Estee Lauder x Victoria Beckham Collection

Happy New Year everybody! It might seem a tad late, but I gave myself a lovely long stretch of time off to recover from the nightmare that was 2017.  I binged on TV (watched Ozark, caught up on The Walking Dead and watched that Menendez Murders special of Law and Order – I love Edie Falco sooo much) and I feel fully refreshed and ready to take on 2018.

I wanted to my first post of 2018 to be something really special, and I don’t think anything is quite as special as the stunning Estee Lauder x Victoria Beckham collection which launched last year.  This is the sort of collection you can really see becoming collectable; the colours are fascinating and inspiring, the formulas are mostly buttery and easy and the packaging – the packaging is a whole other story; decadent, luxurious and extremely glamorous, it’s VB all over.

This was a seriously limited edition collection that sold out pretty much straight away, and you will struggle to find it anywhere as every bit was snapped up, but it’s so pretty and lovely to look at that I thought I would share anyway, especially for the die-hard collectors who are happy to hunt.  The Eye Metal in Bitter Clove (I even love that shade name) is a versatile product that can be applied as a wash or built-up to create a stronger finish.  It can also be applied over other eyeshadows to add sparkle and dimension.

The Eye Matte Duo in Saphir/Orange is a really interesting duo of a deep navy blue (very VB) alongside a strong pop of orange.  I was a bit taken aback at first but this is a duo that works really well together, especially for adding a pop of colour without going all out.  The Navy shade is gorgeous, but the formula doesn’t quite blend as well as I would like and is a little tricky to work with.  The Orange shade is smooth, buttery and glides on effortlessly.  You can use each shade individually or wear them together, by making either shade the prominent one for a smoky look with a hint of warmth and colour.

I’m struggling to decide which of the four bits to call my favourite, but I think it’s probably the Eye Kajal in Saphir/Vanille, as it’s such a versatile and handy product and I love, love, LOVE the Saphir shade, which, much like the blue in the Eye Matte Duo, is a deep, inky navy that makes a refreshing change from black when worn on the inner rim (although I will point out that Saphir isn’t meant for the inner rim, it still works really well) for that sexy, smoky look that kohl does so well.  The other end is the Vanille shade which is a brightening, redness-reducing fleshy shade for everyday wear that is designed for the inner rim.  Both ends provide a formula that is buttery, comfortable and long-wearing.

The final product is the Highlighter in Modern Mercury, which, out of all four products is the one I’m using the most as it’s so flattering. The shade is a warm, peachy gold in a formula that’s very natural and gives skin that lit-from-within glow that’s so hard to achieve, but very easy with this – perfect for novices and those who can’t quite get the hang of highlighting.  I also love the fact that it’s a great big palette of product that’ll last for ages (and works as an eyeshadow too!) in sturdy packaging that travels really well.  I can’t really fault it and I can see myself using it until I hit pan.

I absolutely love the Estee Lauder x Victoria Beckham collection and I cannot wait to see what the next release brings.  The products are a joy to use that add a glamour back to the often mundane task of make-up application; there is just something very indulgent about cracking open the black and gold palettes to reveal the beauty inside that makes the whole process a lot more alluring and enjoyable. If you can track one of these pieces down for yourself, I really recommend you do.

*PR Samples