To justify myself from spending money. I say, this is such an amazing bargain for very high quality and FULL sized items. In this gorgeous set from Elizabeth Arden, one receives four full sized lipsticks, a cute little bag in EA's signature poppy red and a very pretty cardboard box. No joke, I really like the cardboard box - it is so lovely to look at. All this for AU$59 in David Jones, Myer and select pharmacies.
To put things into perspective: each of these lipsticks sell at $35 individually- a dollar less than MAC counterparts; $59 will get you one Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder at Mecca Cosmetica or one Benefit box powder with $8 to spare; and if you really want to get value for money, spend an extra $40 for the EA Christmas Color Blockbuster 2014 which not only has 4 full sized lipsticks but two palette/compacts, a full sized mascara and more. I was thisclose to getting the blockbuster, but after careful consideration of the makeup I already had, and the fact that the full sized lipsticks are packaged in less high quality tubes, I chose to buy the Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipsticks Set instead and I do not regret that choice at all.
Other than "special effect" powders - i.e. Hourglass Ambients - lipsticks are my favourite form of makeup. Though I rarely wear more than tinted balms for the time being, once my medication is done and my lips have stopped being chronically dry I will be heralding lipsticks of all colours and textures for the rest of my life. To do so, I need good to great quality lipsticks that are moisturising and long lasting. It also wouldn't hurt if the lipsticks are encased in pretty packaging. That's not too much to ask for, right?
These Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color (excuse the shifts between Australian and American spellings) at first glance are absolutely gorgeous. The "Red Door" trademark has literally been used in creating the gold outer casing which I am assuming is aluminium or some other form of light metal. The tubes also hold a nice weight with are heavier than MAC lipsticks, but lighter than the Hourglass Velvet Rouge line. I love that the cases are pretty much finger print proof as well, of course oils will be left behind from fingers but even that is barely visible to the naked eye. Needless to say, I adore the presentation and luxurious feel of these lipsticks.
To put things into perspective: each of these lipsticks sell at $35 individually- a dollar less than MAC counterparts; $59 will get you one Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder at Mecca Cosmetica or one Benefit box powder with $8 to spare; and if you really want to get value for money, spend an extra $40 for the EA Christmas Color Blockbuster 2014 which not only has 4 full sized lipsticks but two palette/compacts, a full sized mascara and more. I was thisclose to getting the blockbuster, but after careful consideration of the makeup I already had, and the fact that the full sized lipsticks are packaged in less high quality tubes, I chose to buy the Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipsticks Set instead and I do not regret that choice at all.
Other than "special effect" powders - i.e. Hourglass Ambients - lipsticks are my favourite form of makeup. Though I rarely wear more than tinted balms for the time being, once my medication is done and my lips have stopped being chronically dry I will be heralding lipsticks of all colours and textures for the rest of my life. To do so, I need good to great quality lipsticks that are moisturising and long lasting. It also wouldn't hurt if the lipsticks are encased in pretty packaging. That's not too much to ask for, right?
These Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color (excuse the shifts between Australian and American spellings) at first glance are absolutely gorgeous. The "Red Door" trademark has literally been used in creating the gold outer casing which I am assuming is aluminium or some other form of light metal. The tubes also hold a nice weight with are heavier than MAC lipsticks, but lighter than the Hourglass Velvet Rouge line. I love that the cases are pretty much finger print proof as well, of course oils will be left behind from fingers but even that is barely visible to the naked eye. Needless to say, I adore the presentation and luxurious feel of these lipsticks.
Moving on from packaging, the lipsticks have a very light scent that is crossed between vanilla and shea butter, mixed with a little of that "classic" powdery lipstick smell. I find the scent non offensive and actually quite pleasant.
The formula of the lip products themselves actually vary. As you can see in the swatches below, Sweet Pink and Mocha Shimmer apply slightly more sheer compared to the other two. The colouring of both Wildberry and Red Door Red appear quite similar on my arm but there is definitely a difference when applied on lips. Red Door Red is very much a true poppy red whereas Wildberry can be described as red-berry. All shades can be build up to mega opaque colour. I love all these shades and can see myself wearing them all day and night as they are very wearable and versatile. Pair Sweet Pink with smokey eyes and we have a winner. I feel that these shades would suit a a variety of skin tones, and that is always appreciated in gift sets.
I know some people would consider brands such as Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder and Clinique to be "aging" but I prefer to believe that these household names have been around for so long because their products have proved worthy and have just as much to offer as newer generation brands like Nars and Stila. I will definitely be wanting more of lipsticks from this line as they are just perfect. Next time you're in a department store, be sure to check out the lipsticks in EA before making a beeline to Benefit or something else :)
Rating: 5/5 - it's love! xx
The formula of the lip products themselves actually vary. As you can see in the swatches below, Sweet Pink and Mocha Shimmer apply slightly more sheer compared to the other two. The colouring of both Wildberry and Red Door Red appear quite similar on my arm but there is definitely a difference when applied on lips. Red Door Red is very much a true poppy red whereas Wildberry can be described as red-berry. All shades can be build up to mega opaque colour. I love all these shades and can see myself wearing them all day and night as they are very wearable and versatile. Pair Sweet Pink with smokey eyes and we have a winner. I feel that these shades would suit a a variety of skin tones, and that is always appreciated in gift sets.
I know some people would consider brands such as Elizabeth Arden, Estee Lauder and Clinique to be "aging" but I prefer to believe that these household names have been around for so long because their products have proved worthy and have just as much to offer as newer generation brands like Nars and Stila. I will definitely be wanting more of lipsticks from this line as they are just perfect. Next time you're in a department store, be sure to check out the lipsticks in EA before making a beeline to Benefit or something else :)
Rating: 5/5 - it's love! xx