This gift set came out over the holidays and it was a completely blind purchase on my part. I had seen no reviews on it, even though the primer and lipstick are part of Estée Lauder’s permanent line – I just got it to be eligible for their blockbuster kit. This is still available and for sale on a few retailers, and let me tell you… run, don’t walk.
This is a great deal for the price, particularly with the current discounts. The blush is limited edition, even though there is a highlighter in the regular line with the same name (they are not the same thing!)
Estée Lauder Futurist Aqua Brilliance Watery Glow Primer Review
This primer feels like a very lightweight moisturizer. It’s light and easy to spread, and goes on clear on the skin. I think this has been around for a while but I haven’t heard much about it and let me tell you, people are sleeping on it. This is amazing. If you have dry skin, it’ll work for you. If you have oily skin, it’ll work for you.
It’s hydrating but not heavy or sticky, makes foundation go on smoother and look less cake-y, and it kept it looking great throughout the day. It also made my foundation less transferable.
I tested it by using it on only one side of my face multiple times (and switching sides), and on the side with no primer, my undereye area was drier, the foundation looked more obvious, and around the nose I was a lot more oily than on the side with primer.
This is some voodoo sh*t right here, I have never tried a primer that was hydrating and good at oil control. Magic. Aliens. Whatever. It’s amazing.
This is full sized with 40ml (nice amount) and the packaging is an easy to use squirt tube.
Estée Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Shine Lipstick in 914 Unpredictable Review
This lipstick is a very shiny (not shimmery!), almost wet looking, mid-tone red with berry undertones. It’s very pigmented and basically opaque with one coating. It feels balmy and it’s easy to apply.
What took me by surprise was how long it lasted for how creamy it is. It looses a lot of its shine after about half an hour (but not the pigment), but it’s not matte either. After around 40 minutes it starts to feel a bit drier on the lips, but I didn’t feel like it dried them out after an entire day of wear. I don’t feel like it’s hydrating either. After 2 hours the colour starts to very slightly fade, and after 6 hours there was still a strong stain left behind. I know reds are typically longer lasting than other shades of lipstick, but still, this one was pretty impressive.
This is also full sized with 1.7 grams of product. Packaging is sleek and the lid closes with a magnetic clasp, and this gift set edition has a few snowflakes printed all over the tube.
Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Blush in Modern Mercury Review (Limited Edition)
The item I was more curious about ended up being the most underwhelming. Not that it is bad at all. It’s a light, rose-gold colour with a decent amount of shine, but definitely as much shine as Estée Lauder’s Illuminating Powder Gelée highlighters. In fact, the Estée Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelée in the shade Modern Mercury has a very well known dupe that I happen to have: MAC’s Extradimension Skinfinish in the shade Superb. I have the comparison swatched below, and has you can see, this limited edition blush is lighter, less metallic and a lot warmer.
It’s decently pigmented, easy enough to blend out and I noticed some minimal fading after about 9 hours of wear. As a blush I think it would only work on very fair to light skintones. Also, this has a lot more shine than your typical shimmery blush, making it what I think most people would call a “blush topper”. It could work well as a highlighter on darker skintones.
The compact is adorable: a light, rose gold shade with a mirror on the inside and a snowflake pan embossing on this massive, 16.7grams-worth-of-powder pan. No worries about being limited edition, this will last you a lifetime.
Final Thoughts
Currently this is on Lookfantastic’s website for 45% off and at that price, it’s a steal. I’m not affiliated with them, neither am I with Estée Lauder. I’m drooling so much over this kit that it looks like I gain something from promoting this to you – unfortunately, I don’t. I am just very impressed and these products deserve more recognition – particularly the primer, so if you are not interested in getting the whole kit, the primer is definitely the star of the show and it’s available all year long.
