Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks ($30 each) launched several months ago and I just got around to checking them out at my local counters. Swatches and looks kept surfacing showing beautifully pigmented rich colors. There is a diverse range of color options with this new lipstick formula. I’ve avoided Estee Lauder lipsticks for a long time due to the super strong fig scent which I could not tolerate. I’m happy to report the new Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks have no detectable scent and that they come in a sleek modern-looking navy and gold tube.
These are described as a high-intensity sculpting lipstick that comes in statement classic colors. I found the ones I tested to be very creamy and highly pigmented in color. They applied smoothly and the color did stay put quite long, however on my bare lips, the formula seemed to appear a bit thick and dry in texture emphasizing my lip lines (although right now I do have lips that are a bit more dry than they normally are). I added a bit of By Terry Baume de Rose underneath and this fixed all texture issues. Of course I picked out two natural shades. Insatiable Ivory is a peachy nude beige and Intense Nude is a medium rose brown with pinkish tones.
Swatches and close ups:
Insatiable Ivory pulls more peachy on my skin. It’s a good nude shade that doesn’t wash out the complexion. You get full coverage with two swipes:
Intense Nude isn’t really nude (at least not to me). Some call shades like MAC Twig or Spirit nudes, but to me they’re really rose colors with different variations of brown. I find Estee Lauder Intense Nude to be a more pinky rose brown rather than a true nude.
Some comparison swatches:
Armani Rouge Ecstasy 100 (swatches here)
NARS Dolce Vita Lipgloss (swatches)
I like these lipsticks but feel they are on the steep side for Estee Lauder. For some reason I feel these should be more in the mid $20ish range, but that’s just me. The quality is there but the colors, although classic statement colors, seem a bit basic for me. They do have a sculpting/defining quality which I attribute to the thicker (but smooth) texture. On me, I prefer something not quite as sculpting since I already have full lips, but I could see a difference with these as they made the lips more defined.
Bottom line, they are good basics and there are a lot of wearable colors. I like that the colors seemed to just work, no lipliner or gloss needed to tweak the colors, although it was a bit dry on its own for me. Since I haven’t tried much from Estee Lauder lately, I thought I’d try something new from the line. It’s like, but not love. I’ll still be reaching for my Burberry, Tom Ford, Edward Bess, YSL lipsticks.
I purchased my Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks ($30 each) from Nordstrom. There are currently 25 colors to choose from.
Did you try any of these lipsticks? What did you think?
