I’ve been reading a lot of Autumn/Winter press releases recently and it appears that two of the big trends for this year will be navy blue or deep plum smokey eyes. This interests me as I love a good smokey eye and am more than happy to test out a twist on the usual greys or browns. I decided that I needed to try a navy shadow, not having any in my collection, and the usual suspects recommended not just one shadow, but a whole flipping palette. So here we are, Estee Lauder’s Blue Dahlia.
This palette was actually released as a limited edition item last year, but the word on the street is that it is coming back for 2011. Hurrah! I paid £25 for this new on eBay and I think it retailed at £35 in the shops.
This isn’t actually my first experience of Lauder eyeshadows as some good friends purchased the Gold palette for my birthday last year. I knew that I’d be in receipt of some pretty creamy and pigmented shadows here and I certainly haven’t been let down so far. The palette comprises of five shadows. A lovely taupe, a basic black, a light teal shade, a darker blue, and a bright white which is infused with light blue sparkle. I remember seeing this on counters last year and being transfixed by the sparkly white and then kicking myself repeatedly when I didnt buy it in time.
Application is great. I haven’t bothered with the sponge applicators in the palette (why do companies still bother with those)? The only thing is that I find it hard to get the dark blue to show up as a true blue on me. I’ve been using it wet, where it goes on as the most multifaceted spangly blue I’ve ever seen, but for some reason, it dries more grey. I wonder if this is a result of using it over the taupe? I’ve tried it with a clean brush and got the same result. Maybe I should be using the foam applicator?!
Overall though, I really love this look. The white is everything I thought it would be, and the taupe alone is just glorious. This is actually a good idea for people who don’t really “do” blue eyeshadow but want to experiment a bit with some other shades. I haven’t been overly adventurous with the lighter teal in the palette yet but I think the time will come!
So, keep an eye out for the relaunch of this one. What looks a little daunting in the pan actually transfers beautifully to the eyes, without making you look like a 1980s throwback. Result.
Helen
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