Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection

Shade, Stir, Seduce

Estée Lauder's Mad Men Collection is a limited-edition makeup collection inspired by the award-winning AMC drama Mad Men. In an exclusive partnership with the Mad Men show, Estée Lauder has introduced two limited-edition makeup collections. The first Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection just debuted, timed to coincide with the premiere of Season Five (March 25 at 9:00 pm/8:00 pm CT), and the second collection will launch with Season Six in 2013.

Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized, and provocative Mad Men drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising firm Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell. Because I don't subscribe to cable television (when would I watch it?), I haven't seen the glamorous show. I'm sure I'll be able to buy a season or two on DVD for much less than daily cable would cost me.

The first of the two makeup collections features two classic makeup items inspired by the look of the women featured in Mad Men’s 1960s New York City setting. Bold, red lips and creamy, rouged cheeks defined this iconic age. Estée Lauder softened the colors to make them appealing to today's women.

Estée Lauder Mad Men Lipstick in Cherry ($25) features smooth, rich color in a cream-satin, moisturizing finish. Estée Lauder Mad Men Creme Rouge in Evening Rose ($40) is an easily blendable and buildable formula in a perky rose shade that highlights the cheeks with a dewy, smooth, and naturally flushed finish - the way women might have blushed when approached by a tall, handsome stranger in a bar.

The advertising for Estée Lauder's Mad Men Collection was shot by world-renowned photographer Craig McDean and features Estée Lauder model Constance Jablonski. The outer cartons for the collection are custom designs inspired by the Estée Lauder packaging from the 1960s. The boxes are gorgeous; they made me reminisce.

Cherry Lipstick is packaged in a fluted golden case housed in a leather-like gold pouch within the fancy box. My only complaint is its size. Barely bigger than a deluxe lipstick sample, I wondered why I had paid $25 for it. Please don't misunderstand. It's gorgeous. It's just tiny.

The Creme Rouge in Evening Rose is a must-have for cream blush addicts. Also housed in a fluted golden compact and leather-like pouch, it comes in a generous size. The inner rim of the compact features an embossed stamp signifying the name of the limited-edition collection, which is a nice touch.

I took my swatch photos in full, glorious sunshine. Cherry Lipstick is shown at the top of my arm, and Evening Rose is featured below. I was surprised when I tried Cherry at Bloomingdale's. In the tester tube, it looked dark. On the skin, it's a bright cherry rose - very pretty. Evening Rose offers buildable color so you'll never look like Raggedy Ann. I think the shade is drop-dead gorgeous. It's lively, feminine, and flirty.

Although the shades are not matchy-matchy, they pair beautifully for a rosy pop of color. Not too cool and not too warm, the shades should please everyone. I apply the cream blush with a synthetic foundation brush for a light wash of rose color (even though the company recommends fingertips), and as is my habit, I apply the lipstick directly from the tube.

The Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection will be available for a limited time exclusively at Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide, www.bloomingdales.com, and www.esteelauder.com. I bought mine at Bloomingdale's. I wasn't paying close attention to the exclusivity of the collection and called Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom before I went back to the press release to see that it was exclusive to Bloomingdale's and the Estée Lauder Web site. Don't waste time like I did. Go directly to one of those sources to order.

If you can only have one piece, I'd recommend the Evening Rose Creme Rouge (blush). It's a better value than the lipstick, and the compact is gorgeous.

Photo at top courtesy of Estée Lauder; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Edward Bess Compact Rouge

I've had a long-standing love affair with cream blush. I'm delighted by its natural look - it's like a second skin. When I can use a cream blush on my lips too, I'm doubly delighted. That's why Edward Bess Compact Rouge ($38) is on my list of favorites!

The simply named Compact Rouge is an incredibly smooth cream that provides a sheer tint for very natural looking color - a "seductive, stained finish." It applies beautifully and blends easily with either a foundation brush or fingertips. The color persists on my cheeks all day - just as it should with a quality product.

It's available in two shades, Island Rose and After Sunset. I bought both months ago, and I'm glad. Island Rose, the pink-rose shade shown at the top in my photos, is perfect for cool-toned skin or anyone who can wear pink and rose shades. After Sunset, perfect for warm-toned gals, also works for me as a light bronzer - or on days when pink is "out of the question." Sometimes, I want a monochromatic natural/nude look, and After Sunset is perfect.

I applied Compact Rouge heavily for these photos. It's actually very sheer. The shades are shown here in different outdoor exposures. You can see that the color has a gleam to it. It's radiant, but not sparkly.

The compacts are rather small. That might be a drawback if you are trying to be frugal and stretch your dollars a long way. When it comes to Edward Bess makeup, you'll be happy if you go for extravagant. Each compact comes in a pretty velvet carrier, and the sleek, black compacts contribute to the sense that using Compact Rouge is a treat.

For more about Edward Bess and his inspired and elegant cosmetics, please pop back to my April 12 introduction. If you are tempted to experience the luxury of Edward Bess, and want to get some help from Bergdorf Goodman, give Susan Babakhanova a call at (212) 872-8826 or Donna Muzio at (212) 872-2777. Either one of these wonderful ladies would be pleased to help you select some goodies. You can also order from Edward Bess online.

Top photo courtesy of Edward Bess