While the current Victoria Beckham Beauty buzz is all about the return of Posh in the form of a lipstick line – I’ll get to those shortly – I noticed I had missed a step in my coverage. How could I not take a deep dive into Victoria Beckham skincare and the glow giving illuminator?
Who else was excited for Morning Aura 2.0? I loved Victoria Beckham’s illuminating cream that was released as part of her collaboration with Estee Lauder back in the day. The cream was rich enough to feel plumping but thin enough to spread easily around the face – a sort of whipped, moussey texture. The glow was strong enough to be noticeable and effective, while subtle enough when worn alone without foundation. It never felt greasy or filmy like some illuminating primers and was the perfect shade of champagne – none of this unicorn-esque, holographic violet. The packaging was luxe and pump-applicator practical. I could go on – but it’s gone, never coming back and the exorbitantly priced eBay editions are no doubt well past their expiration dates. It’s time to move on.
We have a new, even more gorgeously packaged illuminating primer to talk about and it still carries the VB name – this time paired with Augustinus Bader. I’m eager to size up Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer against my much loved original.
I love that the pump bottle applicator has remained and am pleased that even the 30ml bottle feels substantial instead of a travel-sized substitute to the real thing. Yes, it is unnecessarily large packaging hiding a small 30ml of product, but we’ve come to accept this from luxury beauty packaging – big tub, small cream – and here it doesn’t feel gratuitous. To look at, and to handle, it’s incredibly chic. In fact, in my eyes, it hands-down thrashes its predecessor in any beauty contest.
Swatched on my hand, the cream – or cell rejuvenating priming moisturiser – looked underwhelming. Where was the glow? I couldn’t see it. Thankfully, with two full pumps dispersed and dotted around my face, a golden-tinged glow revealed itself. The illumination is subtle, really subtle, but it is there. Worn below foundation I don’t think you’re going to see it, but if you’re a no-foundation girl this adds just the right amount of redness-reducing yellow tint and radiance. There’s no shimmer, no glitter, and none of the metallic shine that Morning Aura gave.
When first applied, the texture is gorgeously moisturising – if you know Augustinus Bader creams this feels closer to The Rich Cream but with the richness knocked back just a couple of stops. It spreads a little more easily than the above-mentioned, especially once warmed between the fingertips, but definitely has more oomph than Bader’s lotion-like The Cream. Without caveats, I love the feeling of applying this product to my skin. There is an elegance to the texture that was lacking from the original Morning Aura. For a moment my face feels the definition of plump. Its illuminated, primed and moisturised. Tick, tick, tick.
It’s not in the texture, but the lingering feel of the product on the skin where I’m rocking a Miranda Priestly-style pursed lip situation. It’s not long after application that that gorgeous, plumptious feeling has disappeared. I’m left asking, where did the moisturising cream go? If you get your foundation on stat, this is a great hydrating base for makeup, but linger too long and you’ll be feeling thirsty for more hydration. The take away for dry skinned girls: don’t even think about using this as your sole moisturiser. It’s impossible to not reminisce about the old Morning Aura at this point, which lingered like a protective pillow on the skin. But where that may have given the good feels, VB’s creation with Augustinus Bader will supposedly pack more of a scientific, skin-improving punch. On this, time will tell – but it’s certainly an expensive study to partake in.
While Victoria Beckham Beauty will take your $95 for 30ml, Augustinus wants $170. Invest in the 50ml and its an eyebrow-raising $145 for Beckham’s and $265 for Bader’s. I’m talking US dollars here – let’s pause for the gasp. So while the Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturiser is priced lower than Augustinus Bader’s original two creams, it remains a bold price tag from a brand not yet established as a skincare powerhouse.
I’m still in the undecided camp when it comes to the long term effects of Bader’s creams (but a visible decrease in dryness on my nose has been noted). I am also eager to point out that you can buy excellent and effective moisturisers for a fraction of the price. If the plumping, hydrating feel of initial application lasted longer I would more happily repurchase this but I need it to moisturise – instantly and ongoing. I need it to illuminate – perhaps a touch more than it does. I need it to be a perfect primer for my foundation, for more than a few moments. Even as I layer it on top of Augustinus Bader’s The Cream each morning, I’m just not feeling – or seeing – enough of those hyped benefits to warrant the significant damage to the bank account. Will I be writing a retraction in six weeks time when a visible cell rejuvenating effect has revealed itself and I find myself re-purchasing? Time will tell.
The dinky little eyeshadow compacts however, I will be repurchasing. I was pretty critical in my first impressions of the Victoria Beckham Beauty eyeshadow bricks. The bad smell of the blue Royal compact lingered and I’ve been wanting to balance out the bad with all of the really, really good. In fact, some of the things that originally bothered me now make up my reasons to love list. Take the size of the compacts – yes, they look like tiny, doll-house sized makeup products, but they’re actually perfectly formed. They fit in the hand, feel weighty but are great for travel, fold open flat, and are beautiful to behold. Tuxedo, with it’s brightening white and so-good soft grey, has become one of my most reached-for eye products of the year. I bloody love it. Hows that for humble pie?
The newest release Silk is a glistening set of four golden, coppery shadows. The lightest shade Linen is more yellow-gold than the white champagne I had expected, but the warmer hue will no doubt suit a more diverse range of skin tones than a lighter option would have. In some lights it even has a pinkish shift to it. Sunbeam, as you would expect is a true gold – bright and yellow toned, while Copper needs little explanation – it’s quite an orange, bright bronze. Sandal is a minky brown that does well to ground the three golden metallics.
This eyeshadow brick definitely fills a shimmering space that was missing from the matte canvas of VB Beauty’s eyeshadow line up. I would also choose the Silk compact over the crumbly Lid Lustre pots if you’re after a shimmering top coat – but if you’re a fan of the latter, additional shades have just been released. You can achieve a light wash with this palette, but most looks end up far warmer toned – more copper, than a light, white gold. Pale skinned girls who struggle with warmer toned shadows will be pleased that Linen is the largest pan in the compact.
Finally, the lipsticks. Posh is back, if you haven’t heard, with Victoria embracing her Spice Girls past with a wardrobe of nude Posh Lipsticks. The packaging is obviously impeccable. The colour range is edited and considered. If you are a fan of 90s makeup trends you’ll find plenty of beige and browns here. They are touted as wearable neutrals so you won’t find anything too vibrant – with the exception of a classic red in the shade Pop.
I prefer a pinker style of nude against my complexion and gravitated toward Pout and Sway. Pixi is just too light beige against my skin and many of the other shades just too brown – for me. The beauty of this launch is that whatever your skin tone or colour preference, there should be a nude for you.
Pout is a really easy to wear, uplifting peachy pink that doesn’t shout too loudly. It’s a unique shade in between pink and peach that I don’t have in my collection. With a hint of that 60s pout, it suits a natural, feminine makeup look. It’s easy to apply without a mirror and I absolutely love the slimline bullet and packaging – perfect for minimal handbags and clutches. Did I mention the satisfying click closure?
I paired it with the Lip Definer pencil in 03, which in truth matches Sway more closely but diffused with a fingertip it works just fine. If you have the shade 01, you’ll also find it a good pairing. As with all VB pencils, the texture is soft and they sharpen to an excellent point for precision definition of the lip line. If you struggle to find a lip pencil in a muted pink – as the majority lean brown – this is an excellent choice.
Sway became an instant favourite from the very first swipe. If you favour pink lipsticks, but want something neutral – a true my lips but better shade, this is for you. It’s a beautifully muted, slightly mauve rose that gives a flush of bitten lip drama. With the signature VB diffused faux tortoise shell packaging, this is close to lipstick perfection in my book. The tubes are beautifully weighted and just feel luxe. Fans of Chantecaille’s Lip Chic formula and packaging will find familiarity here. The texture of these lipsticks is balmy, creamy and hydrating. More pigmented than a standard tinted balm, the colour lasts well and wears away nicely.
With so many new lipstick launches it’s a rare statement indeed, but I’m already predicting a repurchase and eyeing up the brownie-pink Girl and deep mauve Pose. The finish is sophisticated and lustrous – not too glossy, not too flat – what else would you expect from a posh lipstick?
What have you loved from the Victoria Beckham Beauty range? Let me know on Instagram.
Find Victoria Beckham Beauty at Cult Beauty and Victoria Beckham Beauty