The start of a new year is a good time to refresh your look, and one of the easiest ways to do that is with a new lipstick. My lips tend to dry out more easily during the winter months, so I’m always looking for lip products with a moisturizing formula. I recently purchased a few shades from the Estée Lauder: Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick collection, during the Macy’s sale. One of the women who works at the Estée Lauder counter highly recommended them, so I decided to give them a try. These lipsticks are also available at Ulta and Nordstrom and usually retail for $32.
PROS
Packaging: Beautiful, chic packaging in the signature Estée Lauder deep blue and gold. The case has a secure magnetic closure and feels and looks like a high-end product.
Ingredients: Paraben free!
Formula/Application: So hydrating! These lipsticks have been my go-to these days. The texture is creamy and the formula has a slight shine (not like a lip gloss) so it doesn’t look as flat on the lips as a matte formula would. These lipsticks are pigmented and you’re usually good-to-go with a single swipe. The formula feels silky on the lips and is not drying or heavy. The cream finish helps your lips look full and hydrated.
Performance: Wear well during the day but being a lipstick, does require touch-ups after eating/drinking. The formula is creamy and moisturizing so doesn’t dry out the lips or cause them to flake. Also, doesn’t fade leaving that odd ring around your lips like some lipsticks do. Color can be built up or re-applied without looking patchy or caked on and doesn’t feather around the edges of your lips.
Color Range: There are so many beautiful colors to choose from! The shades range from neutrals to pink/rose colors and some gorgeous reds and deeper berry tones. I feel like there are some good shades for every skin tone to choose from. The color range is sophisticated and even the bright colors in this collection are very wearable and don’t look harsh or garish on the lips. The colors I purchased are swatched below:
Insatiable Ivory: Peach toned nude. Turned out to be a little lighter than I wanted but works with a darker lip liner.
Intense Nude: More of mauve toned nude that is a my lips but better kind of shade on me.
Dynamic: Rose tone with a hint of coral. Good shade for everyday or work and looks more unique than a traditional neutral shade.
Decadent: Rich plum with a brown undertone. Beautiful color for fall/winter seasons.
CONS
Price: No doubt, these are pricey at $32. I did get them on sale for around $24 which is still pricey, but better than full price. The price is similar to other high-end brands in this range. Just for comparsion, Lancome L’Absolu Range lipsticks are $32 and Dior’s Double Rouge lipsticks are $37).
Staying Power: These lipsticks are advertised to last 6 hours, but I do feel like they fade a bit as the day goes on and need to be freshened up after 3-4 hours (especially the lighter colors).
CONCLUSION
Overall, I’m impressed with the Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy lipsticks. They feel comfortable on the lips, come in a sophisticated range of colors and have good staying power for a cream formula lipstick. The chic packaging is beautiful and I love the magnetic closure. I feel like the quality of these lipsticks is worth the investment compared to other high end brands that I’ve tried and been disappointed in. The formula melts into your lips instead of sitting on top like some lipsticks do. Even when the color fades after a few hours, it does so evenly and not in a patches. Touch-ups are easy and the product doesn’t feather or bleed. If you’re looking into some high-end lipsticks that are worth the splurge, I’d highly recommend giving these a try. Thanks for stopping by!
Take care,
Saba
