VICTORIA Beckham wants to make women feel empowered, sexy and confident. And she plans on accomplishing that with her new make-up collaboration with Estée Lauder. The sleek (or should we say “posh”?) black-and-gold collection, which launched in Singapore on October 1, consists of four looks categorised by VB’s favourite cities: New York, LA, Paris and, last but not least, London — where she fell in love.
Two weeks ago, we asked four power women to put the #VBxEstéeLauder make-up to the test, each one of them taking a city. Well, they have reported back. Has Beckham succeeded in making our reviewers feel like the best version of themselves ? Read on to find out.
1 .
NEW YORK
Charmaine Seah-Ong / Co-founder, Elementary Co
“This is a complete departure from the make-up look I usually wear, whether it’s for everyday or formal occasions. It’s absolutely unexpected and challenges me to step outside my comfort zone every once in a while.
My favourite product from the New York collection would have to be the lip gloss in Moroccan Heat. It’s a nude lip colour that’s high on shine and big on understated glamour.
I’ve started incorporating the Morning Aura Illuminating Creme into my beauty routine — it makes for a pretty perfect base. My skin is really dry around the cheek area, but I’ve got an oily T-zone, so this lightweight formula has been a real lifesaver. I’ve also stopped using eyeliner; I have, instead, been wearing the shimmering eye shadow in sandy tones, so the eye-shadow palette has been on constant rotation.
With eye-shadow colours, I’ve played it safe for a number of years, but I’ve started experimenting with brighter shades recently, and I’m big on products that are highly pigmented because I don’t like having to apply a product multiple times before the colour shows up.
In a word, the collection is… irresistible.
2 .
L.A.
Rachel Lim / Co-founder, Love, Bonito
“I love that the LA colour palette makes my skin look so sun-kissed. It gives my face a natural glow that I really like. My favourite product from this collection… well, I’m torn between the incredible eyeliner and bronzer. In fact, I love VB’s bronzer so much I’ve replaced my blusher with it these days. How would I describe the collection in a word? I need two: Effortlessly chic!”
3 .
PARIS
Tracy Phillips / Director, Ppurpose
“I’m always open to trying new things. I tend to go for products that require a simple application for dramatic and quick results. For make-up, I typically keep things simple — blusher, lip balm and mascara for day to day, and I add lipstick and eyeliner when I want to amp it up a little. This is precisely what I like about VB’s make-up line — the Paris look is quite bold, but it doesn’t really require much effort — you just need to apply a little more if you’re going for an even stronger look. My favourite product is a tough fight between the Chilean Sunset lipstick and the Eye Metals Shadow in Charred Emerald. THe lipstick gives me an instant pick-me-up with its bright orangey-red hue. And in the evenings, the smokey, glittery hues are the perfect five-minute add on. In a word, I’d say the VBxEL collection is… sexy.
4 .
LONDON
Karman Tse / Editor-in-Chief, Wear Oh Where
I expected the London collection to be most Posh-like. And it is. I think it’s got a touch of understated glamour. At the same time, when I wear it, I look and feel like myself, which is very important to me.
Surprisingly, the lipstick in Brazilian Nude is my favourite of the lot, if I must choose. I normally like a brighter lip in either a red or coral hue. This is definitely a new look for me. If you’ll allow me to pick one more, the Morning Aura illuminating creme has become an essential in my morning get-ready routine, if only because it’s a multi-tasker — part-moisturiser, part-brightening primer, giving the skin an instant glow like an Insta-filter.
When I shop for make-up, I tend to fall for aesthetics — I’m such a sucker for beautiful or creative packaging. The scent — I have to like how it smells if it’s going on my skin. Ease of use is important, too — make-up should be efficient tools in helping a woman look and feel good. In a word, this Victoria Beckham x Estée Lauder collection is… fabulous.
The Victoria Beckham x Estée Lauder make-up collection is available at Tangs and the Estée Lauder boutique at Ion Orchard. Prices start at S$50 for a lip gloss.
