Today’s post wraps up my reviews of what I’ve been testing from the Estée Edit line. The Skin Glowing Balm Makeup with Pink Peony ($36 for 1 fl oz/30 ml) is described as a tinted moisturizer that gives a hint of coverage for naturally glowing skin. It comes in 12 shades right now and I have all 12 swatched to share today. The finish is very sheer and feels like a moisturizer balm with a very very tiny hint of color. It’s described as being good for dry to normal skin. I found it lightly hydrating on my normal to combination skin. Since it is very sheer I would say this is best for those who don’t need any coverage and just want a natural glow to let your skin show through. If you have teen or college age daughters or nieces who are getting into makeup and you want to treat them to a nice base product that is natural and youthful looking I think this is a great option. For me I need noticeable coverage, even if it’s natural. The most natural I can go is with the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint or Becca Aqua Luminous Foundations. The Estée Edit Skin Glowing Balm is too sheer for me, even as just a base. Since it is so sheer the colors are forgiving on the skin. I could get away with wearing three of the shades.
These come in the same packaging with a pump as the Flash Illuminators. For the Skin Glowing Balms if you look closely at the bottles you will see a natural sheen and shimmer in the product. These have a slightly sweet makeup smell, almost like vintage lipstick, but it’s not strong or overpowering. After a few minutes the scent fades.
I tested a few colors and found it acted like a natural looking moisturizer. It didn’t get greasy as the day progressed but since the product is so sheer I couldn’t really tell if it faded or stayed put color-wise. Even though these are like moisturizers I do think you need a regular moisturizer or serum on the skin first, it didn’t blend well on my bare skin. If you’re worried about the moisturizer on top of moisturizer being too heavy, you don’t need to with this one. It’s pretty lightweight even though you can feel the hydration.
A look at all the shades, swatched in numerical order from light to dark:
With a flash:
Without flash:
The three shades I could get away with, swatched heavy and then blended, my best match is 300 Wheat but all three disappear completely on my skin once blended:
Some swatch comparisons to other foundations (you can click for larger viewing):
- The Estee Edit Skin Glowing Balms (c/o) 200 Dune, 210 Chamois, 300 Wheat, 310 Chai
- MustaeV Skinny Tint Foundation (c/o) in Bright Beige and Sienna Beige (I mix both shades)
- NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tints (c/o) in Groenland and St. Moritz (review here)
- Becca Aqua Luminous Foundation in Beige (review here)
For me they’re too sheer. My skin is nowhere near perfect. I have a lot of acne scars that are fading but still product to cover up. If you have near perfect skin and like that barely there glow and just need a bit of evening out then you’ll like these. Or if you have dry skin and like to layer products this will work as a base for medium to full coverage products. In any event I at least hope the swatches help you find a shade match if this has been something on your radar!
On a foundation/base note few of you have asked for a shade update on the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Stick – I picked up Nude as one shade darker than Warm Ivory and I’m in between shades (Sand was way too dark). I’ll have my current foundation and base roundup for warm weather in the next week now that I’ve finished my testing for the season (at least for now).
You can find the Estee Edit Skin Glowing Balms online and in stores at Sephora. A few of my readers have noted that the line is also available in the UK at Selfridges. Have you tried anything from the Estée Edit line yet?
Skin Glowing Balms were provided for review consideration.
