Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Fall 2017

I have been on the road for almost 2 weeks now, and I had originally hoped to find time in the evenings or weekend to do some writing, but it has been an exhausting trip so far.  I was glad to have been able to take a peek at the second Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Collection before I left, and had the chance to play around with a select few pieces… so here are my thoughts!

This Fall 2017, Victoria Beckham releases her 2nd capsule collection with Estee Lauder, and it builds on the same high quality, luxurious note that fans have come to expect from the prior release [reviewed here].  It is a highly-edited capsule collection consisting of some of last year’s favorites along with a handful of new pieces.

The packaging is super luxe, feels hefty in my hands and have a textural quality that I appreciate.  I think the quality has improved as the cases close better now, and to make things interesting, the black grooved surfaces of last year’s line is now replaced with a textured leather.  The key piece of this year’s release is encased in an eye-catching golden palette!

Just like last year’s collection enjoyed lots of hype around the Modern Mercury Highlighter [see here]; this year’s VB x Estee Lauder collection’s star attraction is the Skin Perfecting Powder.  This is a finely milled powder compact that is tightly packed and does not kick up excess powder.  In fact, if you are using a very light airy brush, it may seem like you’re not picking up much at all.  But give it a generous swirl and dust it on the face, and you will be amazed at how well it smoothens out all the bumps and lines!  It is super lightweight as well so it does not leave a white-cast, nor dry out the skin and exacerbate the look of any dry patches.

There are several eye options, including a 4-colour palette and 3 eyeshadow duos.  This year, Victoria Beckham has taken a different direction with the eyes… instead of sensual shimmers, this year we are seeing bold matte colors.  I decided to go with the unusual and more avant garde Eye Matte Duo in Saphir Orange Vif.

I am thrilled at how nicely pigmented the orange is, and it shows up easily with just a pat without blending out or sheering out into a muddy mess!  The blue is disappointingly dry and patchy, even if most blues are generally difficult to begin with, I’d have expected more from VB x Estee Lauder.  I recommend wearing it over a primer to help even out the application and prevent the blue from sheering out too much, but the easiest way to work with it is to simply pat it on top of a darkening black base.

In this eye look, I used a shimmering black cream all over my lid as a darkening base, and then patted the sapphire blue shade over it and blended out the edges.  Next, I patted orange onto the middle of the lid in a tulip placement.  I smoked out the lower lash line with a mixture of black eyeliner and sapphire, and also finished with several coatings of the Eye Ink Mascara in Blackest.

The Eye Ink Mascara is skinnier than most, and is intended to be able to reach the tiniest lashes and coat it black.  I generally enjoy skinny mascara tips, and this was no exception.  However, I did not find it containing much fibres to help lengthen or volumnize my lashes.  On the other hand, I like the thin formula that allows me to keep building and building layers without my lashes turning spidery.

The Aura Gloss in Honey is meant to be a multi-purpose product that can be applied on the lips and cheeks for a glistening shine.  As you can see from the combined swatch above, it contains a fine golden pearl over a translucent base.  It feels incredibly decadent on the lips, keeping them perfectly hydrated and comfortable all day, and works well either worn over a nude liner or a matte lipstick.  Personally, I don’t fancy wearing it on my cheeks as I have lots of other highlighters for that purpose, but if caught in a jam and you need a bit of glow, this is a good alternative to keep on hand.

This is my personal take on this year’s Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder New York Look.  I used the Eye Matte Duo in Saphir / Orange Vif over a darkening base and Eye Ink Mascara on the eyes.  On the lips, I first lined with Lip Pencil in Victoria [see here] before dabbing some Aura Gloss in Honey over for that shine.  Completed the look with last year’s bronzer in Java Sun on cheeks and to sculpt, and Modern Mercury to highlight.  Finally, finished with the Skin Perfecting Powder all over the face.

The Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Collection is available exclusively on sephora.sg for a limited time only.  Have you checked it out yet?

_{This post featured products that were generously provided for my consideration.  Regardless, all opinions expressed here are my own honest, unbiased views.}