Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Pinkberry

I'm going to be the first to admit that I have always considered Estée Lauder brand cosmetics for old women. Now all you old women out there, don't get your panties in a bunch over that statement. It's just that in the 1980's when I was first forming my opinions about various cosmetic companies Estée Lauder was associated with old ladies. There was always a gaggle of old cronies around the Lauder counter whenever I walked by. Their overly powered faces showing all the signs of age an overly powdered face can show, only stood out more by the bright gash of lipstick smeared across their thin wrinkly lips. Let's not mention Youth Dew perfume which smelled like a funeral home on a busy Wednesday, I was turned off by the brand entirely.

Fast forward to the 2000's. I start hearing about Double wear makeup. I start hearing that it's a super foundation. I tried it and loved it. You can read about it here. Then I see Michael Kors has a cosmetic collection with Estée Lauder (I really like his fashion and shoes!!) then I see Estée Lauder signs one of the top and most sought after makeup artists, Tom Pecheux! I had to change my opinion of Estée Lauder and I had to change it fast.

During a gift with purchase promotion I purchased a full size bottle of the foundation and was eligible for the GWP...which included among other things a lipstick in the color Pinkberry. Now the first thing I judge a brand on is usually lipstick. It's the most accessible item and the one with the most colors. Have a crappy lipstick and you run the risk of having other crappy products as well. Since I had already discovered my love for the foundation, I had high hopes for the lipstick. Guess what? It didn't disappoint!

image from esteelauder.com

The lipstick freebie in my GWP was Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Pinkberry. Pinkberry is a soft pink nude. Very light but not sheer. It is a great nude pink that does not turn orange on my like so many pink nudes do. I like to pair this with a dark smokey eye to tone down the rest of my face and avoid the red lips/smokey eye Addicted To Love Robert Palmer vapid back up band look.

image from esteelauder.com

ANYWAY. I cannot comment on the case, but the product image shows a gold case with a clear bottom to show the product color in the tube. That seems good if you happen to have several of them in your purse at one time. I currently have over 10 lipsticks floating around in my purse at any given time. Granted, they are all different brands, but being able to see the color could be helpful. (Obviously, I have issues)


What I can comment on, is the lipstick itself. I'm not a fan a scented lipsticks, but some scents don't bother me. Estée Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting lipstick is scented with fig is a scent I can deal with. ...or as the website likes to say "Delicately fragranced with a delectable fresh fig scent." Yeah...um I don't want to eat this lipstick, but I understand that the guy in marketing working copy for the web has to "punch up" the description. The lipstick has an ever so slight taste to it but I can't tell if it's me tasting the "scent" of the fig or if I'm just hungry.

The lipstick in the tube has just an ever so slight shimmer to it, but it doesn't seem to show up once applied. The color is described almost as a matte and upon first application is has a nice sheen to it but I wouldn't call it shiny. The pink color is fairly light and seems to have a satin finish to it. Almost matte but not quite. The color stays true and does not turn orange or hot pink once applied. The lipstick is VERY pigmented. One swipe and your lip is covered. Pinkberry gives a nice opaque finish that if desired, could be blotted for a more sheer look or have gloss applied on top to add more dimension to the color.

The application itself is smooth and creamy. The lipstick has excellent slip (which means it glides across my lips easily) but also imparts a creamy texture upon application. If you don't like heavy feeling lipsticks then Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick might feel a bit heavy on you, but once it is applied it seems fine to me. The formula feels creamy on my lips and does seem to last a while...but since it is such a light color it's hard to tell when the fading begins versus a darker/brighter color fading. My lips never felt overly dry while wearing this and upon initial application the lipstick felt almost like a balm.

Do you NEED this? Well I can't believe that I am saying this, but Yes. This is a really nice lipstick. At $22 a tube it's priced slight higher than a MAC lipstick and slightly less than a Chanel Rouge Allure and you know what? I think the quality is higher than MAC but not as moisturizing as Chanel Rouge Allure. However, its a nice enough lipstick in a pretty enough color to be worthy of a full tube purchase. But thankfully mine was free! MUWAHAHAHAH Now I want to check out more of the Estée Lauder line. Once I got over my bias I have a whole new line of cosmetics to try!