The two-hour Season 6 premiere of “Mad Men” is on Sunday, April 7 from 9:00-11:00 on AMC, less than a month away, and I can hardly wait. Although va-va-voom Joan should be my role model (a buxom redhead, of course), icy, bitchy, screwed up Betty is my fave. I think it’s so fascinating that a woman who should have everything is actually a loser. And I’m hoping that Dapper Don will dump that airhead Megan this season. (Sorry to all of you Megan fans!)
In addition to the characters on the show, I love the fashions from the late Sixties. I wish I had been old enough to wear Pucci, and I wish I could afford it now. All those bright bold patterns from that time really speak to me. The turquoise, navy and yellow paisley-ish pattern that is used in the Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection is so reminiscent of Pucci. I adore it!
So, I was really excited when I caught a glimpse of the Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection for Spring 2013.
I think it’s even more gorgeous than the 2012 collection. I hoped that maybe I could purchase a product from the new Mad Men Collection and put it toward the minimum purchase at Macy’s for the Estée Lauder & Lilly Pulitzer 8 piece makeup bag promotion.
But Macy’s doesn’t have the Mad Men Collection. It’s an exclusive at Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdale’s, and of course, it’s sold on esteelauder.com. The 2012 collection sold out, and this year’s collection is very appealing and I’m sure will go quickly.
The Collection is small: just lipstick, blush and nail polish. The Rich, Rich Lipstick, named for one of the popular Lauder lipsticks of the time, comes in a fluted, gold tone case that’s a little smaller than the regular size though the amount of lipstick inside is the same.
It’s perfect to keep in your purse to apply at today’s version of the Peppermint Lounge. The color is called Pinkadelic, an adorable name. It’s priced at $30.
The See-Thru Blush at $50 looks coral in the gorgeous, “I’ve gotta have it” compact that’s perfect to whip out at today’s version of Max’s Kansas City. The blush is pinkish, almost absolutely sheer when applied, but it has a nice subtle silver shimmer.
The nail polish reminds me of a Revlon color as well as the iconic Revlon bottle from the Sixties that my girlfriend Janice’s older sister Elaine used to wear. I think it was called Pink Cloud, or something like that. When she wasn’t home, we used to put it on. I saved up my dimes to buy it at Jordan Marsh at the Shopping Center (the pre-mall days), but I just couldn’t justify the $1.15 for the bottle. Now, the Estée Lauder Mad Men Pink Paisley nail color is a pale shimmery pink, and the price is $24.
Not only am I captivated by the look of the products, but I just love the evocative advertising copy for the Mad Men Collection:
“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.”
Well, drop everything I did. I soooo wanted to love and buy this collection. I love the Pucci-esque boxes and blush compact. And the shades as shown in the compact and on the lipstick tube seemed like they were made for me.
I tracked the collection down at Nordstrom after the Estée Lauder 800 number told me they were sold out online. I tried on the lipstick, and to my despair, what I thought was the perfect color was not the perfect color for me, tear. Although it’s a medium pink shade, it does not have quite enough color for me. Maybe because I’m so into this year’s saturated, high impact shades? Although the color, Pinkadelic, was “inspired” by the Sixties, marketing materials say it is formulated for today. Frankly, it might have worked better for me if it was frosted pink like the one I used to wear from Mary Quant back in the day.
Not to be denied, I tried the blush in the gorgeous compact. Actually, the man behind the counter applied it to his hand so I could see the color. (I think that’s the new thing: the salesperson puts the color on themselves rather than on the customer. It happened to me earlier in the week at Estée Lauder at Macy’s. What’s up with that? Why don’t they ask if the customer would like to try it on?) The sheer color was just too, well, sheer. It was too much like the Too Faced Flush Blush that I bought in February. And as much as I admired the look of the nail polish, it was a little too pricey for me right now.
So, I left Nordstrom empty-handed. But that doesn’t mean these shades won’t work you. I think the lipstick would look great on someone who has porcelain skin or darker skin, someone with a tan, or someone who’s not as pink as I already am. The blush is a great addition to your stash if you don’t already have a sheer blush that gives your cheeks a glow, and the paisley compact alone is worth the $50. The nail polish looks lovely for anyone who can afford it!
So, have you tried any of the Estée Lauder Mad Men Collection yet?
Photo credits: Estée Lauder
