The Blush Files : 7 Days of Blush (evidence from a blush fiend)

My obsession with blush has been well documented (just take a look inside my overspilling blush drawer to see!) and those who have gone shopping with me in the past have adamantly labelled me a blush fiend. Some people have a penchant for beautiful lip products (see Norlin and her wonderful #lippyaday challenge!) while others have a skincare stash to rival their local Kit Cosmetics. My soft spot is definitely for those pretty pans of colour that warm up my face, and I find them the most fun aspect of makeup application. I challenged myself a while back to wear a different blush pan each day for a week, to get used to rotating what I wear and to get Tarte Exposed out of my clawing hands for once! Here are the spoils of my challenge, which was a success!

 

As well as my rosy neutrals, I threw a few brighter pinks into the mix for the week to give my cheeks a good pop of colour. Chanel’s Pink Explosion was naturally involved, and I love the shade stippled on with my Samantha Chapman for Real Techniques Stippling Brush. Truth be told, I absolutely love using that brush for the majority of my blushes, whether cream, powder, pigmented or not. BYS Pink Velvet was another pink that got a turn, I adore the BYS blush formula and even the packaging is sturdy (especially when compared to their lipstick casings) Illamasqua’s Naked Rose is one of my favourite blushes, and the matte dusty pink looks great against pale skin like mine.

 

Milani Berry Amore is a shade that took me a while to get used to, but the gold veining really works when used with a light hand. I did cheat slightly during the challenge, as I used my staple blush on one of the days where I was running out of the door to work. Tarte Exposed is a neutral rosy blush that is too beautiful for words, Chris bought it via eBay for me as a Christmas gift and I fall more in love with it every day. See, blush fiend!

 I also tried out my Korres Pink Zeas May blush for the first time, and really like the wearable pink shade. The final choice for my 7 day challenge was a mix of two Bourjois shades, I first applied Rose D’Or before topping my cheekbones and the apples with Lune D’Or, just to play around with it and see if I could change the shades up a bit.

 

So, has my status of a blush fiend been upheld, or do I need to do more to convince you, dear readers? Which blush shade would you nab from this loot given the chance?

 

*All of these blush pans were bought by me, or given as gifts from my fiancé. He knows the way to my heart is through my chipmunk cheeks ;P Honesty,always. 

Pretty Heart Blushes

The much lauded day of romance that is synonymous with hearts and flowers has passed us once more, and yet still love remains in all facets of life. Rather than sharing these beautiful product images on February 14^th, I chose to withhold them and celebrate love in an everyday setting- today is just a regular day, and here they are! I am a strong advocate for pretty cosmetics, and blush is just about the prettiest a product there is. Patterned blushes are among my favourites within my blush drawer (yes, I need a whole drawer just for them!) and these sweet choices make me swoon with ease.

Physician’s Formula are known for their interesting powder designs, and this Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose ($21.95 AUD) is no exception. Comprised of various shades of pink ranging  from baby pink to neutral and plum toned pink, the overall shade is best described as a hot pink shade. The formula leaves a great glowy look to the cheek, thanks to the multi-reflective pearls within the powder itself. Though I can’t vouch for the plant extracts that are there to produce endorphins to promote a feeling of happiness, I definitely break out into a smile every time I see this pan of hearts so I guess it works anyway.

The Stila Make me Blush powder is yet another stunner that was sadly limited edition from a few years back. The great news is that Stila are definitely on the pretty blush bandwagon, and each year release a new heart designed blush around this romantic time of year. The 2013 offering (a 4 square pale pink pan, check 'emmabovary' on Instagram for an image) is better suited to fair complexions, whereas Make me Blush is perhaps a tad darker than necessary. A light hand is vital for a nice application on Snow White cheeks like mine.  Much more red-toned when compared to the PF Rose, the fine golden overspray imparts a warm shimmer to the cheeks before revealing coral hearts underneath, and the true colour of the blush is definitely coral overall. I use a stippling brush when I wear this, and prefer the shade that sits under the hearts rather than the initial shade with the overspray included. The great thing about the Stila limited editions is that they retail for around $25 AUD, making them much more affordable than the majority of blushes us Aussie’s have at our disposal, pretty or otherwise.

Are you one of those people who love pretty blush pans but don’t actually use them, or are you like me and snap a million pictures before throwing it onto your chipmunk cheeks? What do you think of the over the top heart craze?

*Both of these were purchased by me. Honesty, always.

Cherry Blossom Girl

 

When I spotted the adorable new essence Cherry Blossom collection out at my local Priceline it was a typical scenario of moth to flame. The blush was a no brainer, and though I was intrigued by the intricate paper lashes and thick/thin liner hybrids, I was sensible and took home the lip crayons instead.

The Dreaming Under a Cherry Tree shadow palette was a nice addition to the collection, with a coral shade sitting beside a peach, a beige shot with silver and my favourite, a brown toned taupe. These swatched nicely, and I am happy to have another pretty essence quad in my eyeshadow drawer.

 

 

The Asian Sensation blush is imprinted with a stunning design, and once again essence impresses me with their ability to provide pretty powders for prices so incredibly low. Whilst the beautiful new Chanel highlighter from the Spring 2013 collection has a detailed and extravagant imprint, I think I will stick to my $5.95 blush shade and call it a day. Okay, I will admit that I’m planning to buy the new Chanel blush, but that is it! Oh okay, and the eyeshadows…but anyway! The essence powder itself is very smooth to blend and nice to swatch. It’s quite pigmented for my fair skin and enjoyable to look at. $5.95 well spent, I say!

 

 

 

The lip crayons are a trend train I am all aboard, though this particular formulation is less Chubby Stick and closer to the old style interpretation of a crayon. I prefer the perky coral Cherry Cherry Girl to the awkwardly named It’s Peach Not Cherry, but still prefer my Revlon and Clinique sticks to these little lads overall. The peach shade, as you can see in the swatch, was so soft that the slightest pressure to apply it against my arm caused it to squash and crumble. These aren’t the hardiest of lip products, and at this time of year (and this weather!) I need something sturdier on a day to day basis. Though some may think ‘it is just a lip product’, you have to think about how it will fare in your handbag day after day…you need a fighter!

 

Also available in this Oriental inspired collection are paper lashes, a shimmering body powder, highlighter, a range of polishes, two in one eyeliner and the above products. Ranging in price from $3.50 to a massive $5.95 (paper lashes for $4.50!? Awesome!) I suggest you hot foot it to your nearest Priceline! Cherry Blossom Girl is exclusive to Priceline (or my Mecca, as I call it!), is only available for a limited time and will sell out fast, I'm sure.

 

So, what are your thoughts on coral eyes and paper lashes?

 

*These products were all purchased by me. Honesty, always.