Remember when there were just three red limited edition lipsticks? In what feels like the blink of an eye Lisa Eldridge Makeup has gone from debut collection to the most anticipated of makeup launches. Lovers of the products know you have to get in quick, really quick, because when it comes to Lisa Eldridge launches, there are inevitable sold-out stickers looming. Thankfully, with a Seamless Skin Enlivening Blush re-stock expected, there’s still time to get in on the magic.
I hadn’t intended to write about this latest launch. With the abundance of reviews already out there and my previous posts covering the textures of Gloss Embrace and Luxuriously Lucent lip products, as well as Lisa’s YouTube videos which show off the products most beautifully, I thought the internet was good with LE fan-girling content.
As it happens, photographing Lisa Eldridge products proves a successful distraction from the ever-growing To Do list and it was a win for the powers of procrastination. While I mightn’t go into as much detail as previous articles, and I’d recommend watching Lisa’s videos for even more colour guidance pre-purchase, I offer up an overload of images and a few thoughts on this latest LE launch.
While I like the occasional matte lip, the Luxuriously Lucent lipstick formula is my happy place. It’s less dense in terms of pigment payoff and leaves a balmy feel across the lips. Appearance wise, lucent is the perfect word. These lipsticks give a lustre and shine that isn’t glossy, without the waxiness that can often come from a cream formula.
I was most excited about Dance Card, and remain so post-delivery. If you’re hankering for Go Lightly, I cannot make it any clearer: buy this one. A pinky coral, Dance Card is certainly more subdued – less neon if you like – than Go Lightly, but I find it has just the right amount of peachy coral while sitting in a base of pink, to flatter even the palest skin tones. Effortless, late 50s cool without being pastel, its a go-to summer shade. Safe to say, I have a back-up. If you’re fair and struggle with peaches and anything that leans orange, fear not, this is still a pink. Speaking of corals for pale skin, I’m compiling my list of go-to’s for a future post and will have more to say about these two shades then. On warmer and deep skin tones this may come off much more pinky than coral, and this colour-changing conundrum is never more obvious than with Lisa Eldridge lipsticks – they look different on absolutely everyone. Make it your own. Dance Card, is for me.
I was curious to swipe Kitten Mischief in the hopes of finding my perfect nude, as so many have done. Light medium skin tones will likely fall into that category. It’s a little warm, not necessarily orange or brown, just warm, to be my perfect nude but it’s still an easy everyday colour. There’s a hint of toffee – a little Worther’s Original chewy caramel about this colour, and I love that Lisa designed it for herself. What lipstick shade would you create if you had the lab at your disposal? I think we all have a dream colour within us.
Atomic Cherry is a sheer wash of warm, vibrant red without any of the intimidation of a matte red lipstick. This ones for you if the original Velvets fall outside of your comfort zone. This is still going to give you much more colour than a tinted lip balm, and it’s a perky, bright, summery shade that I picture on models in high waisted blue and white stripe bathing suits by the seaside of a vintage poster. Lockdown fatigue, anyone else? There’s a flash of orange to this shade that on first swipe gave me pause, but I quickly stepped into the confidence that a lipstick like this offers – eyes brighter, chin higher. Atomic Cherry is a punchy red that almost glows, and I’m saving this one for hot days and sun kissed skin.
Painterly is one of those typical Lisa Eldridge shades that’s difficult to describe. It’s not plum, it’s not brown, it’s not mauve. It’s a sort of rich, chocolatey, berry-brown stain halfway between red wine and milk chocolate on the lips. It’s not a colour I would vibe with in a matte lipstick, but in the Luxuriously Lucent texture I find it surprisingly easy to wear and imagine it being incredibly beautiful on deeper skin tones.
Spirited Away is another tough one to break down to words. A dirty pink makes it sound unappealing, but this shade falls between brown and pink with some red underscoring the whole palette. It’s an easy to wear shade and one that I imagine setting off olive skin tones in particular.
Of the six Enlivening Blush shades within the Seamless Skin range, there was one I was automatically drawn to; Mountain Walk.
Blush isn’t something I regularly shop for. I know the colours I like, what makes me feel most pretty, and whether I choose a powder or cream the products usually last me an age. But I didn’t want to hold back and be left with Lisa Eldridge Regret. Is it in the dictionary yet?
Lisa Eldridge products have a tendency of looking different on everybody, so when it comes to choosing one of these blushes I think it’s a case of looking at which shade you’re drawn to, which you think most flatters your skin tone and ultimately, just makes you feel good.
I had expected Pink Soap to be especially popular among fair-light complexions but the shade seems to have been a phenomenon across all skin tones. A muted, dusty pink it shows a little warmer – almost a dusky peach – on me once blended in and is more nude than I usually reach for. Mountain Walk, however, is my kind of colour. It looks dangerously bold in swatches and in the tube but the tiniest (read teeny tiniest) dab on the cheeks leaves a brightening, fuchsia berry hue that is so, so pretty. I love the look of this colour against my presently pale winter skin. It gives the effect of having just come in from the cold or, as aptly named, returned from a frosty mountain walk. I think this would look stunning on any and every complexion.
Pink Poetry is a step up in the pink stakes; bright and popping. If Mountain Walk is my winter pink, this is my summer pop colour. When they’re side by side, this has a little more red to it if Mountain Walk leans to the purple side. It has that touch of neon vibrancy – which Island Glow also carries – that reminds me of Lisa’s summer lipstick Rainbow Spill.
Island Glow is just the perfect bright coral. There’s nothing subdued about this shade so don’t be expecting a subtle peachy melon. As a coral it’s a winning mix of orange and pink without being too much of either. Give me tanned skin, high summer sun, sea salty hair and this blush. Modern and made for post-pandemic holidays of celebration, I love this colour.
Dantes Dream; an earthy, pinky, browny red is perhaps the shade I’ve reached for least. Venetian Red however, was a surprising favourite. Less rusty than I’d expected, and more berry rather than orange red, this shade is a beauty and flattering both when I’m at my palest or dosed up on the bathroom tan. If you’re fair don’t be deterred as I was, used sparingly this shade gives a stunning natural flush.
My one slight annoyance (I say whispering), is a result either of formula, production or packaging. It’s not a universal problem, as I’ve seen countless videos of those without issue, but my blush is staggeringly difficult to squeeze from the tube. I am hoping with more use, and a little temperature increase, the issue will resolve itself, but it was an unexpected glitch from otherwise perfectly designed packaging. I find the best method is squeezing from the very bottom of the tube upwards, as you might a toothpaste, but even that releases a minuscule amount of product. An honourable mention has to go to the customer service team at Lisa Eldridge Makeup who are absolute stars and deliver better customer care than any other beauty brand.
In terms of the texture, Enlivening Blush feels unlike anything else I’ve tried. It’s not a liquid like Daniel Sandler, and not as thick and creamy as Glossier’s Cloud Paint. In fact it feels even softer and more cloud-like than Glossier’s, but somehow blends into a very sheer, lightweight texture more resembling the effect of a Daniel Sandler-style fluid. The finish is also more matte than I might’ve expected. Difficult to describe, but delightful to use – that’s all we need to know. One thing is certain; you need the very smallest amount and if you’re used to dabbing on a cream blush from a pot or stick, you’re going to have to pull back on the pressure or it’ll be a send in the clowns situation.
What would Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin be without a glowy complexion product? I had dreams of Elevated Glow being a replacement for Becca’s soon-to-discontinue Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone but even the lightest shade, Crystal Nebula has a notable goldie-champagne tinge against very pale skin. It does blend in easily and once dispersed the slightly golden hue almost disappears. You’re left with a diffused glow that is beautiful both under and on top of makeup. Cosmic Rose, a rose gold, is less pink and more copper-leaning shade on me and one I was surprised to find too warm for my skin tone. If you’re fair, Crystal Nebula is the one. It provides a light, bright spotlight that doesn’t come off too pearl.
Elevated Glow hasn’t taken the place of the more balmy, less shimmery illuminators in my makeup bag – think RMS Living Luminizer, Chanel Baume Essentiel or the bottom pan of Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate, but it does highlight beautifully and blend easily. I recommend choosing the shade the best matches your skin tone, rather than going deeper as you might be able to do with Chenel’s Baume Essentiel in Golden Light. I’m reaching for Elevated Glow on days of more makeup, when I want a little more bling than a balm provides.
The frosted, weighty glass bottle with gold lid is undeniably beautiful and something for the dressing table more than your travel bag. After my skincare, and before a light face tint or foundation is my preferred use, and I focus it to the top of the cheekbones only. Just make sure you blend the edges before it sets. I’m yet to notice the firming effect after application that star ingredient Filmexcel is touted to provide – but I’m keeping an eye out every application. Come on fine lines, do your thing and disappear.
A final mention goes to the four new shades of Gloss Embrace. This is a rich buttery lip gloss, dense with pigment that imparts a generous depth of colour on the lips. I’m currently alternating between this and Jones Road Beauty’s Cool Gloss which could not be more opposite. Where the Jones Road is incredibly sheer and feels nothing like a gloss (I would label it a lip slip rather than lip gloss), Lisa’s Gloss Embrace lingers like a lip treatment, adding nourishment and richness. There’s no stickiness at all – to either brand in fact – but Gloss Embrace excels in bringing those amazing Lisa Eldridge colour choices to a liquid finish.
Songbird is a beige, nude pink. This shade doesn’t make a statement on my mouth, but with a little bronzer or the help of an overnight self tan especially, it’s a beautiful nude pink. Easy to wear, and one for you if the earlier (and much loved) release Muse was a bit too muted.
Affair will no doubt be adored, especially on warmer skin tones and those who love the 90s makeup look. I couldn’t resist it after holding off on the lipstick, but it hasn’t managed to convert me away from the pinks.
Charm and Delilah are the real surprises for me. I had feared Charm might be too bubblegum; too pink, even for me. But unlike some of the earlier Gloss Embrace shades like Beauty, Charm seems a little more sheer in terms of payoff. It doesn’t saturate the lips with that Barbie pink but lets your natural lip colour show through which provides a little depth. It’s no doubt still a girly pink, but is very wearable and won’t have you feeling like you’re wearing your teenage lip gloss.
Finally the wildcard, Delilah, that I almost left behind. As if I needed to worry when it came to Lisa’s colour mixing magic. This shade looks like a bright, sparkling purple pink that somehow takes me back to our childhood dress-up box. It’s both retro and futuristic at once. But somehow, between the doe foot and the lip something magical happens and instead of costume makeup I’m left with a very wearable, pretty lilac pink that has all the scary purple removed. It’s a gamble of a purchase this one, but I say risk it and you’ll be rewarded – it’s beautiful. No-one knows colour like Lisa Eldridge.
Buy Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin exclusively at lisaeldridge.com
Read all about the original velvet lipsticks here and even more Lisa Eldridge Makeup here.