Blush Duos : The Beauty of Two Shades in One Palette! // Illamasqua Katie/Ambition & Lover/Hussy

Blush is a definite weakness for me, and so when one of my favourite brands brought out 2 blush duos, you can bet I was elated! I bought the Hussy/Lover duo before it officially came out with the Illamasqua I’mPerfection collection, as the two shades were often lauded on other blogs and I was aching to try them. I wear the orange-apricot Lover more than I wear the strongly pigmented Hussy, and I think it looks great with neutral eyes and a peachy lip.

The other newly released duo was atop my wishlist when it landed on my desk soon after the release. I love that Illamasqua paired a rare shimmer formula of Ambition with the pale pink matte Katie. Having the option of matte or glowy cheeks in the one palette is quite a cool concept, and I had been wanting to get my hands on Ambition for a long time so am glad that need was satisfied.

Katie, Ambition, Lover, Hussy

I have heard a few people say that Katie is too pale a shade to be included in a palette like this, but as I am extremely fair I am happy with the choice of blushes in each of these. Now that I’m looking at my swatches, I don’t know why I don’t wear Ambition and Hussy more often as they are simply beautiful! I have had great success with all of the Illamasqua products I have tried so far, particularly the blushes which I find blend beautifully and last really well on my cheeks.

Pros:

-Great for people who don’t find themselves finishing whole blush pans

-Easy to try two shades from a quality brand at a lower price ($39.00 AUD at Myer!)

-Popular shades from a known brand

-A good way to branch out into shades you might not have bought individually

Cons:

-Katie may be too pale for deeper skin tones

-Some may not like both shades within a palette

-Only two colour options at this point in time

-Hardcore beauty lovers might already own some of the shades

-Precision needed when using a larger blush brush in between both pans

What are your thoughts on the idea of blush duos?

Have you ever finished a pan of blush before?

*One duo was provided for consideration, the other I personally purchased. Honesty, always.

Illamasqua Blush Duo // Hussy & Lover

Sometimes I think Illamasqua couldn't get more exciting, and then they bring out a pretty blush duo just in time for Christmas! I could've added this to my list for Santa, but instead bought it for myself and I'm so pleased to own these two famous Illamasqua cheek shades!

I feature quite a bit of Illamasqua on this blog as it is a favourite brand of mine, but I have hardly mentioned the blushes that they are so famous for. I own quite a few, from their powder formula's to cream blushes, but the two most popular shades (to my knowledge) are Hussy and Lover, and I did not own either of them! I was elated to spot this on the Sydney counter while shopping with Desiree and Lizzi and I knew I'd be crazy to pass this up.

I have only hit pan on a few of my makeup pieces (having only been obsessed for a few short years) but blush seems to be the most likely pan hit for me. The best thing about this duo is that even if you use up one or both of the small sized pans, they are part of Illamasqua's permanent line so you can head out and repurchase them at full size.

Lover and Hussy

Illamasqua blushes are very pigmented, but easy to blend and with a light hand they are really wearable. I've only had this duo for a short time so haven't had a chance to really bust into it, but I am in a peachy mood so am loving Lover with warm eyes for Spring.

Lover and Hussy

 The brand new Illamasqua blush duo retails for $39 AUD and contains 2x2g blushes (for reference, full size Illamasqua blushes contain 4.5g)

 

What Illamasqua blush shades have you tried?

What do you think of blush duo's?

 

*I purchased this beauty all by myself :) Honesty, always.