Estée Lauder Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée in “Tease” Review
Much like lipstick, blush is one of those items I almost always go budget for. For the most part, I believe blush is blush. The difference between a drugstore blush and high-end blush primarily lies in the designer name. Sometimes a high-end blush will use higher quality ingredients, and there are some subtle texture difference, but that’s usually not enough to get me to pay $40 for it. If I’m going to splurge on blush, it really has to do something special. Last week I discovered such a blush from Estée Lauder – the limited edition Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée in “Tease” ($40).
Look at that gold case! The case alone looks like a million bucks.
Here’s the thing about Estée Lauder Illuminating Powder Gelées – they’re always amazing, and they’re always limited edition. The EL website describes this product as a powder, gel, and liquid in one. In practice, what this means is that it has a non-drying, finely milled texture that’s very easy to blend. That aspect alone is really nice, but the thing I like most about these Illuminating Powder Gelées is that they always have a really beautiful highlighting effect. The color and glow are soft, but buildable, and universally flattering.
This particular shade is from their spring collection by Tom Pecheux. It’s called “Tease” and it’s a perfect pink – not too dark, not too light. The Illuminating Gelées always come with an interesting design etched into the powder – this one features a mesmerizing pyramid pattern. I spend an embarrassing amount of time time just gazing at this product in its container, and if you’re into hypnosis, I’m pretty sure you can somehow use this blush to quit smoking and lose weight.
I love that the tone changes depending on how the light hits it.
The applicator for this product is strange – it looks like a giant eyeshadow applicator. I haven’t tried using it, opting instead to use my e.l.f. angled blush brush. I found it really easy to get the perfect amount of color on my cheeks. Sometimes highlighting products can highlight pore size (as we saw with the M Radiance Primer on Friday). Not the case with this gelée – instead, the shimmer in the powder provides a flattering, dewy glow that lasts all day. It looks refined, polished, and age-appropriate. As I mentioned before, this product is limited edition. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. I’m a little bummed that I won’t be able to buy more of this color when I run out, but there is a LOT of product in this compact and a little goes a long way. I suspect I’ll have this compact for at least 2 years, if not longer.
On Friday, Estée Lauder released another limited edition Illuminating Gelée color as part of their 2013 Bronze Goddess collection. It’s called “Heat Wave,” and it appears to be a gold-toned highlighter. I’ll be picking that up soon, but in the meantime, there are plenty of good times to be had with “Tease.”
This is the next limited edition Illuminating Gelée, “Heat Wave,” which was just released on Friday!
Where to Buy This Illuminating Powder Gelée sold out within days at most department stores. Luckily, it’s still available from the Estée Lauder website, which also offers free shipping. There are also a few eBay sellers offering it, but they are asking for anywhere between $15-$30 more than the retail value. I think that’s bananas, but I wish them luck. Skin & Tonics Rating: Performance: 5/5 – Spectacular, glowing, long-lasting color that’s easily blendable and buildable Quality: 5/5 – Beautiful packaging, very finely milled powder Value: 3/5 – On the pricy side for a blush, but you get a lot of product for the money. Price is comparable to similar highlighting products. Overall: 4.5/5 Follow me on Instagram: This post contains affiliate links. Shopping through these links help support this site!
