Fast-forward to August this year. I got a call from the brand manager of Estee Lauder. They wanted me to try their products. I was only too happy to oblige. This time, I knew a little bit more about the company – that they got Carolyn Murphy and Liya Kebede as endorsers and that Estee Lauder the woman just passed away, leaving her empire to be run by granddaughters Aerin and Jane Lauder, who happen to be constantly on the best-dressed lists of every magazine.
After my pictorial with Sara Black, with Chechel Joson working some magic on my face, I had the chance to test drive some Estee products myself. Now, I know I am far from being a professional makeup artist, but I have to say I have logged in a few hundred hours doing makeup on myself. Quite often, I get e-mails from viewers who want to know who does my makeup on the show F on Studio 23 and I’d have to humbly reply that I do it myself. This goes back to my days as a news reporter, when I would have only a few minutes to prepare my face between preparing scripts and videos. Back then, makeup meant a quick wipe of matte powder foundation, a smudge of dark eyeliner and pink or reddish lipstick. Nothing much has changed since I became a TV host. Though I have access to the country’s top stylists and have three or four salons offering free services, I find myself coming up with an excuse not to be done by professionals.
The Artist’s Mechanical Eye Pencil has opened up a whole new world to me. I’ve always been a fan of eye pencils. They’re so compact and so easy to apply. But this version is even more than that: This pencil comes with color than can be twisted in both ends. One tip has a cream-like consistency with a little shimmer, while the other end is a more pointed, concentrated eye liner. The pencil I fell in love with is #06 Double Forest, and I was only too happy to see it in September Vogue’s editors’ picks. This green pencil is all I need for a fabulous smoky eyes effect. I simply wipe the cream end on my top lid and smudge it using my fingertips. The beautiful part is that I totally have control of how deep I want the color to be. Since it’s a cream, its easily smudge-able. I presented the Awit Awards with just Double Forest on my eyes and a nude lipstick that I applied while sitting through traffic on EDSA. And the best part of it all is that the pencil fit into my little evening purse.
I so love this pencil I went back and got the blue (Double Denim), pink (Double Sandy), and lilac (Double Storm) eye pencils. And believe it or not, I wear these colors even in my everyday non-TV life. I especially like wearing the lilac one when I’m running errands with my toddler Sophia. It’s a new thing for me – lilac eye shadow. These Artist’s Mechanical Eye Pencils are part of a new line the Estee managers call "Mikado." They come in a whole range of colors for the eyes and also for the lips. I have not tried the lip pencils yet because I’m currently addicted to their Intense Lip Creme lipstick. I’ll have to find an excuse to try their lip pencils next time.
There’s definitely more to my mother’s old favorite makeup counter than seasonal freebies. Beneath all that fancy and somewhat intimidating packaging are versatile, finger-friendly eye products in yummy colors. It’s no wonder Estee Lauder remains a cosmetic giant. And it is no surprise that more and more younger women are becoming fans of this old favorite and well-trusted brand.