As promised here's the star (sorry, cheesy pun) of Estee Lauder Goddess Collection for Summer 2011, Sea Star Bronzing Blush Bronze. So, is it a blush? a bronzer? It's both, I guess, depending on your natural color, taste and the look you're trying to achieve. As far as I'm concerned, the finish is too shimmery to be a daytime all-over bronzer, but talk to me on a sultry summer night and I might be wearing this Estee Lauder star with abandon.
The Sea Star Bronzing Blush is made of two parts- the bright salmon pink star (the fuchsia decoration is just an overspray, it's gone the first time you use it) and the lovely golden bronzer of the background. The star itself is raised and I'm not sure how deep it's embedded into the bronzer (i.e. how much of this color you actually get). You can use either one separately if you're into compact/brush engineering, but most of us would swirl our brush lightly over the design to collect both colors in a single application for a peachy bronzed shimmery look.
This Estee Lauder products is quite pigmented and I'm not sure how flattering it would look on the very fair. Karen of M&BB recommended using a fan brush if you're pale. I've played with a Yachio, a standard blush brush by Hakuhodo and a Guerlain duo-fiber, and so far the regular brush worked just fine, though I had to tone down the shimmer with a good finishing powder and a flat top brush. I'm just not a super shimmery person, at least not on a 30 F degree day in March. Still, I really like the finish of the Sea Star blush/bronzer. It's summery and the shimmer is very fine and looks luxurious.
The thing that doesn't look so high end is the plastic compact itself. I think Estee Lauder could have done a better job at choosing a packaging. It's not the plastic itself that I find objectionable- after all Guerlain Terracotta powder comes in a similar format. It's something about the color and opaqueness that reminds me some drugstore compacts of yore.
Bottom Line: June cannot be here soon enough.
Estee Lauder Sea Star Bronzing Blush ($34) Bronze Goddess Collection Summer 2011is available from your Lauder counters and esteelauder.com.
All photos are mine.
