Imagine this: you are lounging on the beaches of Arizona and the sun is shining with all its glory. The mighty sun has kissed your face, giving it that healthy and radiant glow. Want to achieve that again? Estee Lauder has just the product for this summer giving you that striking, sultry look. A bold, yet subtle new colour collection for Spring Summer 2012, this product is inspired by the warm, sun-bleached tones of the desert. Pure Color Topaz, a limited edition makeup collection, features a mosaic of sublime bronze, taupe and sand dune shades punctuated by an irreverent twist of citron yellow and an intense pop of teal. For the novices, the pure colour illuminating powder gelée topaz chameleon evokes the naturally smoky look and romantic glow of a desert sunset!
Judging by the packaging, it is only natural to be excited by the welcoming gold box with an elegant E. Open this up to reveal an artistic marvel! Your eyes will be greeted by a fitting snakeskin pattern along with a small brush nestling peacefully in its dedicated place.
Quite appealing to the eyes, it wins over the skin too as it adds a sensuous blush to your cheeks (feels comfortable and settles quite quickly if you have a primer below – especially for dry skin – otherwise it will just clump like an odd blob). An absolute 3 in 1 winner, this prism shine powder gelée can be used to bronze, blush or even softly contour the cheeks. It is called a “tribrid” system of liquid, powder and gel, and if you will do a small test swatch on your hand you will know what I am talking about. Practically gliding across your skin, this first-of-a-kind, ‘multi-powder’ creates a theatrical blur of shimmer on the skin when applied dry or a fierce flush of colour when applied wet (use with a wet brush for that metallic sheen)! It can also be used on the eyes as an eye shadow, so don’t be afraid to experiment with it. Shade it with some grey eye shadow to give that intensely sultry and dramatic look along with some gel liner to define the eyes.
Now for the caution. The phrase “less is more” is quite applicable here as the colour may come off looking a tad bit too bold on some skin tones and may actually show up quite boldly under bright lighting. Meant to be an overall highlighter, I wouldn’t quite recommend it to use all over the face, but only on the cheeks. My suggestion? Use a MAC 128 brush (the tiny applicator provided by Estee Lauder picks up quite a bit of pigment) to lightly sweep some across your cheek bone for that subtle yet glamorous look, with a golden bronzy sheen.
It stays for about 5-6 hours in a humid climate like India, so you need not worry too much about fading and touch up. As with any other make up product, technique is everything, so make sure you know how to work the magic out of your brush before that evening sun downer date (light hand, tapping away excess). All in all, quite feather light on this skin, this highlighter is a keeper in your collection and will dazzle up any date!
Verdict? It is an absolute stunner that provides the dash of sun-kissed warmth to your skin. The unique golden pigments and pearls float on top of the skin (visible to the eye), resulting in a truly unique sensorial experience. The powder is said to use a luminosity-boosting complex that makes the complexion appear perfectly smooth, seductive and warm, but of course, technique is a must again.
