Victoria Beckham for Estee Lauder Makeup Collection – complete swatches!

Estee Lauder does not do designer collaborations very often (the last one that comes to mind is the Courrèges Estée Lauder Collection from Summer 2015), and when it chooses to do so, it does it exceedingly well.  And this Fall 2016, Estee Lauder has partnered up with the icon of style – Victoria Beckham!  It is a succinct and highly curated collection of only 14 items, in a uber luxe packaging that has fans enthralled all over the world.  The collection launched in the US and UK 10 days ago, and is mostly soldout within days.  Thankfully for us, the collection will be launching here in Singapore and other parts of Asia soon.  To help you make up your mind whether to call dips on these covetable pieces, here are the complete swatches of the Victoria Beckham for Estee Lauder Makeup Collection!

The collection has been touted to be Victoria Beckham’s ideal makeup collection, and there certainly is something here for everyone.  But if there had to be a favourite, it would have to be the nude lipstick and pencil (of course)… and the Morning Aura Illuminating Creme!

“This is something that gives that real youthful glowy look…” — Victoria Beckham

The Morning Aura Illuminating Creme [SGD102] is a hydrating primer that contains micro-pearls to instantly illuminate and brighten the complexion.  It comes in a stunning fluted gold bottle with a discreet pump dispenser, and the initials VB printed in gold at the top.  This is something that will instantly glam up any dresser, and a tiny pearl size is all that is needed to cover the entire face.  

True to her signature look, Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder features several options for the eyes.  Featured in the photo above are (clockwise starting from bottom) – Eye Ink in Myrrh [SGD70], Eye Foils in Blonde Gold and Burnt Anise [SGD70 each], Eye Kajal Duo in Saffron and Vanilla [SGD50], Eye Metals Eyeshadows in Bitter Clove and Charred Emerald [SGD70 each].

And here are the swatches and some first impressions:

The Eye Ink in Black Myrrh is definitely the black eyeshadow to get!  It is smooth and pigmented, and contains the most red carpet-worthy dual-chrome shimmers.  I see violet, silver, emerald in there…. just to name a few.  This is a gel-cream formula that can be applied dry as swatched above, or wet for even greater intensity.

The Eye Metals Eyeshadows are metallic powder eyeshadows with a good dose of shimmer.  Bitter Clove is surprisingly sheer, and the swatch above took numerous swipes to achieve the level of opacity needed to be photographed.  It is semi-translucent, and certainly not the deep bronze as it appears in the pan.  I suggest layering this over a darker base shade for dramatic effect, more so than on its own.  Charred Emerald on the other hand was excellent, and was fully opaque in 1 swipe!  It is a cool-toned green with a sooty dark edge to it, and a good dose of silver shimmers thrown in.

The Eye Foils are completely unique as they are highly pigmented, and remain as intense after they dry down.  Burnt Anise is essentially the liquid version of Black Myrrh with slightly chunkier glitters.  Blonde Gold surprised me as it is semi-sheer, but gives a truly foil-like metallic silver and pale gold finish. This is one that actually works best sheer imho, but of course feel free to go all out for the upcoming Halloween parties.  There is also a dual-ended Eye Kajal Duo in Saffron / Vanilla, which is super smooth and creamy, designed to be blended out for a nude day eye look and a smokey night look.

“I want to make women feel empowered, to feel sexy and confident.  This makeup collection does that.  I’m a girl’s girl, I love to make women feel like the best version of themselves.” — Victoria Beckham

The products featured in the image directly above are (in clockwise direction starting from top right corner) – Eye Palette [SGD116], Highlighter in Modern Mercury [SGD104], Lip Gloss in Moroccan Heat [SGD50], Lipsticks in Brazilian Nude and Chilean Sunset [SGD76 each], and Bronzer in Java Sun [SGD104].

Here are some swatches and my initial impressions:

I was not expecting to fall in love with the Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Eye Palette… but I was completely blown away from the very first swatch!  These are all single swipes, and all the shades are buttery soft (the textures are far better than the Eye Ink and Eye Metals Eyeshadows).  They are formulated to be applied dry or wet, and a special pearlized pigment both reflects light for a high-shine finish and draws light in for greater vibrancy.

A Victoria Beckham makeup collection would not be complete without a good bronzer and highlighter.  Both Java Sun and Modern Mercury are warm-toned in the base, which complements her complexion perfectly, but may be problematic for those of us who are cooler-toned.  What is lovely is that Modern Mercury is so smooth and pigmented, it really gives a brightening pop to the cheeks with just a single gentle sweep of a brush.  It may also be used on the eyes if you are so-inclined!  Java Sun is smooth and easy to blend out, and with just the right level of intensity so it is difficult to get wrong even if you are particularly heavy-handed.

I had missed out on the Lip Pencil in Victoria [SGD50] when I was taking the group shot earlier, but this is the perfect matching shade for the Lipstick in Brazilian Nude; both of which were named Victoria Beckham’s personal favourites from this collection.  And understandably so, since she has made nude lips her signature look for both day and night.  The Lip Gloss in Moroccan Heat is a tad lighter but nicely pigmented with a high glossy shine for the perfectly polished casual chic look.  Of course, it is the perfect topper for Brazilian Nude.  Chilean Sunset is a matte red lipstick which has an orange-pull to it, although it feels surprisingly cool/neutral-toned against my skin.  This shade of red has become a signature of the VB brand, and has been seen in both her fashion line and an exclusive nail polish set she released last year in collaboration with Nails Inc [see here].

I have several of pieces from the collection and will be reviewing them in greater detail soon.  Meanwhile, the Victoria Beckham x Estee Lauder Makeup Collection will be launched on Friday 23 September 2016 at the Estee Lauder counter at TANGS Orchard and Tangs.com exclusively, followed by the Estee Lauder boutique at Ion Orchard from 1 October 2016.