Winter Kissed Cheeks with essence // Winter Wonderful Blush

I recently fell into the trap of using only my high end blushes each morning when I put on my face, and while my love for the likes of Chanel and MAC run strong I knew it meant I was neglecting a whole stack of other wonderful blushes! I'm still being a bit of a blush snob (as you will see in my upcoming blush rotation post!) but have added a cheek trio into my routine, as well as this newly released and limited edition blush from one of my favourite affordable brands, essence! 

The Winter Wonderful collection was full of some pretty neat looking products, but the one that spoke to me straight away was the Winter Kissed Cheeks blush - I mean, look at that embossing and the mix of pink, peach and nude!? I also knew from experience that the limited edition blushes tend to be more pigmented than the standard run of essence blushes, so that pop of hot pink was a welcome addition for a truly winter-appropriate flush.



Each shade swatched individually, then mixed

There are small particles of glimmer in the powder but in swatches and during use it translates to a satin finish, and almost a matte/satin finish on the cheeks for me. I like how easy it is to add a pop of colour to my apples without having to blend it out much at all, and I'm happy to report that the flush of pink colour lasted all day on my cheeks when I trialled it. I'm constantly frustrated by blushes that fade, so to have a pan around the $6 AUD mark that stays put leaves a big smile on my face for sure.

Are you a blush snob too?
What is your favourite high end and drugstore blush?
-Emma x

Addicted to Blush Tag (#blushfiend)

I recently decided that there was a distinct lack of blush love on here considering my status as a #blushfiend, and so when I saw the gorgeous Kat from Kitsch Snitch had created a blush tag I was all up on it! Blush is definitely my favourite thing in the beauty world and I had a blast rifling through my rather large blush drawers to pull product for this tag. These answers will definitely change for me as time goes on - sometimes the life of a #blushfiend is fickle, ya know?

What colour blush suits you the most?
I think peach tones suit my skin tone the most, despite it not being my favourite blush shade to wear (neutral wins that, with ease!) I find I receive more compliments when I wear peach tones and it seems to photograph relatively well also.

- peach tones suit me best -
Clinique Cheek Pop 'Peach Pop*'
 Chanel Joues Contraste ' 76 Frivole'
Chanel Joues Contraste '55 In Love'

Pressed/cream/loose blush?
The majority of my blush collection is definitely pressed powder blushes - I find them the easiest to work with, and it takes a really good cream formula for me to want to try it out! I recently bought the new MUFE HD Blush and I've heard it's a great cream formula, so I'm looking forward to testing that out.

YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Topshop Cream Blush 'Head Over Heels'
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
 

Favourite shimmery blush?
I tend to favour Satin finishes in general, but sometimes a nice fine glitter or shimmer doesn't go astray and I like the glow it adds to my face on 'good skin' days. My most recent favourite is MAC's Warm Soul blush which I picked up on my honeymoon, but more glittery favourites are Chanel Pink Explosion (like a satin finish with fine glitter mixed in) and the MAC Mineralize Blush in Hand-Finish. I think the MAC Mineralize blush range is the best way to dip your toe into shimmery blushes if you are unsure of them!


MAC Mineralize Blush 'Hand-Finish'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'
MAC Mineralize Blush 'Warm Soul'

Favourite matte blush?
I actually had trouble finding a good range of matte blushes in my collection - most were satin finishes when I looked at them properly! The best matte blushes that come to mind are from Illamasqua - the pigmentation is insane and the colours are usually pretty awesome, so even though I don't wear them very often I'd have to say they are my favourite matte offering!


Illamasqua Powder Blusher 'Naked Rose'
Illamasqua Powder Blusher Duo in 'Lover/Hussy'

Favourite cream blush? 
As I mentioned, cream blushes have to be pretty darn awesome to catch my eye and these two releases certainly are! The YSL Crème de Blush range is an old favourite and the Powdery Rose shade is everything, but the brand new Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Sticks have impressed me and I really wasn't expecting them to!

YSL Crème de Blush '2 Powdery Rose'
YSL Crème de Blush '6 Rouge Passion'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick 'Just-Pinched Pink*'
Maybelline Master Glaze Blush Stick in 'Pink Fever*'

Favourite drugstore blush?
It's not until you complete a tag like this that you notice trends in your makeup drawers - it seems I have a weakness for high end blushes! These BYS Blush Trios are definitely the best quality 'drugstore' blush I've tried - the pigmentation is stellar, the lasting power is akin to a Myer branded blush and the shades are exciting and varied! The are affordably priced at around $5-6 and they are worth so much more in my eyes. Gorgeous!

BYS Blush Trio in:
On The Brightside
Coral Me In
Endless Summer
Heart Skipped a Beat

Favourite high end blush?
Easiest question in this tag by far - my beloved Chanel Joues Contraste collection took a while to kick off it must be said, but once the ball began rolling it took over my blush love! I used to read posts like this by Pink Sith and swoon over the idea of owning one, but never understood just how amazing they were until Mister bought me one for Christmas a few years ago. My collection has grown fast since then and shows no signs of stopping, Chanel JC's make me so happy!

Chanel Joues Contraste Blushes in:
80 Jersey
76 Frivole
55 In Love
64 Pink Explosion

Favourite bright blush?

I'm not afraid of a good whack of colour in a blush, so I had quite a few to rifle through for this question. I ended up choosing the bright shades that get my heart racing as they haven't been something I reach for too often lately (I'm all about the neutral cheek right now!) The most wearable bright shade is definitely my Chanel JC 'Pink Explosion' which was my first Chanel blush, and I love the way it brightens up my whole complexion when I apply it with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Actually, that is how I apply all of my bright blush shades!



BYS Blush Trio 'On the Brightside'
essence Beauty Beats Blush 'Groupie at Heart'
Chanel Joues Contraste 'Pink Explosion'

Biggest blush disappointment/regret?
I've spend years trying to understand the Nars blush phenomenon (perhaps I just haven't tried the right shade?) and the hype surrounding the Bourjois Blush Pots, like this one in Rose D'Or. I had to scrape away a thick layer to get my swatch to show up (and it was gorgeous once I did, for sure!) but so much effort for a blush that keeps hardening up is not worth my time. The worst blush I've ever purchased is definitely the essence Bloom Me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy' - not only is the name spelt strangely which irks me, the texture is terrible and pills on my skin no matter what I try, with hardly any pigment to speak of. I just had to swatch you to explain it well - it looks like an arm rash, am I right?

Bourjois Blush '34 Rose D'Or'
essence Bloom me Up Blush Stick '01 Chaising Lacy'

Bourjois swatch, essence swatch

Best blush packaging?
I can appreciate many different blush packaging, but I'm not sure whether or not I have a favourite in this regard...I love how clean and clear Illamasqua pans are but hate breaking my nails opening them, I love my Chanel JC's (which I keep in their boxes) but it's hard to quickly distinguish the blush shade, and other brands have their pro's and con's as well. As long as it is relatively pretty and keeps the product safe, I'm usually a happy camper!

What's on your blush wish list?
I am looking at trying some of the Colourpop Blush line, and also really want to hunt down the MAC Pro Longwear blush 'Make You Mine' which I neglected to buy in America and now really regret it. I always wait with baited breath for a new Chanel blush release and the upcoming Crescendo looks pretty interesting...the new Bobbi Brown Blush Trio's also look utterly delectable to me!

Number 1 holy grail blush?
I have to stay true and choose my wedding day blush for this question - my beloved Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'! I also snuck in my other HG blush because I'm a rebel like that...the stunning Chanel JC 'Jersey'!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush 'Exposed'



Tarte Exposed, Chanel Jersey

 

I would love to see everyone I follow complete this blush tag, it's so refreshing to think about your collection as a whole and it's made me pull out old favourites from my drawers to play with! That being said, I would especially love to tag Vita, Norlin, Ling, Sleep and Water, Tracy, Monika and Liz! Feel free to leave any blush recommendations in the comments, too - I would love to know what your favourite blush is, and which is the worst you've ever tried!

-Emma x