See all those polishes to the left?  Well, they could be yours!!

That’s right, Estee Lauder is offering one lucky Fanatic the chance to own the entire Spring 2011 Pure Color Nail Lacquer Collection, including the Nordstrom Exclusives.  That’s sixteen brand new shades to add to your nail polish wardrobe.

To Win: Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite shade from the Spring collection.  Make sure you include your email address on the email address line in the form, not the comment body (for privacy reasons).

Rules: Giveaway is open to US Residents only (sorry International Fanatics).  One entry per person.  Winner will be selected via random draw.  Winner must respond within 48hours or another winner will be chosen.

End Date: Entries will be accepted until Wednesday April 13th at 11:59pm EST.  Any entries after that time will not count.

Check out my Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer Spring 2011 review to see swatches of what you could win.

Good luck Fanatics! And thank you to Estee Lauder for offering this exciting giveaway.

***UPDATE – This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winner, Aracely, and thank you to everyone who entered. ***

Nail Lacquer has really become a fashion statement like a must have accessory. This collection compliments the runway trends we saw for Spring 2011 and comes in a range of soft and bold shades to capture your favorite look. – Estee Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux This spring Estee Lauder has stepped up their nail game by introducing SIXTEEN nail polishes in a new long lasting formula.  In the past EL has given us mainly “safe” nail colors with a twist here and there but I tend to think of their line as being more suited to the conservative nail gal.  It’s not the first brand I look to for new nail shades.  Well with a master of color like Tom Pecheux on board, things have changed. The sixteen piece collection is divided in half with eight core colors that will be carried at most Estee Lauder counters and eight Nordstrom Exclusive hues that include blue and green.  While to the average Fanatic, blue and green isn’t revolutionary, to a brand like EL it’s a pretty bold statement.  By incorporating this new palette with a seriously impressive formula, Estee Lauder has got my attention.

Formula & Application: Estee Lauder nail lacquers are 4-Free (including formaldehyde resin).  Their signature square glass bottles are weighty and beautiful, like something you would find on your mother’s dressing table.  The only downside is that the thick glass can make the polish inside look a lot lighter than it will appear on the nail.   The gold chrome cap is long enough to allow a comfortable grip but the smooth surface can make opening the bottle a bit difficult if the seal is really tight.  The brush is squat, flat and wide with soft flexible bristles.

The new formula includes polymers that allow the polish to flow evenly across the nail and dry with a high-gloss, long-wearing shine.  I wore Ultra-Violet for four days with no top coat and it was still super shiney with very little tip wear.  I meant to snap a shot of it but I removed it at 3am in the midst of a pre-trip packing frenzy.

I have to say that in terms of pigmentation and viscosity I was so impressed. The polishes applied so thin and easy with a color payoff I was not expecting.  Even the lighter shades were two coat wonders.  Oddly enough, the only shades that required three coats were the darker hues (Chocolate Crave, Perfect Storm and Ultra-Violet).  Though I only applied a third coat due to dragging at the cuticle and that could have been due to not waiting long enough between coats.

Enchanted Garnet is a deep true ruby red creme. It doen’t have hints of wine or berry, just pure 40s screen siren goodness.

Frozen Fantasy is a pinkish nude frosty shimmer.  It borders on metallic with its slight brush stroke marks but it has enough pearl to keep it from being a nightmare.

Fuchsia Flame is a deeper, more red based version of fuchsia than her Nordie’s exclusive cousin below.

Hot Coral uploaded a lot more dull than it appears in person.  It’s a pretty bold creme.  It’s not as light and pink-y as some corals you may think of, Essie Carousel Coral.  It definitely leans on the bright red side of the color family.

Pure Red is exactly as the name implies.  A primary red creme.

Purple Passion is a bright red grape creme.  Think Barney purple rather than Mismas purple.

Rosa Rosa is a bright rose colored red creme.  This one is definitely more vivid in real life and one worth checking out.  As you know I’m not normally living in the red/pink world but this one is pretty captivating.

Ultra Violet falls into the “sparkle” category in EL’s new color system.  Their polishes are all either cremes, shimmers or sparkles.  UV is plum based hue sprinkled with hot pink and gold micro-glitter.  Think of this as the red plum version Extravagant Night from the Holiday collection.  It has a slight duo-chrome nature and I tried to show that below but it doesn’t really come across on camera.

NORDSTROM EXCLUSIVES

Chocolate Crave is a perfect cocoa bar creme, not too red or blackened.  I first spotted it on Teen Vogue’s Eva Chen during Fashion Week and couldn’t wait to get my hands on a bottle.  I’ve been craving brown cremes this spring and I have no idea why.

Mega Fuchsia depicts what I think of when I hear the word fuchsia.  A hot pink creme with a tinge of cool purple in the base.

Oyster Cult is a silver pearl shimmer.  It’s much more metallic than a shimmer and honestly feels a bit old fashioned.  I’m a fan of the foil metallics than the old school pearl style.

Perfect Storm is a charcoal grey shimmer.  It’s a toned down version of glittery fan fave, OPI Baby It’s Coal Outside.

Sizzling Taupe is another metallic shimmer, similar to Oyster Cult and Frozen Fantasy.  This one looked so light in the bottle I wasn’t expecting much in terms of color impact but it’s definitely a smoky, rich taupe.

Violet Diva is a bright blue based purple creme.  I almost, almost thought I had a Mismas dupe on my hands but it’s not quite there.  It’s a little lighter but still a pretty true purple with just a hint of blurple tendancies.

Wicked Green is a rich, evergreen creme.  I was expecting something along the lines of the bright greens we’ve been seeing this spring, OPI Don’t Mess With OPI, China Glaze Starboard, but when it dries it becomes something more like RBL Recycle.

Wild Blue is a solid royal blue creme.  It appears a bit periwinkle on screen but not so much in real life.  It’s really stunning in person and again, not what I expected.  Like I mentioned above, the bottle is pretty deceiving.

Bottom Line: If you’re an Estee Lauder or department store nail polish fan, I highly recommend checking out these new polishes.  I would say the formula has a slight edge on Chanel.  While the color palette doesn’t necessarily break new ground, I was so impressed with the formula and depth of pigmentation that quite a few of these beauties will be taking up permanent residence in my collection.  Chocolate Crave, Rosa Rosa, Ultra Violet, Violet Diva, Wicked Green and Wild Blue all get my stamp of approval while the shimmery metallics, Frozen Fantasy, Oyster Cult and Sizzling Taupe, get a pass.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer is available at Estee Lauder counters nationwide and EsteeLauder.com.  The last eight shades are exclusive to Nordstrom Estee Lauder counters and Nordstrom.com.  Estee Lauder nail lacquers retail for $19/ea for a .3oz bottle.

What do you think of Estee Lauder bringing in a more diverse color range?  Are the Nordies exclusives something you would like to see become permanent?  If you own any of these colors do you notice a difference between the new and old EL formula?  Thoughts on the collection as a whole?

Stay tuned for your chance to win the entire 16 Piece Pure Color Spring 2011 Collection.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided by Estee Lauder.  For more info view my Disclosure Policy.

The Estee Lauder Holiday 2010 collection is filled with rich golds and reds that sound like your typical holiday fare but thanks to Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux, these traditional shades were given a glamorous twist. “Fantasy, luxury and of course femininity were my inspirations for this Holiday collection. There are many lip and eye colors to play with and they all have a wonderful texture for an easy application.” Tom Pecheux, Creative Makeup Director, Estée Lauder It’s been a while since an Estee Lauder nail polish has really grabbed me but Extravagant Night brings a sultry party to the nails.  And its pale gold counterpart, Extravagant Pearl, is the shade we saw gracing the Derek Lam runway just last month at New York Fashion Week.

There are very few things that can get me out of bed before 6am but watching Tom Pecheux work his makeup magic is one of them.  He’s not only a talented artist but his sexy French voice is enchanting.  It’s such a clichéd phrase but I really could listen to him read the phone book.  It ended up being a double bonus morning at Derek Lam with Jin Soon Choi working the nail scene.

I spoke with Tom about the graphic orange eyes he created using primarily lip products in lieu of shadows.  This was the third show where he incorporated white into the eye look so expect that to play into the Spring trends. Tom shared that Derek Lam’s collection was based on a book about how the West coast interpreted the minimalist style of the East coast during the 60s.  To compliment the blues and earth tones in the clothes Tom paired a sun kissed face with nude lips and a strong, statement eye.

Using Double Wear Stay-in-Place Lip Pencil in Coral as a base he layered two new Pure Color Lipsticks over top.  He then placed an architectural white triangle on the inner corner under the eyebrow to change the shape of the eye using a new white shadow. The pretty, nude lip color is also part of Spring collection that will be launching in March 2011.

While speaking with Tom about the look I snapped a few shots of the Spring 2010 Pure Color eye shadows and two new Pure Color Lipsticks that were blended to create the bold orange eye.

Manicurist Jin Soon Choi tended to the models’ fingers and toes using one coat of the Holiday 2010 Collection nail lacquer, Extravagant Pearl. She told me they decided on one coat of polish because they didn’t want too heavy of a hand for Spring. The pearl color with its gilded tone complimented the orange in the makeup and clothes. It’s minimalistic but the pearly sheen pops against the runway lights to create a finished look.

When I saw Extravagant Pearl backstage my initial thought was, “Boring!”  A pearly sheer; been there, done that.  However, it’s much more pigmented than I expected as evidenced by the two coat swatch below.  With three thin coats the polish is completely opaque.  While this isn’t really my kind of color it has a lot of depth thanks to the golden sheen and flecks of silver micro-glitter.  This isn’t your grandma’s pearl polish.

Now Extravagant Night got me so excited that I raced to put it on. In fact I wore it last weekend and have had a number of people ask me about it. Under the incandescent lights in my brow waxer’s room she thought it was OPI Tease-y Does It. They’re so not the same but I’m just as smitten with Extravagant Night as I am with Tease-y.

Extravagant Night made me think of NYC Cognac Sparkle a beloved shade in the nail community. While the polishes aren’t the same, they have a similar feel. EN has a blackened base and needs three coats to become opaque but the final result is a mystical, plummy sparkler. There is a bit of gold pearl that can be picked up at certain angles and silver micro-glitter that looks like little twinkling stars.

While we’re talking Holiday, I just have to gush about the Extravagant Gold Eyeshadow Palette in this collection. As much as I love to buy bright colored shadows, and I have a drawer full of them, I wear neutrals more than anything. Browns, golds, taupes, etc.

For the past year if you looked in my makeup bag you’d see the Dior Holiday 2009 palette. It’s been my go-to for just about everything.   I’ve used it so much I’m hitting pan.  I know it’s lame sauce to wear the same look all the time but I’m a sucker for a well coordinated palette because it’s no-brainer makeup.  Well now I can happily retire my well worn Dior for this beauty which is even more stunning in person.  The soft shimmer and silky, blendable texture just don’t translate here but in person, it’s a winner!

The Estee Lauder Pure Color Extravagant collection is on sale now on EsteeLauder.com. The Pure Color Nail Lacquers retail for $18/ea for a .3oz bottle and the Pure Color Eyeshadow Palette in Extravagant Gold retails for $42.

Have any of you spotted or purchased from the EL Holiday collection yet?  Are you loving Extravagant Night as much as I am?  Thoughts on the look at Derek Lam?

Disclosure: Product samples were furnished by Estee Lauder. For more info, view my Disclosure Policy.

Welcome to a new series on All Lacquered Up, As Amazing As Polish, where I share with you the beauty products I love JUST as much as polish. Considering my fanaticism over all things nails that’s a pretty high honor so, I’ll only tell you about a product if it’s truly Ah-MAZING! You know, those items that make me jump up and down with joy the way I do over greens.

So I’ve been working on this project that I can’t quite share yet but is very exciting. Part of the process includes testing new products like all the new mascaras from this year; LashBlast, Phenomen’Eyes, Oscillation, DiorShow Iconic, etc. The one that truly wowed me… Estee Lauder TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara. While all the others have really great qualities that in some ways top the rest, TurboLash outshines them all.

I’ve always been a Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara girl. I stock up on it whenever I hit the CCO (Estee Lauder Cosmetics Company Outlet) and it’s been my go-to mascara since well, I can’t remember. That’s how long I’ve been using it. But now all I can reach for is TurboLash. This vibrating gem separates, lengthens, enhances, etc. All those adjectives you want in a mascara, they’re in the tube. And it does all this without giving you creepy spider lashes or clumps or any kind of lash mess. Like Jem, it’s truly OUTRAGEOUS!

What I love most is that you don’t have to wiggle the brush to get perfect application, the battery powered motion takes care of that for you. The vibrations begin when you twist the cap and don’t stop until you put the wand away. No buttons, no fuss. I’m not a coordinated gal. I’m lucky I can get my polish on semi-straight. So trying to wiggle a brush at my lash line? Forget it! TurboLash does that for you. You just slowly comb the brush through your lashes and viola, like magic, your lashes grow and seperate and curl before your eyes.

What you see above is my naked eye, no enhancements besides a quick squeeze of my Shu Uemura curler. What do you think? A major improvement, no?

Estee Lauder TurboLash retails for $30 and is available at Estee Lauder counters and online at EsteeLauder.com

Thanks to the amazing people at Estee Lauder, All Lacquered Up is launching its biggest giveaway to date. Thirty (30), that’s right THIRTY lucky ALU readers will win a set of Estee Lauder Pure Color nail lacquers from the Pearls of Light collection. That’s over $1000 worth of polish for all you fabulous people.

Use the entry form below for your chance to win!

If you haven’t seen the polishes, check out my swatches:
Estee Lauder Pearls of Light

Giveaway open to US residents only. One entry per person. All Lacquered Up is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Entries accepted though June 9, 2008 at 11:59 P.M. EDT.

For Summer 2008 Estee Lauder released two color collections, Pearls of Light and Bronze Goddess. Pearls of Light is soft and glowy, filled with lustrous pinks and champagnes including two sparkling but subdued Pure Color nail lacquers.

I’ve never used Estee Lauder nail polishes before so I jumped at the chance to test them out. The bottles have always intrigued me, they’re so luxe with a great weighty feel. Don’t you just adore how the sphere of polish is encapsulated in the square glass? Or is it just me?

EL polishes have a flat brush that makes application a breeze. I really love that so many brands are using that style of brush. And the formula, well I’m super impressed with the formula’s staying power. I gave my Mom a set to try out, they’re very much her kind of shades, and when I realized she hadn’t done a polish change in two weeks I gave her a scolding. Much to my surprise, she showed me her nails and can you believe that with the exception of one massive thumb nail chip the rest had just some tip wear. TWO WEEKS LATER. Unreal! Holy staying power Batman!

Champagne Pearl‘s metallic quality gives it a duo-chrome appearance. It fluctuates between a champagne metallic and a reddish shimmer and feels very water-washed beachy. The multi-colored shimmer is what keeps both these shades from being another boring color. Is it me? Not so much. It’s not “pretty ugly” enough for me.
Pink Pearl is a bit more sheer as you can see in the pic. I used two coats with both shades yet I can still see the line of my whites through Pink Pearl. This is a very soft girly pink. Very work appropriate, even with all the fun shimmer.

So either Mom read my layering post or she just didn’t feel like redoing her nails and added more polish on top because she layered champagne pearl over pink pearl to create her own unique shade. I tried layering both ways and the results are pretty similar to the camera’s eye but in person they really are different. I think the Pink Pearl over Champagne Pearl is my favorite. The pinkness really stands out with the opaque nudish base underneath.
Estee Lauder’s Pearls of Light collection is available for purchase on the EL website however Pink Pearl is unfortunately sold out. Fear not fellow fanatics, you can still snag a bottle of your own. How? Stay tuned!