Powder
From left to right: Signature Lipstick in Black Cherry, Ruby
A Vintage Jewels-Inspired Face of the Day
For my makeup yesterday, I played off the sapphire look from the Estee Lauder website…
I probably wouldn’t pair this eye with such a strong red lip in the future, but I figured what the hell. Life is short!
I kept the cheeks neutral, with a dusting of Shimmering Jewel Powder on top of MAC Emote Blush, to keep from overwhelming the eyes and lips.
Take a Closer Look…
Definitely check out the Smoked Eye Pencils if you find yourself near an Estee Lauder counter. I think that Ruby lipstick is worth a peek if you’re a fan of red lips.
What’s your take on Vintage Jewels? See any nice surprises?
Are We There Yet?
Can I just say AMEN to the fact that it’s Thursday? If you hang in there, I will too. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
those eyesshadows looks so pretty, i love how they are shaped in the compact!i don’t usually wear eyesahdow during the day but im totally going for some BLUE today!! 🙂
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Ooh, that liner looks fierce. Do they have it in brown/bronze?
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I’ve been into blues lately too – I only wish I could pull it off as well as you! Brown eyes with blue eyeshadow is soooo pretty! I have blue eyes, and I find that I have to keep it on the soft and sheer side.
However – do you remember Miranda in one of the last episodes of Sex and the City? She paired her blue eyes with the same tone blue eyeshadow, and a red top with her red hair! She rocked it! 🙂
hello karen
this collection looks so fab on you
as much as i love reds i am so partial to pink (i am a pink freak!) so i may stick to pink lips
but the blue is super bad @ss!!
3 more days till my much needed vacation and i still havent packed or printed my boarding passes to the ship
i soo suck these days my brain is just non functional
but i am so proud of myself i did my street fighting class on tuesday, worked with my personal trainer for 2 hours last night (yes i am super lucky we get along and get extra long sessions at no additional charge lol) tonight i have another session with my trainer – gotta get myself presentable for bathing suits on this trip lol
i think this all kinda deserves a makeup treat! dont you agree lol
Hi Gina,
Yay, sounds good! Are you going to try this collection, or is there another blue that you’ve got your eye on?
Hi Karen B.,
Unfortunately right now it only comes in the three shades, and it’s limited edition (boo). Here’s a link to the colors on the Estee Lauder website:
Smoked Eye Pencil
Are you a purple liner kinda girl? Maybe the amethyst can function as an option for brown or bronze?
Hi Karen Too,
LOL, I just realized that there are a lot of Karens up in here this morning. 🙂
I’ve seen the entire SATC series a billion times, and I think I can recall the look you’re talking about on Miranda. This just gives me an excuse to bust out my DVDs again.
You’ve seen the movie yet?
Hi Yadiq,
All that fitness deserves at least an eyeliner!
Do you plan on exercising on your trip? I find that keeping up with the regular fitness routine when I’m away from come can be challenging.
oh i know
i will attempt to at least jog or swim
we will see know me i will be burnt out from all these past few months of workout that i may just give up and start sipping coladas poolside lol
I really like the Sapphire eyeshadow too – it looks like such a rich, deep color.
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you look great in those colors! especially Ruby. Hope you have a great thursday! 🙂
Oh man, this is to die for! Lookatchu, wow! That eyeliner is gorgeous, I’ll probably get it since it’s hard to find an eyeliner with that shade of deep blue and shimmer.
If I did not remember that your friend’s wedding is in church, I would have said you just got a winning look there. However, I think you still can pull off the look but using a lighter lip color. This look is gorgeous Karen!
I don’t really like Estee Lauder, but the shimmer powder looks really nice, so does the blue eye pencil. I’m addicted to blue eye make up lately.
The shapes of this collection are really nice though. 🙂
I’ve seen the Estee Lauder pallettes since the counter is across from me. They are very pretty and I thought I liked their shimmer powder but it was too light on me and I’m not very dark at all… Oh, here it comes… Lancome’s shimmer powder from C’est Magnifique Holiday collection…. Shimmering Pink. We have an eyeshadow quad called Glamour Premiere … I tried it the other day with Midnight Glam artliner…. PRETTY! Anyway, Lancome promotion done.
Hi Karen,
what product from this collection do you feel is the best of the bunch? i can’t afford to purchase a whole collection right now and i’m looking at other companies – i already purchased the dazzlegloss from MAC and nothing else really caught my eye and i’m thinking about getting a Stila palette from beauty crunch. i need to stay away from Nars and i don’t think i’ve ever used Estee Lauder so I’m not too familiar with their stuff.
Right now i’m so into smoky eyes with other colors such as brown and violet – I might have to check out that blue liner!
Hi Yadiq,
That sounds good to me! *raises pina colada*
Ultimately, though, I know I can’t ever take a real vacation. Work somehow finds a way to follow me, sigh.
Are you packed yet? You better bring some Shiseido 55 sunscreen!
Hi Geeky Beauty,
It’s a stunner, and probably my favorite item from the bunch!
Hi Carrie,
Thanks, sweets! I love Ruby too. I am tempted to rock it again today, but I don’t want to OD the red lip.
You have a great Thursday, too. Got any fun plans for the weekend yet?
Hi Dao,
Definitely pick Smoked Eye Pencil. It’ll have the power to stand up to the Florida humidity!
Happy Thursday!
Hi Ellery,
Me too! I think we were bitten by the same blue eye makeup bug.
I love the cuts and the facets of the items in this, too. It’s a nice way to reinforce the jeweled theme.
Even if you’re not TEAM EL I hope you try out the liner… seriously, it’s the best liner I’ve tried in months!
Hi Tatiana,
Whee! I saw those online, but have yet to check them out in person. I just wrote them down on my list. *drools*
Hi Lexi,
The Smoked Eye pencils, hands down. This was the real stand out item for me. It’s rare to find pencils that feel so soft against the skin, yet stay all day long (even on the waterline). Plus the colors are rich and dreamy. I just wish they had this is a black and bronze shade!
Forgive me if I’ve asked you this already (the no sleep thing is making my mind foggy), but are you a red lips girl? Because the Ruby lipstick is fantastic, too, if that’s a look you like.
hi karen..
first i have to say i love your website…one of a kind really as i find you infuse it with a lot of humor 🙂
anyways, i checked out the estee lauder holiday vintage collection last week and the shimmering powder is what caught my attention. i have medium skintone and it looked fab. i even got to wear it w couple of days later when i went out with my girlfriend for a late dinner sans hubby and kiddos. i received many compliments about how much my skin glowed. i used my bobbi brown nude palette for eyes and lips and a matte bronzer to give a little bit of the sungoddess theme i was going for. my hubby was drooling!
take care
ammura
Very pretty. I <3 estee lauder.
So why when I went to CVS on my lunch to get my allergy medicine did I buy 3 tubes of mascara? Because I have a problem…that’s why. 🙂 I <3 mascara too…in case you didn’t know…
Beautiful colors! I am obsessing over grays right now, but I got an extra dose of sapphire with my Dior Twilight quint, and after seeing your eye look here, I’m glad I did! 🙂
Hi Karen,
Yes I’m slowly getting back into red lips again. Right now I’m feeling more of a blue based red – a red I first started to wear when I was 16. I think I can rock a blue based and brown based red. Actually the Brown Cherry color is calling my name! =)
Wow that’s a really pretty look Karen! I must check out Estee Lauder Holiday Collection now! If you’re into blues, Dior has a holiday quint that has some blue tones in it. ^_^
I love the pencil! I need a long-wearing liner, mine always ends up fading away =( I wish I looked good in red lipstick… I pretty much resemble a geisha or some Asian harlot whenever I try!
Btw, random fact, that model for Estee Lauder, Hilary, went to my high school! Haha, we played field hockey together and made fun of our French teacher in class! Still freaks me out seeing her face when I open magazines =P
Until recently I wasnt much of a liner kinda girl (any colour) but with the haircolour changes I needed something to define my eyes (especially with the red it looked as if I had no eyes… lol, I have less trouble with the brown now but I’m hooked so yeah…)
I might check it out later today. I do like the purple.
Karen B´s last blog post..Top 200 my ass
I purchased this entire collection. The Estee Lauder website also recommended liners for the lipsticks – but I haven’t tried them yet. I wish they would have put some blush suggestions with this collection. I am a HUGE fan of the creamy blush sticks that they no longer make. The eyeliner is to die for – and you look great in the blues AND the matching lipstick!
I want to add that I just found this site, and while I did NOT like the chocolate decadence in our store, I fell in love with it on this site and had to purchase it ALL as well. I wore the Caramel Truffle yesterday and put the Holiday shimmer powder on. I thought it was WAY TOO light, but I added my regular – light to medium – face powder, and it looked like I spent more than the five minutes I had on my makeup.
I shall be coming here for all the great finds in makeup!!! Thank You!
Oh, Karen, this looks mighty good on you. I have to say Estee lauder upped their game ever since their Chocolate decadence. This is a jewelicious collection. However, have you seen Estee Lauder Cathedral Square. Oh those are retailed at $300 online. (crystalized cathedral model with perfume in compact) now that’s WOW