L'Oreal Le Blush 120 Sandalwood Pink

blush L'Oreal

L'Oreal Le Blush 120 Sandalwood Pink

Admin   March 16, 2020   Comment  

Ever since I've tried L'Oreal's Infallible palettes, I wanted to try their single blushes as well, but for the longest time we didn't even have them here. I think these were placed on the stands sometime mid last year, though we only got two shades of this formula. The other shade we have is pinker, so naturally I was drawn to the more natural looking 120, though at first glance they are very similar.

Texture: I sort of forgot that not all blushes are as amazingly smooth as L.O.V.s, those truly spoiled me, thought this L'Oreal formula is still a great one, but kind of a standard good formula, similar to Catrice one. It's not as easy and fool proof to apply as L.O.V., but it behaves the same as the rest of my better blushes.  

Shade: 120 Sandalwood Pink is a muted rosy-slightly brownish/peachy shade that looks much like the rest of my blush drawer. It's nicely pigmented and it has a tiny bit of a glow, but it's not like a blush-highlighter hybrid. 

Staying power: It lasts well, though like at most blushes it also depends on the base under it. 

Packaging: I heard complains about the packaging and it's really not the best because the bottom compartment where the mini mirror and a brush are held flaps around as there's no separate system to keep it closed, but it's not a very problematic packaging. The brush isn't the best and I prefer to use other ones. 

Price and availability: It costs 11.99 € in the drugstores.

I expected the same quality as in the Infallible palettes or better said as good as one of the shades in the Amber Palette (4th), but this is not as creamy as that one, nor does it have the same glow to it, but it is similar to some of the rest of the shades in those palettes. Overall those were better, but I haven't seen them in a while on the stands, which is a shame. This is expensive for a drugstore blush and it has some strong competition, but the shade is a nice one and worth it if you like such colours.

Have a great day!

Catrice Blush Box Glow + Multicolour 020 It's Wine O'Clock

blush catrice

Catrice Blush Box Glow + Multicolour 020 It's Wine O'Clock

Admin   September 03, 2019   Comment  

When I saw the press release for the new Catrice products, this was the first thing to attract my attention apart from the Ten!Sentional primer. I've had nothing but great experience with Catrice' single blushes, their discontinued Defining Blushes are still one of the best formula I've tried (I like it a bit more than the new Box Blushes because it's more creamy). There are only two shade and the first looks like a basic coral, which I've grown tired off, but 020 It's Wine O'Clock looked more unique and special. I dig the mosaic pattern and it's one of the prettiest blushes Catrice made.

Texture: This is more creamy formula, but not super soft, which is why I was shocked to discover just how pigmented this is from the start. I did the usual swirl with a brush and immediately ended up with clown level cheeks. I have to be careful how much I apply, but keep in mind that I have a very pale skin tone. It's described as glowy and when I swatch it in a thick coat it has a healthy satin glow to it with very fine shimmer, but on my cheeks I can't get that and it looks matte. I don't know why, but Petra from Adjusting Beauty gets the glow with no problem.

Shade:020 It's Wine O'Clock is a medium muted pink-berry, a slight deviation from the regular cutesy pinks, though it has a similar look on the cheeks.

On the lips: Essence Draw the Line Instant Colour Lipliner 07 Eternal Beauty.

Staying power: Like most Catrice blushes it lasts well on my cheeks. Of course the base under it is important too, but this one of the most long-lasting blushes in the drugstores.

Packaging: The packaging is the same as their regular box blushes, just in a different colour. It holds tight when closed and I have no complaints about it.

Price and availability: It costs 4.39 € in drugstores.

Catrice yet again created a blush of great quality. Formula is very pigmented (maybe too much for my pale skin), it blends well and has good staying power. The fact I don't get the glow on me, is a bit disappointing, but nothing new when it comes to Catrice (same thing happened to me with their discontinued Illuminating blushes, but I still loved those) and I like this because of the pretty shade. It doesn't beat the outstanding quality of L.O.V. blushes, but these are a nice drugstore buy.

Have a great day!

*PR product

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette Warm Nude

blush Bronzer eyeshadow Highlighter Physicians Formula

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips All-in-1 Custom Nude Palette Warm Nude

Admin   May 15, 2019   Comment  

I got this as a birthday gift from my cousin after it's been on my wishlist for years. There are two versions of these Shimmer Strips palettes, one is called Natural Nude and mine is a Warm one, though both look warm to me. It's a combination of 12 shimmery-satin shades that can be used in many ways making it an all-in-one product. 

Texture: These are mostly fairly light shades with a good pigmentation. The deepest shades in the bottom right corner are so dark I can only use as an eyeshadow. It’s meant to be an all-in-one product so most of the shades are so pale that they can be used as a setting/finishing powder, but you have to use a very fluffy blush.

Shade: The three top shades are golden, the next three are rosy, then it's a mix of taupes and copper and the bottom row are warm browns. This palette can be used:

- as an eyeshadow palette: it works, but it’s subtler than other palettes. I tend to use one of the shades from the third row on the lids and the deepest brown in the outer corner.

- as a highlighter: using 1st and partly 2nd row. It works well with a medium strong glow. This is my favourite way to use this palette.

- as a blush: using partly 2nd row. It gives a peachy flush, but it's only for pale skin tones as only one shade is a proper blush colour. 

- as a bronzer/contour: using the bottom two rows. It’s a glowy bronzer, so not for contouring as they recommend. It's a warm shade that’s best for pale skin tones with a warm undertone, though the last shade is already quite deep.

- as an all over powder with all shades: using only with a very fluffy brush and avoiding the bottom right shades. It works, but it’s like applying a highlighter in a sheer coat, so not for everyone’s taste. Mixing all shades together makes a pale peachy shade.

Lipstick: Bourjois Rouge Fabuleux 07 Perlimpinpink. Uhani: Fatalka.si

Staying power: I noticed nothing exceptional and neither bad when it comes to staying power. These last averagely on me in any way I use these shades. On my eyelids I get no creasing.

Packaging: It comes in a typical big Physicians Formula box packaging that has two sides. In the back there's an extra compartment with a mirror and two brushes. A bigger thin face brush is surprisingly good because it picks up just enough, the size fits stripes well and it blends ok. The small eyeshadow sponge applicator isn't all that helpful and these shades work much better with eyeshadow brushes.

Price and availability: It's sold on iHerb for $10.44.

Overall I'm happy with this. It is very close to a proper all-in-one product. I tend to use it as an eyeshadow palette, a highlighter and occasionally as a blush, but as I said it's too light for any significant flush. It's nice palette especially for carrying in the bag or for travelling because you can get so much from it. 

Have a great day!

L.O.V. BLUSHment Blurring Blush

blush L.O.V.

L.O.V. BLUSHment Blurring Blush

Admin   April 26, 2019   Comment  

These are my first blushes from L.O.V. and they were love at first try. These are some of the best blushes I've tried, among drugstore and high-end. Six shades are available and two (actually shades I have 50 and 60) are marked as online exclusive on L.O.V.'s website which sadly only ships to Germany, but I've seen them on Kosmetic4less where all shades are sold. Before I got these I was in a blush funk and kept using TheBalm Instain Houndstooth because it's a good neutral shade, but nothing special. However, since I got these, I haven't put them down.

Texture: These are baked blushes and they have the smoothest and most silky formula I've tried. This is the type of texture I expected from Max Factor Crème Puff blushes, which were heavily praised for having "the glow", but on me they have a saten finish (they are still great blushes and are worth trying). Shades 50 and 60 have tiny shimmer that looks like a healthy glow on the cheeks and it looks amazing. Pigmentation of all shades is great from the go, so no need to break through the top layer to get to the good stuff. They apply and blend evenly not matter which brush I'm using. Usually I need to adjust my brush choice to the blush formula, but here it's not the case.

Shades:

30 beautiful minds empower other

Shade 30 is a warm taupe-ish mauve, a strange looking shade in the pan, but it ends up a mute almost peachy shade on me. It has a satin finish and no shimmer like the other two. My fellow blogger Petra has this shade and it looks pinker on her warm undertone (mine is neutral).

50 yes she can

50 is a very pale warm pink and even though it swatches very pale, it's quite pigmented and I can get enough colour fast even with a fluffy brush. The glow this shade creates is absolutely beautiful. 

60 be the next She.E.O

60 is a warm pink or a coral pink that’s quite vibrant and gives a baby doll flush to the cheeks, again with a nice glow, but less intense than at shade 50. Here I have a highlighter on as well, L.O.V. theGLOWrious Deep Metallic Highlighting Palette.

Staying power: These last very well on the cheeks and I can get the whole day with these, including the pretty glow, but it also depends on the base under it.

Packaging: These are stored in quite a bulky packaging with a handy mirror. They could be smaller, as there is 6 g of product in them, which is 0.5 g less than in much smaller TheBalm boxes. I don't mind that much, but I have no place to store them nicely.

Price and availability: These are hard to come by now which is an absolute shame. L.O.V. stands have been taken away in all countries and the products are only sold online. I know of only two places, their official site that ships only to Germany and Kosmetic4less that has quite high shipping. Ličila.si (Pink Panda) sells L.O.V. but the selection is very limited. Price is an acceptable 9.99 €.

These are well worth investing in if you come across them. They have the smoothest formula and excellent pigmentation, as well as the glow that I wanted from the Max Factor blushes. I'd love to have more shades of these and I know that it'll take some time before I pick up a blush from another brand.

Have a great day!

*PR product

Rimmel Maxi Blush 003 Wild Card

blush Rimmel

Rimmel Maxi Blush 003 Wild Card

Admin   December 16, 2018   Comment  

Sometime in the summer Rimmel launched a new line of blushes which are more than twice the size of their Lasting Finish ones and they are available in four shades, three are sold here in Slovenia. The other two are #004 Sweet Cheeks, a peach, and #006 Exposed, which is a very interesting neutral beige-dusty rose looking shade in the pan, but it swatches light pink on my skin tone.  

Texture: Compared to their old line of blushes, these are not as soft and are more tightly pressed. There is some kick-up and the texture could be a bit silkier, but I have such a dark shade that any texture is very unforgiving if you don't spend extra time blending it. My shade blends ok for such a deep shade, nothing out of the usual and the finish is matte.

Shade: Wild Card is a muted deep peachy-pink shade which on my cheeks looks like a strong warm pink. It's the deepest shade out of the three we have here and I need to be very careful with it because it's too much almost with one swipe. If you have a deeper skin tone than me, this will work great on you. I use my fluffiest brush with this, so I don't overdo it.

Staying power: The pigment in this blush is strong, meaning it can hold on longer than most blushes. It can last all day provided the base is good.

Packaging: The pan of this is larger than usual blushes and much larger than their Lasting Finish Soft Colour Blushes. It contains 9g, a big upgrade to the previous 4 g. The packaging is their classic plastics one that closes firmly.

Price and availability: These are sold in DM for 9.49 €.

I can't say they are as nice as Catrice's or L'Oreal's blushes, but they are still great for a drugstore offering. The shade range is rather small, but it contains interesting shades that aren't just your basic pinks and peachy-pinks. I'm interested in shade Exposed, so I might get it one day.

Have a great day!

*PR product

TheBalm Instain Blush Houndstooth

blush theBalm

TheBalm Instain Blush Houndstooth

Admin   November 08, 2018   Comment  

I own a several TheBalm blushes which I rate very highly, but it took me ages to even notice the Instain range, which has some more unique shades. The idea behind these is that they stain the cheeks and therefore last really long on the skin. TheBalm always delivers when it comes to powder products and this one is not exception.

Texture: Formula is smooth, though a bit less creamy than Hot Mama and Frat Boy. It applies and blends with no problems, while the pigmentation of Houndstooth is good, but not very strong like other shades in this range, so I don't have to be very careful with it on my pale skin. Finish is matte.

Colour: Houndstooth looks like such a unique and interesting shade in the pan. It's a muted mauve-pink shade that I expected to look like a mix between a pink blush and a taupe contouring shade, but instead it ends up looking much warmer on my skin and a very classic looking pink. Initially I wasn't that impressed with the shade, though it's pretty, but I've been wearing it a lot in the last months, probably most out of all of my blushes.

Staying power: TheBalm in general has some of the most long-lasting shades and this is no exception. It lasts like freshly applied for hours, though I can't say this shade stains the skin as promised.

Price and availability: I got mine is Müller where it costs about 22 €.

Though it didn't end up looking as special as I hoped based on the colour in the pan, it's a very easy shade to wear and I use it often. Instain is a collection of TheBalm's more unique, bright blushes, so this one shade actually stands out, but they are again high quality and well worth a look.

Have a great day!