As my bio states, Posh Spice is and forever will be my spirit animal. Tattoo it on my forehead, scream it from the mountain tops. We’ve had our milestones together; our ups and downs. The Posh Spice Barbie doll, dressed in a black and purple lace-trimmed slip dress, was always my go-to. We both know we can’t sing too well. No smiling? No problem. We’re happy (enough) on the inside. I stood by her with both her questionable matching outfits with David and her horribly unnatural breast augmentation. I defended her as a fashion designer even when Dolce & Gabbana did not.
When Victoria Beckham announced her latest makeup collection with Estée Lauder, I was like a soldier suiting up for battle. A reminder on my phone was set, I made sure my finances were in order, and there was even a little sort through of my current makeup stash to see what I actually needed and what I could do without. You see, I missed the first collection due to a combination of indecisiveness and the scary prospect of trying to fit even more products into my cosmetic bag. The collection featured products and color palettes inspired by some of Beckham’s favorite cities: London, New York, L.A., Paris, and new to the second collection, Miami. How could I possibly choose between the warm glow of the L.A. collection, the dark and edgy London eyes or the cool blue tones of the New York shadows? Well, I couldn’t at first. By the time I finally did, they were sold out.
But when a fashion icon pairs up with a world renowned beauty brand and gives you a second chance, you take it.
A warm glow, a nude lip, and a bit of a smokey eye- throughout her entire transition from Posh Spice to established fashion designer, mum and wife, this has been Victoria Beckham’s signature look. I wanted Victoria Beckham’s subtle glow that she’s perfected in the last few years. No dramatic Kardashian-inspired contour or Desi Perkins-esque highlight that is so sparkly it’s blinding. In my hunt for subtlety, I purchased the Modern Mercury highlighter and the Java Sun bronzer , both part of the L.A. collection. The quality is excellent, from the sleek, heavy compact packaging to the high pigmentation and blending abilities. Often times, designer collaborations are overpriced but lack the quality they deserve, so this was a happy surprise. The matte bronzer, “inspired by the warm sensual glow of the L.A. sun” is just as easily dusted all-over for a sun-kissed effect, or precisely placed to naturally define cheekbones. It’s not too orange and it won’t make your face look dirty like so many contour kits on the market.
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The real winner of the two, though, is the Modern Mercury Highlighter. I was unsure of the initial rose gold tone it gives off in the compact, but swiping it onto all the sweet spots [cheekbones, bridge of nose, inner corner of the eye, a tiny swipe onto the brow bone and the lightest dust upon the chin and forehead] proved me so wrong. I even put a little on my cupid’s bow, inspired by VB herself, and it made a swipe of nude lipstick stand out so well. The color has no obvious glitter or shimmer. It goes on more like a liquid metal that simultaneously gives off a wet, dewy look. This illuminating powder is silky, a little pearly, and magical. The bronzer and highlighter used together gives the warm, subtle glow I so desired, and after two weeks of use, both prove to be staples in my makeup routine. A pretty penny well spent!
There’s still time to shop the collection at VictoriaBeckham.com , EsteeLauder.com and Net-a-Porter.com !
