News That Will Make Hardcore Prescriptives Fans Fume

Estee Lauder announced that Smashbox will be joining their beauty family and empire.

“The Estée Lauder Companies is the ideal home for Smashbox,” said Dean Factor, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Smashbox Beauty Cosmetics, Inc. “The Company possesses the scale and vision to help transition Smashbox into its next phase of growth, and its track record of nurturing and growing prestige brands is second to none. Moreover, we share a similar cultural heritage and dedication to consumer-inspired innovation and creativity. We expect to benefit greatly from The Estée Lauder Companies’ extensive knowledge in product development, operational execution, and international marketing and distribution, and we look forward to the next great period of growth for the brand.”

What do you think?
Feel free to vent or gush in the comments.

The Hydrationist Theory

Day 39: Estee Lauder's Hydrationist
by Annie


This is a very light serum that smells like clean linen. Hydrationist immediately replenishes dehydrated skin. It leaves the skin slippery smooth. I can not attest to it's long term benefits. I can state that it is highly moisturizing and works well with foundation. I will be reporting my final results within a month.


Some interesting tidbits:
1. Clinical testing proved that after just 1 application, skin remains significantly moisturized even 24 hours later. ( I will agree with this! It is very similar to some Sensai products!)

2. Our exclusive Bio-Mimetic Water is "structured," so it is easily absorbed deep within skin's surface. You can feel the replenishing benefits immediately

3. With continued use, our exclusive Sustainable Moisture Complex™ with Revival Plant Extract helps boost, balance and maintain skin's optimum moisture levels.

4. Encourages skin's natural "barrier building" abilities so it holds on to more moisture-and fights signs of premature aging more effectively.

Hydrationist is available in four formulas.
Crème for Dry Skin
Crème for Normal/Combination Skin
Lotion for Normal/Combination Skin
Crème for Normal/Combination Skin with SPF 15
The retail price for Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Crèmes and Lotion is $38.00 each.

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder
Credit: Blogdorf Goodman and Melanie Parker/Veronica Lake in I Married A Witch

The Best Hand Cream

Day 32: Estee Lauder's Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Cream
By Annie

I have been an Estee Lauder fan for many years. I love everything from the makeup to the fragrances. The skin care has always been exceptional and award winning. But there is a gem in the Lauder family that you might not be aware of. This magnificent product is Estee Lauder's Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Cream. The results are delightfully shocking. The cream is miraculous and life changing.

The Lauder PR team generously sent a full tube of this cream in a package. I passed this cream along to my mother. My mother had survived a bout of breast cancer. The treatment and stress of it all left her skin in a terrible state. Her hands suffered the most. They looked like the hands of a scullery maid from a Dickens novel. They were beet red. They were rough. So rough that they looked and felt like sandpaper. Her nails, once her pride and joy, were short and brittle. Her hands looked painful. They were painful. I noticed that she had taken to hiding them in public. She was embarrassed by their state. Her hands showed everything she had been through.

The first time she slathered the Lauder hand cream she cooed. The cream was an instant balm. Over a course of just one day the cream did serious magic. Her skin was dramatically different. The redness dissipated. The appearance of crepiness was smoothed away. My mother was so delighted and hopeful.

After just two weeks, the improvement of the skin texture was simply outrageous. Gone were the flakes, calluses and deep cuts. They were healed and felt silky smooth. Her hands also looked dramatically younger. This was just an added benefit. The most important thing was that her hands were pain free and looked better. She was able to do simple chores without wincing. She was able to wave and shake hands. No more embarrassment.

The cream retails for $45 for 3.4 oz at your local Estee Lauder counter.

I know the price is quite hefty.
It is worth every coin.
Truly.

What is your favorite hand cream? Let us know in the comments.

Disclosure: Estee Lauder provided a press sample of this product initially.

Afterwards...I have purchased every tube with my own money for my mother.

Credits: Estee Lauder and Melanie Parker/Veronica Lake in I Married A Witch

Let Love Rule

Love can kick rocks in my bitter opinion. Please realize that this is my "inner spinster" speaking. I do appreciate love in all it's wonderful and cruel glory. I would like to drive the love bandwagon instead of plotting it's fiery crash. All these press releases of Valentine gift suggestions just makes me want to pout.
This blogger is not in the throes of true love or participating in any romantic endeavors. However, this blogger does appreciate a great red lippie and pretty smelling things.

Estee Lauder's Kissable Lip Gloss in Cherry Kiss is very fetching. A pop of red with pink shimmer fire. The gloss has a brush applicator and the tube is stamped with the word "love". There are three other shades and the gloss is scented heavily with fig.

Lauder also released 12 Hydra Lustre Lipsticks in the Love Your Lips collection. I received a press sample of Coral Kiss.

Corals are a huge trend this spring and summer. I am starting to lose count of the new Coral themed collections and lippies. Coral Kiss is a more sheer, less oomph version of Lancome's Chris Benz. Lauder's limited edition lippie has the word Love embossed on the actual lipstick. This is an adorable touch.

The lipstick retails for $19.50 while the gloss retails for $18.
Visit your local Estee Lauder counter or the website at www.esteelauder.com

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder

She's A Rainbow

Estee Lauder's Sumptuous Color Bold Volume Lifting Mascara

One thing I liked to do during the holidays is go "balls to the walls" with my eye makeup. I unleash my shimmer demon and experiment with bold color. This year I was able to experiment with different shades of mascara. This is a great way to add just a sprinkle or dash of color to the eye. I was initially afraid that it would look juvenile or too intense for non- runway life. Sumptuous Color coats the lashes with bold color without looking cartoonish. My lashes were still black but with a delightful cast of royal blue to a reddish plum.

Most mascaras in this genre are centered on the pigment punch and neglect doing anything else. They usually weigh down the lashes and are a mess. Sumptuous Color does a great job with separation, lift and length. It coats the lashes with an even does of color. The color cast was evident from the root to the tip. It might not be the best formula for curl or volume. But it did not weigh down my lashes even with multiple coats. It also avoided the pitfalls of the crunch factor. The lashes had a nice gloss to them.

The Emerald shade was the surprise hit of the testing. It was a clover green that was flirtatious, fun and so damn pretty. I did have hard time coordinating it with my eye shadows. It fared better with a nude eye.

Amethyst was a bright blue violet. There was no doubts on how pretty it was going to be. You only have to look at it to appreciate it's charms. I found it too be more fetching with a grey or brown eye palette rather than plum.

Amber was a tortoiseshell shade that appeared very warm and sable-like on my black lashes. It was fairly ho-hum on me. I am guessing that this will look amazing on fair or red lashed citizens.

I have tried many blue mascaras over the course of my life. Most weighed down my lashes with an electric blue hot mess. Sapphire was just a subtle cast of cobalt. I wore it only with brown shadows.

Last but not least...this gem is called Garnet. This is one serious gorgeous shade. It is a reddish wine color. It is flipping fantastic on dark lashes. The claret cast is stunning with every damn eye shadow shade from MAC's Coco Pigment to Bobbi Brown's Rockstar. This is the one to lose your mind over. However, as with almost all red based pigment products, you might experience some eye irritations. I suffered with eye discomfort the next day. It was worth it...because it is damn good.

The colors are deep yet subtle on the lashes. They provide a quick way to be festive and fun for the holidays.

I also tried Bare Escentuals i.d Beautifully Luminous Lashes in Diamond and Black Diamond. I found these difficult. When I first saw these...I lost my mind. They look like MAC dazzleglasses. You expect serious shimmer payoff. For the life of me, I could not get these mascaras to glimmer or show up on my dark lashes. I found that the shimmer fire was only evident when I actually closed my eyes. It looked lovely then. Like sparkling snow. With my eyes open and looking at the world....just a few glitter sparks here and there. The formula was light and it did not weigh down or crunch my lashes. I also had no issues with fly away glitter.

Estee Lauder's Sumptous Color mascara is available at your local Lauder counter. They retail for $19.50 are limited edition.

Bare Escentuals i.d Beautifully Luminous Lashes might be more difficult to locate. Diamond is sold out at various locations online. Black Diamond is from last year. It was wildly popular and flew off the shelves. They retail for $15.

Disclosure: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder and Bare Escentuals

Lust, Loathing and a Little Lip Gloss

Estee Lauder's Ultimate Red Holiday 2009 Lip Glosses

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Gold is a shimmery, glittery, glimmery gold. The pigment is on the sheer side. The shimmer beads are a mixture of gold and opal.

Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry is a muted orange red. There is no pink cast. The shimmer is golden.

These glosses are heavily scented with fig. The scent is pretty powerful and is strong straight from the tube. The texture is smooth like silicon yet light. No grit from the shimmer.

These lip glosses are sold out online. You might find some stragglers at your local Estee Lauder counter. They retail for $18.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder

Title from:
http://www.kyradavis.com/

Tom Tom Club

Tom Pecheux is the new Creative Makeup Director for Estee Lauder. Mr Pecheux has been responsible for some memorable runway looks over the years. He is a MA rock star and will add a level of hipness to the line.
His midas touch will start appearing in product and ads in 2010. His first Lauder offering will be "high impact color products".

I am looking forward to great color stories, improved pigment power and a general excitement over the brand.

Let us know what you think in the comments.
What would you like to see him do at Estee Lauder?

And the sky was made of amethyst

and all the stars look just like little fish
you should learn when to go
you should learn how to say no
(Lyrics from Violet by Hole)

This is an Estee Lauder nail polish called Black Amethyst. It was part of the fall collection. It is a dark, plummy ebony shade. The darkness is more vamp than smoke. It is a nighttime version of Zoya's Demi polish. The sheen and shine on this polish is pretty fabulous. My co-worker Gela remarked on the lacquer-like effect. My nails look like a well waxed floor. It takes just two coats to achieve the desired, highly pigmented color. One coat is more violet-like. This limited edition shade retails for $18 and is currently at your local Estee Lauder counter.

Visit http://www.esteelauder.com/ for more details.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder.

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman
Lyrics by Hole

Daisy Summer Piper

Daisy summer pipers come to town
Piping people out of doors
To see the magic all around
Listen now you'll hear his sound
Stare into a mirror pool
And laugh so princely vain
The skies become kaleidoscopes
With no two turns the same
(Joni Mitchell)

Summer Scents with Blogdorf Goodman: Estee Lauder's Pure White Linen Pink Coral Fragrance

Estee Lauder launched a White Linen flanker called Pure White Linen Pink Coral. All of the linens are based on the idea of crispness, freshness, blue skies and spring breezes.
Lauder has tweeked this original idea with notes that evoke water. It contains apple blossoms, waterfruits and clear aldehydes. The aldehydes are slightly muddled. Somehow, Lauder has managed to harness the boldness and spark of this note.
The heart of the fragrance contains sweet pea (very strong), cherry blossom and pink peony. The drydown is quite lovely with a haze of heliotrope, vanilla and sandalwood.

It launches this month and will be available at your local Estee Lauder counter. Visit http://www.esteelauder.com/ for more details.

Photo: Estee Lauder
Above is a picture of Gwyneth Paltrow...but does it not look like a young Meg Ryan?

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Fuchsia Now

Fleur de Lys Shimmer Powder

This is a limited edition powder that features a fleur de lys inspired design. I found the design more floral-like. The shades range from pinks to a dusty plum. The outer shade is a light pearlized flat pink. The main floral is a shimmery strawberry pink. The plum outer leaf is cool toned with a matte shimmer free texture. This was a hard shade for me to carry off. It looked bruise-like. Together all three shades create a very pretty and flattering blush. I had difficulty using this as an all over powder. The plum shade was my stumbling block.

It retails for $32 and is currently available at your local Estee Lauder counter.

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang

I should start this review by fessing up to the fact that I did not like Lauder's Sensuous. It did not provoke gushing or mad love on my end. Many of my perfumista friends fell in love with it's charms, but I just never jumped on the Sensuous band wagon.

Amber Ylang Ylang delivers on the dark moody promise of Sensuous. This is a great thick amber with a bright bergamot opening note. The star of the scent is the ylang note and it is glorious. It is a cross between jasmine and rubber. It is warm and velvety. Like a thick blanket of scent.

The rest of the scent composition is a beautiful Bulgarian rose absolute note with a toasty cinnamon, honey and vanilla dry down.
The dry down alone makes you wish you can drink this in a hot toddy form. It deserves to be mug and in front of a fire place on a wintery Ohio day.
I swear amber based fragrances excel in cold weather. They just swell and make you swoon.

This is currently at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus and esteelauder.com.
The parfum spray is $300, EDP 2.5 is $120 and EDP 1 oz is $65.
I have smelled only the EDP and can not even imagine how stunning the parfum could be. Let us know if you get a sniff!

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman

Disclaimer: A press sample of this product was provided by Estee Lauder.

Blogdorf Goodman's Holiday Gift Ideas: Estee Lauder Solids

I was able to check out some of the holiday offerings from the Estee Lauder counter at Bergdorf Goodman. I was instantly smitten with the Russia-inspired nesting doll and catherdral square. Lauder solid perfume compacts are like tiny pieces of art with a perfume goodie inside. Prices vary from $250 to $350.
Contact Donna Muzio at Bergdorf Goodman at 212-872-2741 or 2788 for more information or if any of these pieces catch your eye.

Credits: Blogdorf Goodman

Thursday Beauty Porn:

Estee Lauder Solid Perfume Compacts

Credit: Blogdorf Goodman
No press samples were received. I just took this picture at my local Estee Lauder counter.