Elizabeth Arden AW14 Untold makeup launches

Elizabeth Arden’s new A/W 14 makeup collection is something that makes me wonder why I’ve overlooked makeup from the brand for so long. I always associate them with skincare and their famous 8 Hour Cream, but up until now I hadn't paid much attention to the makeup side of the counters.

For A/W they’ve launched a small selection of limited edition products* and also some new releases which will become permanent fixtures after Christmas. There’s a big focus on eyes and lips, plus a hint of sparkle that’s perfect for the festive season.

L-R Emerald liner, Java liner, Natural Beige brow pencil, Brownette brow pencil, lip glosses 

There are two limited edition Beautiful Colour Eye Shadow Quads as part of the new range – one that focuses on soft browns and shimmery nudes and the other which is full of rich purples and lilac shades. Unsurprisingly, I was initially most drawn to the nude 'Chic Browns' palette, which is full of staple shades with just the right amount of shimmer. What did surprise me was how much I liked the 'Posh Purples' – the bottom left shade especially and I think this would be great for an alternative take on a smokey eye. The palettes are the perfect size to pop in your handbag and at £26 each are decent value. I’d like a little more pigmentation out of the lighter shades as they need layering up to create a good amount of colour, but all of them blend well and last for an average of 8 hours without a primer.

Next up are two limited edition lip glosses in Glamorous Gold (a soft gold shimmer) and Intriguing Violet (a purple shimmer). Now, these don’t exactly look like the most wearable shades, however on their own they’re pretty sheer, so give just a hint of colour to the lips. My preferred way of wearing them is by dabbing a small amount over a bolder lipstick – the gold looks great on a red lip to create a very festive, ombre style shade, without looking like a glitterball. £17 each.

Elizabeth Arden have launched some new brow pencils as part of the range, but the good news is that these will be sticking around after Christmas. There are 4 shades to choose from and these twist up brow pencils have become my favourite brow product of the month. I found that the best way to get a natural finish with these is to fill in your natural brow with small, almost hair-like strokes, building up to the final shade you need. I’ve been using the 02 Natural Beige pencil which is the perfect match for cool-toned fair-medium brows. They also come with a little comb on the end, so you can wiggle your brows into shape. £17 each (and my must-have product from the collection!).

Last but not least are six beautiful new Precision Glide Eye Liner Pencils. These come in a mix of colours from an emerald green and coffee brown right through to the standard black. The pencils themselves are lovely and soft so don’t require lots of pressure when you’re using them, meaning no nasty dragging around the eye area. They can also be smudged out nicely to create a more smokey look and I think the Emerald and Sapphire shades will be a big hit for the Christmas season. These are also going to be sticking around for 2015, so if you fall in love with one you don’t need to worry about stocking up in advance. £17 each.

Do you like the look of the new Elizabeth Arden makeup range? Will you be trying anything from it?

*PR samples