Estee Lauder x Victoria Beckham Noir Vanille Eye Duo Review, Photos, Swatches
Noir Vanille
Estee Lauder Noir Vanille Victoria Beckham Eye Duo ($60.00 for 0.06 oz.) is a basic set of shades featuring a medium beige and a dark black both with more matte finishes. Noir proved more difficult to apply and blend out, and I suspect that many will prefer a black eyeshadow that’s more forgiving–one that can be used intensely but also more gradually–and Noir was not that. Vanille was much easier to use but easily duped with a myriad of brands and shades given it is a basic neutral color (nothing wrong with that but lots of competition this color family).
The duo contains a bit less than the average full-sized eyeshadow (0.05 oz. and these are 0.03 oz. each), despite the compact being more substantial in size. I also had to be careful as the mirror was so heavy that the palette would not stay flat on the table unless I had the mirror angled slightly over the eyeshadow pans to keep it from tipping.
Top Dupes
- Buxom LBD (P, $12.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Urban Decay Blur (Naked Reloaded) (PiP, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- MAC Raven-Eyed (LE, $17.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Smashbox Dope (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- NARS Shade VI (LE, $25.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- Juvia's Place Chad (P, ) is darker (95% similar).
- NARS Pandora (P, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Walking on Eggshells #1 (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Too Faced Panther (LE, $16.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Smashbox Deadline (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
Ingredients
Look Using this Product
Noir Vanille
LELimited Edition. $60.00.
Noir
Noir is a medium-dark black with neutral-to-warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. There seemed to be an almost cream-like element as the finish did not read as flat as other mattes in the range have, but the texture was felt stiffer and drier in the pan than other shades as well. It had good pigmentation, but the dryness made the edges look ragged and dragged out rather than gently diffused or blended. I had the best luck using it packed onto the lid and then using a lighter shade to diffuse the edges. On me, it lasted for seven hours before turning patchy.
Top Dupes
- Divergent Dauntless Ink (LE, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- NARS Shade VI (LE, $25.00) is cooler (95% similar).
- NARS Pandora (P, ) is lighter (95% similar).
- Juvia's Place Chad (P, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Huda Beauty Black Truffle (Remastered) (PiP, ) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Too Faced Panther (LE, $16.00) is darker (95% similar).
- Smashbox Deadline (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Inglot J325 Pitch Black (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- NARS Pandora II (PiP, $19.00) is less shimmery, darker (95% similar).
- Sephora Obsidian (PiP, ) is lighter (95% similar).
Look Using this Product
Noir
LELimited Edition.
Vanille
Vanille is a medium beige with warm, yellow undertones and a matte finish. It had good pigmentation with a soft, blendable texture that was easy to work with on the lid. There was a bit of powderiness in the pan, but it did not translate on the skin and I did not have issues with fallout. The color wore well for seven and a half hours for me.
Top Dupes
- Urban Decay Blur (Naked Reloaded) (PiP, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- LORAC Butterscotch (LE, $19.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- NARS Windsor (DC, $25.00) is lighter (95% similar).
- Wet 'n' Wild Walking on Eggshells #1 (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- LORAC Nectar (PiP, ) is darker (95% similar).
- Smashbox Dope (PiP, ) is warmer (95% similar).
- ColourPop Send Noodles (PiP, $4.50) is warmer (95% similar).
- LORAC Buff (PiP, $19.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Tarte S'more (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
- Chanel Clair-Obscur #3 (PiP, ) is lighter (90% similar).
I can imagine this getting destroyed after just one use. I’m surprised the black hadn’t mixed with the white upon opening.
The pans aren’t touching, and the compact is quite secure – I mean, I’m not sure why it’d be destroyed after one use, and the spacing/packaging is really no different than most duos, trios, quads, and palettes out there 🙂 Noir had a pretty dry texture, so there wasn’t a lot of excess product kicked up in the pan (or, in my case, none).
WHATEVER.. these duos in Canada – 78 dollars.
Well, even at $60, it’s ridiculously high, and then you know, for that price, it should be fantastic!
I really didn’t like how the black shade swatched. The texture felt a bit slippery to me.
Slippery – interesting!
$78 in Canada for a black and a mediocre beige??? They’ve got to be kidding! You can get better black shadows for $10 and less (Sephora and MUG) and the same applies to the beige shade, though it did rate higher. Yet again, this seems to me like trying to rest on their laurels and hope that folks will buy this based on the name and the mistaken belief that the cost and the name are guarantees of quality.
It’s just so strange that for the price point they couldn’t made an outstanding black eyeshadow!
What bugs me is how tiny are the pans compared to the packaging… It is anything but pretty and for this price, a large pan of product wouldn’t be outrageous!
Easy pass for most of us ?
I’m guessing they wanted to keep it proportional to other items in the launch so they made it more square, but there is a lot of wasted space in there!
I did not think about this, you have a point!
Easy pass . Easy easy pass for $60. Who is Estée Lauder kidding with this overly priced, under performing line ?
So disappointed in this whole launch. Such poor quality for such exorbitant cost! I’m not at all interested in this…..
Thank you, as always, for your excellent reviews!
Very, very boring with uninspired pairings. And so very expensive too.
I am somewhat relieved that the eyeshadow reviews are complete, confirming they’re poor across the board. Perhaps the success of VB’s first launch was a combination name recognition, the return of a cult EL highlighter. and good luck in the products selected/manufactured. I am more interested in previously released items than items from this release.
I’ve got to say, EL X VB 2017 is this far one gigantic disappointment. Even this. $60 for 2 shades that probably 95% of us have better dupes of sitting in our stashes, and these are so BASIC. And not in a *good* way. ??
Pairing a beige and black shadow — wow, that’s amazingly original! (snark, for the record)
Mine came in today and I opened it, saw how little product was included, got angry again, and put it right back in the box to send back. Ditto for the Victoria and Black Cassis lipsticks. I didn’t swatch anything because I want to return, but – Black Cassis looks like a browned burgundy on the model in the pics but in person it looks like more of a wine-purple-burgundy. The Victoria lipstick is described as a cool toned brown nude but it (visually anyway) reads as a yellow/orange toned brown. Just an FYI for anyone who is considering them. I hear they perform well (well at least that they swatch well) so those may be the winners if those are the colors you are looking for.
Not even for the name can I justify $60 for this. It’s so frustrating to see the luxury brands try to get over on people by giving us these tiny pieces disguised as “supreme” because they are higher end. that’s just bull….