Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection for 2013 See-Thru Blush in Light Show

Estée Lauder's Mad Men Collection for 2013 has three limited-edition pieces. I purchased two, although I'm really tempted to get in the car and dash over to buy the third, the beautiful pink nail lacquer later today. There's something about having a complete collection that entices me.

When you open the art deco box of the See-Thru Blush in Light Show ($50), you will find a classy gold pouch. Take the blush out of its pouch, and you'll see the gorgeous compact.

Open the compact, and you'll find a little powder puff sitting prettily atop the pink blush. The presentation is gorgeous. The blush lives up to its surroundings.

I took swatch photos today, the first day with sunshine in many days. You'll see in my photo directly above that Light Show is pink. The Estée Lauder photos had led me to expect a warmer pink, perhaps a peachy shade. The pink is gorgeous and complements the Pinkadelic Lipstick perfectly.

I swatched with a sponge-tipped applicator at the top of my arm using a sponge-tipped applicator, and I used a dense blending brush to apply the larger swatch below. Both swatches were heavily applied.

Light Show has a very small amount of sparkle to it - not enough to make me call it sparkly, but definitely enough to make it lively. I love the color. It is making me think spring.

Mad Men is a limited-edition collection, so if you want one piece or all of them, I'd recommend that you purchase now. You can find the three-piece collection now at the Estée Lauder Web site and at Estée Lauder counters everywhere.

Want to take bets on whether I go get that nail lacquer?

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

Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection for 2013 Pinkadelic Rich Rich Lipstick

I have flipped over this year's Mad Men Collection by Estée Lauder. Here's my quick summary. The lipstick is a little darling that I think everyone will want. The powder blush could only be prettier and more desirable if it were a cream blush like last year. The nail lacquer is a pink I'm going to have to purchase.

Let's look at Pinkadelic Rich, Rich Lipstick ($30). "Turn on your lips to this limited-edition lipstick inspired by the Award Winning AMC Drama MadMen. Creamy, satin finish, and smooth rich lipcolor. The Pinkadelic shade captures the soft-lipped, sexy-innocent Sixties look perfectly. The lipstick case and carton are replicas of actual designs from Estée Lauder's Sixties-era collections, and Pinkadelic is named after one of Estée Lauder's most popular Sixties' lip formulas."

Like last year's Man Men Cherry Lip, which you can see here, this year's Pinkadelic is more of an everyday color. Last year's bright cherry rose was a little darker than I'd wear to the office, although it was simply gorgeous. I mentioned to you that I sent it recently to a reader who had searched far and wide for the 2012 collection - way too late to find it. I found I wasn't wearing the vibrant shades.

Pinkadelic is a superb color for me - and I suspect most of you. I took swatch photos in very bright sunlight this morning. The sun gave it more sparkle than it has in "real life," but it's a medium pink shade that will make your lips sing indoors or out.

Can you believe this color? Have you jumped online to order it yet? When I think of Mad Men, I think of glamour. Pinkadelic offers glamour and a femininity that's appropriate for this celebration of the Sixties.

I turned my arm slightly away from the sun to get one photo that wasn't entirely glimmering. I think the photo directly above shows the finish fairly well, even if you can see the sun amping up the left side of the swatch.

Like last year's Mad Men lipstick, Pinkadelic is small - not like a sample, but smaller than your average lipstick. Don't be surprised by that.

Mad Men is a limited-edition collection, so if you want one piece or all of them, I'd recommend that you purchase now. I'll show you the See-Thru Blush after lunch.  Perhaps I'll get in my car and drive up to Neiman Marcus to find the nail lacquer this afternoon.

You can find the three-piece collection now at the Estée Lauder Web site and at Estée Lauder counters everywhere.

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

Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection for 2013

Last year, Estée Lauder launched its first wildly successful Mad Men Collection, a limited-edition makeup collection inspired by the award-winning AMC drama Mad Men. The launch was timed to coincide with the premiere of Season Five, and now a second, limited-edition collection will launch to celebrate the two-hour season premiere of Season Six on Sunday, April 7, at 9:00 EST/8:00 CST.

The Sixties. It was a happening. Flower Power. Mini Skirts. Pop Art. With sheer, shimmery pastels for lips and nails – seductive yet innocent. Cheek colors so sheer they looked shockingly nude. Luxuriant lashes (real and fake). Starry kaleidoscope eyes. Turn on. Tune in. Drop everything. It’s Mad Men time again.

Last year's collection was beautiful and glamorous. This year's looks even better - if that's possible.

The See-Thru Blush in Light Show ($50) provide sheer, sexy, creamy color, exactly what I love. Last year's Man Men blush was a cream blush; this year, it's powder. It captures the cheeky, fresh-faced, Sixties look perfectly. Estée Lauder suggests you add extra to your forehead, temples, and chin for more rosy lights.

Inspired by the rock concert light shows and see-through, cut-out fashions that made the Sixties swing.Compact case and carton are replicas of actual designs from Estée Lauder's Sixties-era collections.

The Rich Rich Lipstick in Pinkadelic ($30) offers a creamy, satin finish and smooth, rich lip color. The Pinkadelic shade captures the soft-lipped, sexy-innocent Sixties look perfectly. As with the other pieces in the collection, the lipstick case and carton are replicas of actual designs from Estée Lauder's Sixties-era collections. Pinkadelic was named after one of Estée Lauder's most popular Sixties lip formulas.

Last year, the lipstick was small - smaller than the usual size one would expect. I suspect this one will also be small. That won't stop me from purchasing this beautiful color.

The Mad Men Collection Nail Lacquer ($24) in Pink Paisley is a perfect ladylike shade that captures the sexy-innocent Sixties look perfectly.

Polished and chic. Smooth glossy color, long wear. Carton is a replica of an actual design from Estée Lauder's Sixties-era collections.

I'm so there. You can be too. You can pre-order the Mad Men Collection at Estée Lauder's Web site. Don't delay. This collection sold out quickly last year. Funny story, but I gave away my pieces from last year. I have so much makeup, and a reader really wanted them. No one will ever pry these from my hands.

Photos courtesy of Estée Lauder

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