Makeup house giant Estee Lauder has a new little sister by way of The Estee Edit - curated with young beauty attitudes such as Kendall Jenner in mind, the launch is meant to play up an edgier, less put together look. I recently got the chance to talk to some of the artists for the line as well as try out some of the best sellers from the range, and have some definite thoughts on the range. Here's what I did and didn't like, as well as the products that are definitely on my wishlist...
The idea behind The Estee Edit is beauty attitudes. Products are created to challenge the performance we are used to in beauty, and mix and match attitudes, ie glowing skin with smudgy kohl liner, or matte poreless complexion with glitter shadow. It's all about layering up products until your desired 'attitude'.
Within the 82 piece line, there are definitely some winners and losers for me. Unlike big sister Estee Lauder, there is most certainly some more uniqueness in terms of shades in the Estee Edit. Teal green and yellow lipsticks are not for everyone, but it's refreshing to see in a brand that previously had a much older demographic. Not to say there aren't some fabulous nudes in the range; The Barest Lip Color Lipsticks are a set of six brown based sheer neutrals that apply beautifully and give the lips a lush look. I have the shade In the Buff, a very 90's looking mauve brown, but my eyes are already on In the Flesh, which is more of a soft pink nude.
The Estee Edit has a heavy emphasis on complexion and skincare. The colour range is all formulated with 25% skincare ingredients, and I was thrilled to see that the skincare had a healthy balance of products for dry and oily skins. Products like the Pore Vanishing Stick will probably work better for combination and oily complexions. With a solid dry balm texture, it mattifies and blurs the look of pores and lines and does a really nice job of it, but I found it a touch dry for me to wear under my makeup (I have pretty dry skin).
In contrast, the Rescue Balm for Face + Body is a bit of an overall miracle worker that hydrates from your face to your feet (and I've been told it even works fabulously on the ends of your hair!). Better yet, the brand doesn't rely on nasty fillers like mineral oil but instead has ingredients like coconut, avocado, olive, mango, macadamia nut and almond oils! I tested out a bit of the Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack whilst at the brand event and was instantly impressed by how calm and soothed my red skin on my arm was (I have Keratosis Pilaris and the results were like night and day!) so it's next on my list to try out. I love a good overnight mask, so I have no doubt that packs a serious moisture punch.
As I mentioned previously, the colour range also has 25% of the formulation dedicated to skincare. I tried two products for complexion and one I liked the other gets a pass.
Beam Team Hydrate + Glow is considered an illuminating moisturiser but I much prefer to refer to as a shimmering primer. The glowing champagne-hued formula gives an incredible illumination to the skin under makeup or over, but worn alone it might be a touch too glowing if you get my drift - just a heads up! The tube even has a flip up cap that houses a solid bronzier version to pat on parts of the face for extra shimmer.
On the flip side, the Skin Glowing Balm Makeup gets a pass from me. Geared as tinted moisturiser with coverage, I found it just sat on the skin and didn't really sink in the way I expect a formula of that nature too. While I could feel it on the skin, there wasn't enough coverage to justify the weight and texture. I haven't however tried mixing this with fuller coverage foundations to see if it's a good foundation cocktailer (this often happens!) so I will be sure to update if I find a way to make this work for me.
Lastly, and probably the product I instantly had heart eyes for is The Barest Blush in Coy Coral. You guys know by now that I'm a total sucker for coral and peach anything, and the minute I saw this it went on my 'must have' list. This powder blush has a silky texture and great colour payoff - It wears nicely without powdery finish or patchy texture, but I have one beef and that is the sparkle overspray. When briefed on the line, we were advised to save the shimmering 'paint splatter' overspray for a special night out, because there is only one night's worth of shimmer. I just don't get why brands do this? Either make that portion of the blush shimmering through to the pan, or don't put the deceiving overspray on at all. Let me know if you all feel the same way in the comments below. Personally, I don't love sparkle in my blush, so I am thrilled with the shade, but I think I'd be pretty frustrated if I purchased it assuming there was a lovely splodge of shimmer paired with the matte blush.
What have your thoughts on the Estee Edit been? Does the branding appeal to you?
