The collection is hot, and for me evoked a sundrenched Caribbean island. Estee Lauder’s creative director Tom Pecheux says he was inspired by the Arizona desert. Either way, I feel warmer just looking at it. Topaz is a semi-precious gem that I first think of as yellow (though I’ve seen blue topaz as well). If, like me, you enjoy collecting random facts, click here to learn more about the gemstone.

The collection includes a Pure Color eyeshadow quint (possibly my favorite Lauder eyeshadow palette to-date) and their second ever Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelee.

Pure Color Five Color Eyeshadow Palette 21 Topaz Mosaic is glorious. Every shade is so smooth and pigmented. The combination of colors is just neutral enough that I feel like I could wear it often, but includes shades I don’t already own (and suddenly need: orange, yellow). It’s versatile but not quirky or one-note. I really think this is the best Estee Lauder quint I can remember swatching.

The palette includes a satin pumpkin, a shimmery tawny golden sand, a satin daffodil yellow, a low-shimmer beige-peach, and a satin red wood-brown. It is $45, limited edition.

Modern Mercury (fall 2011) included Estee Lauder’s first Illuminating Powder Gelee, a shimmery “gel-powder” that could be applied wet or dry. Because it was the first of its kind, that sparkly beige-pink highlighter didn’t have a shade name.

This collection launches the second (also limited edition) Illuminating Powder Gelee, a shimmering, sparkling, warming golden copper highlight that can be used on eye or cheek. It’s 01 Topaz Chameleon, $40, and I swatched it dry (first lightly, then heavily, with a triangle sponge).

This collection introduces Pure Color Intense Kajal Eye Crayons, a chubby pencil eyeliner semi-inspired by the chalk-type kajal eyeliners you can so easily buy in India. The sales associate explained (and it makes sense) that the very sharp point will help you draw a more precise line.

Even though it’s a simple, basic black eyeliner (and maybe a silly thing to lust over), I adore 01 Dramatic Black. I tried it on at the counter and it went on so smoothly and easily. It was actually very easy to apply a thin black line to my inner rim (I tightlined with it, too). Since I applied in the afternoon on a cold day (difficult  to test heat-/humidity-proofing or wear time), I showered and napped in it — no fallout, no smudging.

The new Kajal Eye Crayon is not the same as taller, thinner Intense Kajal Eyeliner that just came out with the Cyber Eyes collection. These chubby crayons have a little less fallout, and they’re a little softer.

Whenever I see the word “kajal” or “kohl” on an eyeliner, I assume it’s meant to be used on the waterline (that it depends on the moisture of your eye to fix it). Kohls are usually smudgy when used on the upper lashline.

The Intense Kajal Crayons are $22 each, available in 01 Dramatic Black and 03 Dramatic Teal. And can you believe they’re limited edition?? Why oh why?

This collection includes three Sensuous Rouge lipsticks ($28, semi-sheer with a moisturizing core and a vanilla scent). 15 Sublime Nectar is new and limited edition, a sheer creme peach-pink. 03 Sensuous Nude and 02 Sultry Caramel are repromotes from the permanent line. (Sensuous Nude: a sheer peach caramel nude that I’m still in love with. Sultry Caramel: shimmery russet red-brown.)

There’s also a new, limited edition Pure Color lipgloss ($22.50). 50 Citron Kiss is sheer yellow with silver sparkles. As I learned with the yellow gloss in Alice + Olivia, yellow glosses settle down into a kind of honey color on the lips. Backstage at fashion week last September, Tom Pecheux explained that yellow gloss is the perfect transitional item to warm up your fall and winter lipsticks, and keep wearing them into spring. Try using it to tone down a too-bright red or pink.

There’s just one limited edition nail polish: 28 Teal Topaz ($19). I found a sales associate wearing it, and she agreed to be my hand model.

Teal Topaz is a teal creme that’s opaque in two coats (indoor lighting makes it look a little more green). I thought it reminded me of Ocean Dip from last summer’s MAC Surf Baby, but it’s deeper, more subdued, not as bright. The color also reminds me of this old Chevy I saw at a stoplight.

This collection is available everywhere Estee Lauder is sold, though NeimanMarcus.com is in gift right now (plus free shipping with code SHIPNM).

Do you love this collection as much as I do?

In recent years Estee Lauder has put more focus on attracting that new, younger customer (most notably by hiring cutting-edge, color-loving makeup master Tom Pecheux as their creative director). I’ve thought the fig scent in their lipsticks was holding them back, and I am really happy to see (smell) a change. I hope this is the start of a trend for them.

Pure Color Sensuous Rouge lipsticks are $28 each (and if you’re not near a counter, Nordstrom now ships for free).

Sultry Caramel is a nutty brown shimmer. Sensuous Nude is a honey-nude, and I LOVE it. I don’t usually go for nude lipsticks, but I’m suddenly obsessed with non-concealer-lips nudes (and Sensuous Nude is just perfect).

Decadent Fig is a figgy red-orange-brown. And then you have a lot of pink options. Enticing Fuchsia is bright, shimmery blue-rose fuchsia. Rose Exposed is warm red-pink rose. Pink Seduction is cool pink. Orchid Surrender is a shimmery mauve-pink. Wistful Wisteria is a shimmery blue rose (deeper and more saturated than Pink Seduction).

Plum Fatale is shimmery wine. Peach Pleasure is light peach. Curvaceous Coral is a deeper coral. Cheating Heart is violet rose.

Modern Mercury starts with three Pure Color Eyeshadow Duos (each $30). These are the new formula powders (first introduced with Blue Dahlia. This also means Estee’s singles, duos, and quints are now all the same formula) — more vibrant and blendable, and they can be used wet or dry.

Platinums is actually a permanent addition to the line. It features a matte white and a frosty silver-purple. Modern Mercury and Black Chrome are both limited edition. Modern Mercury offers a sheer, almost silvery satin white and a softly shimmery cool grey. Black Chrome includes a matte black and a sheerer black with sparkles.

It also seems that Chanel isn’t the only brand thinking matte lips for fall. Estee is introducing the new Pure Color Matte formula (in just three shades for now, but I’m sure more are on the horizon). Each new matte shade is paired with its non-matte Pure Color “twin,” but I think Fuchsia Fever is new. All six lipsticks are $24.

Nude Velvet is matte, warm, peach-pink beige. Beige is a deeper, mauvier pink. Red Velvet is fire-engine, cherry red. Scarlet Siren is a little bit cooler and pinker. Fuchsia Velvet is schiap, fuchsia pink. Fuchsia Fever is cooler, bluer.

The shadows and lips are pretty, but I got most excited about the unexpected pieces in this collection. First, everybody’s been talking about the Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée, which Estee describes as powder-liquid-gel.

It’s intended as face highlight, but I think you could also use it on the eyes. It’s a very sparkly beige-pink with a multicolored rainbow of sparkles. It’s $40 and limited edition.

Nail polish connoisseurs (who change colors every other day, who are bored with “normal” reds and pinks, who are always on the hunt for that new, different, edgy, unusual shade) are going to love limited edition Metallic Sage ($19). It’s dirty, muddy olive with copper shimmers/tiny sparkles.

And finally, don’t you love the (permanent!) liquid liners? Black Quartz (which I think is actually shade 02) is black with silver sparkles. Graphite (which I think is shade 01) is gunmetal dark, steely grey silver with silver sparkles. Silver Zinc (rowr!) is a pewtery, cool, metallic golden brown. Each liner is $21, with a narrow conical sponge applicator.

What do you think, readers? Which pieces are your must-haves?

I always love Estee Lauder’s summer collection, but I think this year’s is really spectacular.

The blush is $34 and it is limited edition.

This year’s collection (Bronze Goddess Soleil) definitely has that Tom Pecheux flair. The eyes are bright and tropical; the lips are beautiful and wearable.

The Island Oasis eyeshadow palette ($42, limited edition) features six punchy colors: a dark, matte green-black with yellow-green sparkles, a lion-yellow gold shimmer, a lagoon-blue shimmer, a rose-gold duochrome shimmer, a foxy red-brown shimmer, and a sheerish, pinky-beige white.

The ShadowStick Duos are dual-ended chubby pencils ($20, limited edition). You can wear them as liner or smudge them into shadow. 01 Gold Bronze is a very tawny, very yellow gold plus a warm yellow brown. 02 Pink Teal is duochrome pink-gold paired with seafoam teal green.

Tiramisu Pure Color Lipstick ($24) is a soft raspberry pink, which I think will be “my lips but better” for a lot of ladies. I don’t believe this color is limited edition, so fall in love freely.

The three Pure Color Lipglosses ($20) have doe’s foot applicators. Plum Divine is sheer plum with gold and pink sparkles. Blazing Coral is sheer orange with gold and pink sparkles. Sunburst is warm pink with gold sparkles.

Shimmering Bronze nail polish ($19) is limited to this collection; it’s a red-brown frost.

And for ladies who prefer liquid bronzer to powder, Bronze Goddess Liquid is $28.50. It’s buildable; this is a heavy swatch.

Yes, I did save the best for last. Did you ladies know how incredible Estee Lauder bronzers are? Why didn’t you tell me?

The first three bronzers in this photo (01 Soft Matte, 02 Soft Shimmer, and 03 Soft Duo) are permanent to the collection — halleluia! Estee Lauder’s bronzers are amazing.

I swatched them first light/medium, intending to layer more on for a “heavy” swatch. But even as I piled on the product (with a sponge), they never got too deep in color, too powdery or cakey in appearance. This is actually the heavy swatch — I didn’t think my two photos were different enough to warrant posting both.

Soft Shimmer looks quite sparkly in the pan — and I expected it to deliver MAC- or Bobbi Brown-level sparkle, but the sparkle was actually incredibly subtle on the skin.

My first choice for myself would probably be the lightest, peachiest Soft Duo Bronzer (its full name is 03 Soft Duo Bronzer – Medium. I don’t know if there was ever a “duo – light” or a “duo – dark”). The bronzers are $30 each.

And finally! The flagship piece of this collection: the highly coveted Sea Star Bronzing Blush ($34). You’ll know this year’s blush on sight; the two tone powder has a starfish that goes all the way through to the pan. I blended the two shades together to achieve the pretty peach-pink you see in the swatch.

As you already know, famed makeup artist Tom Pecheux is now the creative director for Estee Lauder — and Tom loves color. Estee Lauder recently reformulated and relaunched their nail polish (Pure Color Nail Lacquer, $19). The launch included eight permanent shades (available everywhere Estee Lauder is sold), and eight limited edition shades, exclusive to Nordstrom. Wild Blue is one of those Nordstrom shades.

I love how bold the Nordstrom collection is! Chocolate Crave is a deep chocolate-cherry creme, like the color of deep mahogany wood stain. Violet Diva is a blue-purple creme (quite opaque, even in one coat). Wicked Green is lush, dragon green creme, and I should have done a third coat. It looked opaque to my naked eye, but didn’t quite photograph that way. Wild Blue is intense, bright, cerulean blue creme. Perfect Storm is a charcoal microshimmer — I love the texture. It’s much more interesting than a frost, I think. Mega Fuchsia is fuchsia creme. Oyster Cult is a shimmery cool silver. Sizzling Taupe is a blond-brown frost.

After the derring-do of the limited edition shades, the permanent line seems more conventional (though I do love a nice vibrant creme, especially for summer). Frozen Fantasy is a shell-pink/brown-pink with silver shimmer. Fuchsia Flame is a bright, hot, red-pink. Pure Red is a warm red creme. Ultra Violet (first introduced with Estee’s summer 2010 Bronze Goddess Collection, nail-swatched here) is a deep red-purple with purple sparkles. Purple Passion is a vivid, orchidy, pinked purple. Rosa Rosa is a dusty red-rose pink. Enchanted Garnet is a deep (but sheerish) blood red. Hot Coral is bright coral.

See any shades you can’t live without?

I also mentioned that Estee Lauder had released a limited edition lipstick and gloss — sold exclusively at Saks and on EsteeLauder.com — that would look good on women of every age, and I thought you might want to see swatches.

Bitten Fig is a Pure Color Long Lasting lipstick, blue rose with a creme finish ($24). Red Tango is more red, a pigmented-but-sheer cranberry with a doe’s foot applicator ($20).

Tempted?

The lipcolors were, all in all, not as blinding as I expected them to be (based on the promo photos). The lipsticks are Pure Color Lasting Creme formula, and with the exception of Wild Violet, they are all cremes.

Wild Blossom is bubblegum pink. Wild Coral is a coral creme (and almost reminds me of Lancome Chris and Tell… I am SO ready for spring). Wild Fire is a very warm (almost orange) red creme. Wild Violet is bougainvillea with a few tiny sparkles. They are $24 each.

The four lipglosses are Pure Color Lip Gelee ($20 each, and not a formula I can remember having seen before). They are very sheer (think popsicle-stained), with a doe’s foot applicator and that strong Estee-Lauder scent. The formula glides on, then sort of thickens on the lips. It’s not sticky — it feels jellyish — but the thickening seems to give it pretty good staying power.

There’s a new nailpolish: anthracite frost Wild Storm ($19).

And then! The new eyeshadow quint is called Wild Violet. It’s $42, and the compact is arranged in the same “windmill” design as Blue Dahlia, Surreal Violet, and Extravagant Gold. I think this is the most accessible color combination yet.

The shades are a sheer, satiny champagne, a wood brown satin, copper shimmer, warm deep grey (or extremely ashy smoky brown) satin, and a somewhat sheer violet.

There’s a new DoubleWear eye pencil, very blue-purple Untamed Violet.

Untamed Violet is also the name of one of the two new eyeshadow singles. It’s also blue-purple, and somewhat sheer. The second single is Sugar Cube, a really nice white satin.

The singles are $20 each; the pencil is $19.

Everything in this collection (including the fragrance) is limited edition, with the exception of Sugar Cube eyeshadow.

Extravagant Night is my first Estee Lauder nail polish, so I didn’t really have any expectations when it came to the brush, application, or wear. I was pleasantly surprised by the brush, which is flattened like OPI’s Pro-Wide brush but not quite as large — so it would probably work especially nicely for someone with small nails. Extravagant Night is sheer enough that I needed to apply three thin coats for full opacity, but I probably could have also gotten away with two thicker coats. In any case, it applied very smoothly and easily for me. I applied the color over one coat of Gelous base coat and followed it up with one coat of Poshe quick-dry top coat. That base/top coat combination is usually pretty unstoppable on me — I can often go for 5-6 days without chips, even doing dishes and so on — so I was disappointed when I started to get small chips on this after about 36 hours. With that said, this is as long as I let my nails get (I filed them down after this manicure), so I suspect the manicure might have lasted longer if I had applied it when my nails were shorter.

Estee Lauder nail polishes are expensive enough that I wouldn’t recommend starting a collection of them — but if you find yourself drooling over a particular color, as I lusted after Extravagant Night, it’s definitely worth checking out.