Estee Lauder

Our sister, Bronwyn, has kindly offered her insight into her favourite brand Estee Lauder......

This is not so much a review as it is an excerpt of a story ... a story of my love affair with Estee Lauder. It began during that tumultuous time that was the ending of high school and the beginning of university, it saw me through my 20's as I entered the workforce and worked long nights to justify my place in the firm, and now, it remains strong as I start a whole new period in my life, my 30's. I can't tell you a favourite product, I love them all. The foundations (I use individualist) are smoothe yet provide a great cover that lasts, from me leaving home at 7am to getting home at 8pm. It isn't a heavy coverage, but I prefer lighter, so this is perfect for me. Yet in saying this, I find if I apply a few layers, I am ready to head out at night. The eyeshadows have a beautiful shimmer and no matter what I'm doing, I have never needed to reapply. Then there is the blush ... oh the blush! Beautiful colours that blend perfectly.

One product that is often overlooked but with which I can't do without is the Estee Lauder nail polishes. They don't necessarily have the broadest range of colours, but there is enough to leave making a decision tricky. The reason I always go back to Estee Lauder nail polishes is the wear. I have found it takes so much more to chip or damage their polishes than any other brand I have used. I have tried a number of brands that have terrible wear, especially if I were swimming or going to the gym regularly. None of this phases the Estee Lauder polish.

Finally, I could not recommend their cleansing products highly enough. The perfectly clean cleanser removes all my makeup, but does not leave my skin feeling at all stretched or dry. The day wear moisturiser is moisturising, but is not too heavy. It feels light and instantly absorbed. The intensive repair serum leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft, I notice a (terrible!) difference without it. As for the pore minimizer, to be honest, I don't feel that my pores do look minimized, but my skin feels so nice after using it, I continue to use it for the soft sensation.

Don't get me wrong, I have tried other products over the years, some great, some with terrible consequences (sometimes it is worth doing an allergy test!), but I have always gone back to Estee Lauder. Not out of habit, not for tradition and not out of any bizarre sense of loyalty but because no matter what I have tried, Estee Lauder has never failed me. The very worst it has done is to have met my high expectations.

Hair repair!

My hair went from this:

To this:

(I don't think this photo is doing the hair colour justice, my hair is a lighter caramel colour.)

I never really got that excited about hair products until I went lighter for the first time in my life. ..then all of a sudden, hair products were ruling my life and my bathroom bench space.  I committed a cardinal hair sin and didn’t tell my hairdresser that my hair had previously been chemically straightened before going lighter (I knew they would refuse to lighten it had I said anything!). Needless to say, my hair was extremely frail. Now I have bucket loads of hair products – moisturising, high protein, leave in, hair mask...you name it, I have it! I am happy to report though, thanks to the treatments I have been using weekly, my hair feels like it is back to its healthy self even though I’ve taken it to hair hell and back.

My ABSOLUTE favourite product that I have discovered since going lighter would have to be Wella’s SP Repair Mask. Although the instructions say to leave it on for 5 minutes, I put it in my hair, sit down and watch television for half an hour to an hour, and then wash it out. My hair is left feeling like silk. I cannot stop brushing my fingers through my hair because of how soft it is post-mask! I cannot recommend this product enough, especially if your hair is damaged from hair straightners / blowdrying / colouring etc.

Napoleon foundation + powder

As Napoleon Perdis states, “when you’re on a good foundation, stick to it”. . . and that’s exactly what I plan to do with the Napoleon foundation stick.  It gives me perfect coverage and a flawless look without having to continue to apply layers of foundation as I do with other brands. Also, it doesn’t leave an oily residue on my skin which certain other brands do.

 

The camera finish powder is another of my favourites. It doesn’t “cake” my makeup, which I’ve had happen with numerous other brands. I have one camera finish powder in a lighter colour, which matches my skin tone perfectly, and one in a slightly darker colour for when I’ve applied fake tan. 

 

I do think Napoleon is slightly overpriced. For example, the Napoleon camera finish powder retails for approximately AU$58 for 13.5g, yet MAC, as a comparable brand, is 15g and retailing for only AU$48. However, I have not been able to find a foundation that gives me the coverage I want without a cake-y feeling, so I’ll be sticking with Napoleon foundation for a while!

Jurlique

I like the idea of using 'natural' products on my skin, although this is not always practical and does not always give me the results I am looking for.

Jurlique has developed a complete natural skin care range. In particular, I love their cleansers and Daily Exfoliating Facial cream.

www.jurlique.com.au

I have used a variety of Jurlique cleansers, depending on my skin type at the time. Currently, I am using the 'Purifying Cleansing Lotion' - for oily skin. It leaves my skin feeling very refreshed and clean. This product smells absolutely divine. However, it is essential to remove makeup first to get the full 'cleansed' feel.

www.jurlique.com.au

The Daily Exfoliating Cream, is such a fantastic product, that I would normally use this every second day. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and I really notice a difference in clarity when I am using it. Instead of rubbing it in to the skin, pat softly over the face, and rub in any problem areas. The only downfall with this product is you use quite a bit each time so it runs out quickly.


I recommend giving Jurlique a try, especially if you are particularly looking for a more natural alternative to skin care, without compromising quality.