What an exciting exciting season for Estee Lauder! Besides their fall collection Violet Underground, there are also two limited edition nail polish collections Beyond Black and Metal Mania. What’s more, they are introducing a permanent addition of Vivid Shine. I had the opportunity of checking everything out a couple of days ago, and today I’m showing you the Violet Underground look created by the Estee Lauder Benelux makeup artist Gigi Bowmer on me (some preliminary swatches and impressions are also included)!
Now you will have to excuse me, but I had real problems following exactly what Gigi was doing, and my memory is quite blurry. I know that she used the Pure Color Quick-Thick Eyeliner as base, a mixture of shades from the Violet Underground palette, and the Pure Color Cyber Teal Gelee Eyeshadow as well as the Pure Color Cyber Lilac Gelee Eyeshadow. The result is an amazingly complex colorful smokey eye!
Gigi used Rebellious Violet Pure Color Gloss on me. Bet you didn’t know I have a right side of the face. It’s OK, most of the time I forget about it as well!
And we’re done! That’s me and Gigi!
Is is obviously more makeup than what I would wear on a daily basis, but it’s always fun to see what professional makeup artists can do!
After that, it was time to do something to my fingertips!
Beyond Black (from left to right): Bête Noire, Blue Blood, Caviar, Viper, Black Plum.
Gossip time: do you know why Viper is called Viper? Apparently Tom Pecheux (Estee Lauder’s creative makeup director) is close friends with Kate Moss. Kate Moss used to frequent this club in LA called The Viper Room. Pecheux told people this story at the press conference in Paris, and now I want to know the stories behind the rest of them!
Metal Mania (from left to right): Explosif, Chaos, Nouveau Riche, Fiery Hot, Chaos.
My manicure is a layer of Caviar and another of Chaos:
Closer so you can see all the crazy sparkle (bet you didn’t know I have a right hand either! I can’t take pictures with my left hand, so my right one never gets to be in the swatch pictures):
These 10 shades are available in Belgium. While Bête Noire will be added to the permanent line-up, the rest are limited edition and can only be purchased at Inno Rue Neuve. Talk about new and exclusive!
You know I am a big eyeshadow person, so I was really happy to swatch all the new ones there.
From left to right: Pure Color Gelee Power Eyeshadow in Cyber Pink, Cyber Lilac, Cyber Silver, and Cyber Teal (these are the four shades available in Belgium).
Last but not least, here is the Violet Underground palette swatched dry, but I promise you’ll get better swatches (both dry and wet) here soon:
I am truly impressed by everything I managed to swatch or had the chance to wear. It is all very smooth and pigmented! My makeup went strong for 8 hours until I decided to remove it, including the blush (the new blushes are coming out in October, and I can already tell you the color payoff and lasting power are INSANE). I will test all the pieces out more thoroughly as soon as I can and let you know what I think about them!
Have you checked out any of the new Estee Lauder collections? Does anything catch your eye here? Would you wear fuchsia and royal blue on your eyes?
Sunny, your beauty culture translator xx
(The pictures of me were taken by the wonderful D. THANK YOU!)
MOSTLY SUNNY 
Violet Underground is beautiful! The Fuchsia reminds me of Urban Decay Junkshow but I need to swatch them side by side to know for sure. I can’t wait to test mine out either! Purple smokey eyes suit you very well, might I add 🙂
Thanks for the compliment Lily! I’ll compare the two, since Junkshow’s the only other fuchsia I own!
The Violet Underground palette looks gorgeous! Loved the look Gigi created on you, you look stunning!
Thanks Ankita! I wish I had memorized what she did so I can recreate this one, but hopefully I’ll discover new ways of using it when I get the chance to play with it!
Wow, the gelee eyeshadows look amazing! My focus was on the eyeshadow palette, but now no more!
Yes they are! I can’t wait to see how pigmented they are when used wet!
hi there sunny! love the swatches of underground violet! could you tell me what the new blushes with great lasting power are called? thanks!
Lovee the look! Love purple haha 🙂
Thanks Yak Man! If you mix a bit you can create that purple from the palette. How cool is that?
Awesome colours and I love the look on you.
Thanks so much darling 🙂
You look stunning ! I’m very curious about the new blushes. Estée Lauder is definitely one of my favorite brands, they hardly ever disappoint !
Those are rolling out in October! I’m really looking forward to the launch too!
Oh my gosh Sunny!! I swear, at first glance, I seriously thought that first picture was of a makeup artist doing a model’s makeup backstage at a show! You look so lovely–and that purple eye she is doing on you is absolutely killer! LOVE it! It really just put me in the mood for purple shadow 😀
Aww Becca you’re too sweet! You should definitely try some purple eyeshadows! I’m sure you can rock them!
I really want to see if I have get my hands on the violet underground palette. it so pretty and just my kind of colours. You look amazing btw!!!!
You should Naomi! You can go from neutral to colorful, from everyday to full-on party looks with this one!
Oh wow Sunny, I absolutely LOVE this make-up look on you! I need everything you have on your face now! Love the blush too, getting a bit excited here, hehe!
Thanks Teri! You should definitely check this collection out!
I desperately want the violet underground palette – great post!
Thanks hon! Definitely check it out because the color combination and pigmentation are out of this world!
I love the eyeshadow look on you – so beautiful!
Thanks Emi! Not something I would wear every day but it does wow!
U look gorgeous. I have never stopped to take a look at EL because it seems to be a Mum’s brand. This post certainly swept me away
Oh that’s what I thought until very recently! If you look at what they put out this year you’ll know Tom Pecheux has been hard at work and nailing it!
I agree.. I was never much of a fan of EL’s.. I occasionally got the Christmas suitcases from my Grandma.. I always loved getting makeup from her, but the eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks were not up to par with what I buy from Mac or Nars imo.. this year I bought my first EL palettes for spring and summer, and am adoring them! especially the gelee formula. The new creative director seems to really have revived the brand!
Hey Chris, the new blushes are called Pure Color Blush. They’re not coming out here till next month, but you can already read rave reviews in the blogosphere!
Tom Pecheux is a genius. Estee Lauder is the most pleasantly-surprising brand I’ve come across this year!
Such a pretty look!!
Thanks Marijke! It’s such a versatile palette and if you mix the colors you could create something totally amazing!
Oh my god, this entire post is absolutely gorgeous. The palette swatches; the eyeshadow singles; that makeup look! //flails
(And hello, right-side-of-Sunny’s-face. It’s nice to meet you :P)
Thanks so much Rae! In real life is really full-on cray-cray, which makes me think maybe I need to go over the top for people to see how something looks on me in pictures!
You look lovely, Sunny! The nail polishes…I want Explosif, but I don’t think that one came to the US! Maybe I’ll check their site.
Love that look on you! 🙂
Thanks so much Isabelle 🙂
Such a nice looking colors. So different than a few brands I’ve seen. By the way, the top you have on in a few of your posts, are those Tahari by chance? I go to Bloomys all the time, and everytime I see their designed stuff, it resembles or somewhat looks like some of your tops.
That is true! I like the amount of possibilities there are in this palette with the neutrals and crazy colors. Also you can mix them up to make it double the fun!
It’s actually a dress by Lavand. I probably sound like a broken record by now but the majority of my wardrobe comes from this Spanish brand (it’s weird but it’s either this or a couple of other Spanish brands. Those people really know how to work with colors). They just made it to a trade show in Vegas recently, so I’m hoping it will be introduced to more people in the US soon!
Ahh I am pretty sure Bloomys here might have it then. If not maybe later! They have some brands from Europe that are quite distinct.
I am drooling! I have been wanting to try one of their eye shadows for ages.That palette is truly to die for, I hope they will come to Singapore soon. I love the look they did for you.
I hope so too Jacqueline! Everything Gigi put on me just lasted and lasted as well so that’s good news!
Gigi did such a wonderful job! I would have done a similar look if I did your makeup. 🙂
Haha thanks Christine! I seldom blend my eyeshadows so high, but that’s because I’m a total wimp!
Waaauw, those eyeshadow is perfect for you, soooo pretty!!
And love the nailpolish as well!
Aww thanks so much Petra! I do think these are colors that anyone can rock if they want to rock them, so you should take a look!
Lol your right hand and the right side of your face! Haha. I like your look and the nail polish you chose 🙂
I am proud that I finally showed them to the world LOL
lol!! Seriously! was there a reason that you hadn’t? Or was it just coincidence?!
My left face photographs better, and I can’t hold the camera or click on the shutter with my left hand, so when it comes to nail polish swatches it’s always on my left hand. I guess that’s the reason? LOL
that’s fair! lol!
Wow you look beautiful! Love the whole look!
Thanks Naomi! It’s pretty dramatic in real life, or should I say more dramatic than what I’d normally wear but that’s why I got such a kick out of it!
Wowwwwww! That is an INCREDIBLE look on you, so beautiful!
Thanks so much LeeAnn 🙂 I guess I should go all out more often? lol
You def should; you rock those colors! 😀
Love this look on you! That purple looks amazing on you!
Thanks so much girly! Purple tends to work well with brown eyes 🙂
I have brown eyes as well, so I know what you mean, purple is one of my favourite colours to use when I don’t want to go for a neutral look.