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My Blush Collection
In an effort to declutter my life for the New Year I have been reorganizing my makeup collection and last night I began sorting out all my blushes. Blush is probably my favorite makeup item to purchase because it usually lasts forever and can really change the way you look. Anyways, I posted this picture on my instagram and someone asked me which ones were my favorite so I sat down and compiled a quick list of what my favorites and least favorites were 
The best!
1. Any of my Tarte blushes. I own four in the shades Amused, Blissful, Flush and Peaceful. The only one that has shimmer is peaceful and the rest are a matte finish. The most unique shade of these four is flush, which is a deep berry and a perfect color to brighten up your cheeks in these depressing winter months!
2. Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Blushes. These are nicely pigmented products at a very reasonable price, they are a drugstore brand but I think department store quality. The colors look natural with just the right amount of sheen/shimmer. I own the shade warm and a pink shade that no longer has a name on the bottom. Whoops!
3. Laura Gellar blushes. Next time you’re at Ulta swatch a few of these blushes because they are gorgeous. I have Neapolitan, sunswept and Pink Grapfruit. These are really pigmented, beautiful colors but kind of pricey.
4. NYX Powder Blush. If you are just starting a makeup collection or don’t have a lot of money to spend I think these are a great blush to start with. These are pigmented, very reasonably priced and come in a pretty good color selection. I own Mocha, Desert Rose, Pinched and Summer Peach. The only downside is these can be a little powdery and the packaging isn’t very sturdy. My lids always break on these so be careful if you bring those in your luggage!
5. ElF Studio blushes. This is another really good brand if you are just starting to play around with makeup. These cost 3 dollars and the color selection is decent. Watch out for a lot of shimmer in these!
6. NARS. I only own one Nars blush in the shade Amour. I love it and the quality is good. If I had to pick between buying another NARS blush or Tarte blush I would buy Tarte, but I still think it’s a good quality product.
7. Wet n Wild Blushes. These are cheap, pigmented and a great buy on a budget. Again, these are going to be a little powdery with crappy packaging but you get actual color payoff unlike a lot of other drugstore brand blushes.
8. L’oreal Project Runway Limited Edition Blushes. These only come out once a year but all the colors I have tried have been very pretty, my current favorite is #326 The Muse’s Blush. Warning: the eyeshadow quads in these limited edition collections are a waste!
9. Hard Candy Fox in A Box Blushes. I own Hot Flash and Spicy & Sweet. I love them because they have 4 shades in one box and are reasonably priced at Wal-Mart
The Not So Great!
1. The Balm. I only own one blush in the color Frat Boy, but this color does nothing for my complexion. I used it once since I bought it and just overall was very underwhelmed.
2. SmashBox Softlights Duo Blushes. I think I have the shades Passion and Undercover. These come with a blush and highlighter but I’m not particulary impressed with either. Not worth the price and not something I would ever be interested in repurchasing.
3. MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush. I own the shade Dollymix. The color is pretty but the texture of this didn’t impress me and didn’t seem worth the 18 dollars I spent. I’m just not a big fan.
4. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. I have a love/hate relationship with this product. I only own one, Hot Tamale and probably will never try another shade. Applying this is a huge pain for me. I hate using fingers and a brush doesn’t work. It’s messy and some days it looks streaky and patchy and I end up taking it off and starting over with a different blush all together. Other days it looks perfect and I end up loving it but I just don’t like having to work that hard in the morning.
SHOP BELOW:
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Milani Baked Powder Blush: Corallina Swatches and Review
One of my favorite blushes of the summer is this Milana Baked Powder blush in the shade Corallina. This is a peachy warm toned blush with a touch of golden shimmer to it. This product not only looks beautiful in the pan but swatches just as nicely. I am not a huge fan of mineral eyeshadows but my experience with mineral blushes has been great. The texture of this is a little grainy to the touch but the pigment is excellent. You need very little product to get a golden warm flush to the cheeks. I prefer this blush in the summertime when I have some natural color as it can look a little orange on pale skin. The glitter in this product is noticeable but I think you can get away with the shimmer during the summer months. If you have been eyeing the lorac baked blushes but don’t want to splurge try some of the milani baked blushes. I find they are very similar and a much more affordable price. I usually like wearing this blush with a subtle brown smokey eye and nude lip. This blush is pigmented enough to be the prominent color on your face.
Shop Milani Baked Blushes at the link below:
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Physicians Formula Happy Booster Blush in Warm
Gorgeous, amazing, and must-have are all adjectives I’d use for this Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in the shade Warm. This is by far my favorite new blush for spring and probably one of my favorite purchases in the past few months.
This blush ranges in shade from peachy coral to orangey coral depending how much you apply. This isn’t a matte blush but provides a soft glowy sheen because of the micro pearls added in the powder. I love that it doesn’t have glitter or sparkle but still makes my cheeks look dewy and illuminated. The formula is very long-wearing and soft and not too powdery. This is perfect if you’re in search of a wearable orange for cheeks this spring and would look so pretty on bronzey tan skin in the summer as well.
I love using this when I’m wearing a brown smokey eye and nude lip. Bottom line this is a great drugstore blush and I like this as much as any of my tarte blushes.
What You Should Know:
1. This is a super-soft blush that isn’t powdery and will last all day
2. This can be applied sheer but also can easily be built up to a full flush depending on how much you apply.
3. This is has no actual glitter or shimmer flakes in it but does have barely there micro-pearls that give is a glowing finish
4. I love swirling my brush in the orange heart to get a true orangey flush to my cheeks.
5. This is great quality at an affordable price
Shop Physicians Formula Below:
Read MoreReview: Sephora COLOR OF THE YEAR PRISMA CHROME BLUSH APRICOT BRANDY
I recently purchased this from Sephora for 16 dollars while on my hunt for some gorgeous tangerine, orange and coral blushes for summer. I was so excited to get it and I really want to gush about how amazing and beautiful it is but despite my high hopes I’m actually not that crazy about this product 
What Sephora Says:
This revolutionary blush combines all the best features of baked, powder, and cream formulas, releasing perfect color and a texture that lays on cheeks like a second skin. Easily blendable and buildable without being powdery, this unique blush leaves an unbelievably polished finish. The warm shade, Apricot Brandy (PANTONE #17-1540), was inspired by the Color of the Year, Tangerine Tango, and will light up the apples of your cheeks with a spirited glow.
What I Say:
I’ll start with the packaging which is actually really gorgeous and fun. I love the pattern and how high-end it feels and looks but unfortunately the large box it comes in disguises how small the actual product is. You only get .12 oz of product which isn’t that much considering it cost $16. It looks more like a full-size eyeshadow then a blush when you get it out of the box. So that was my first disappointment.
Second, this is REALLY glittery on me. The color itself is pretty but very sheer and in natural sun I mostly just see gold sparkles all over my cheeks which I detest. I was hoping this would be more pigmented and less shimmery so that was a let down as well. It did go on smoothly but from the description I was hoping for a formula that would blow me away. I would choose my tarte blush formula over this any day. I’m pretty pale right now so I’m hoping maybe when I have a bit more of a tan I’ll like it better and could try it as more of a cheek highlighter.
I read some reviews that said this makes a nice eyeshadow so I am going to try that since I don’t mind glitter flecks on my eye since it cost 16 dollars I want to get some use out of it!
Things To Know:
1. This is a sheer blush that can be built up to a more intense color
2. This has gold flecks in it that are very apparent in sunlight. If you don’t like glitter steer clear of this blush.
3. This can be worn as an eyeshadow, I haven’t tried it yet but I saw in quite a few reviews that ladies preferred wearing it that way
4. The packaging is deceiving! You do not get very much product once you get this out of the box
5. This wears as a orangey apricot on my cheeks
For the price I would not recommend this
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Lorac: Naked Lace Eye, Lip, Cheek Collection
Just a quick review on another value set I purchased recently. This one is from Lorac and I mainly purchased it to try out the mini lip glosses that it came with. I’ve been hit or miss with Lorac eye shadows but the ones that came with this set are amazing! The baked Lorac eyeshadows that I tried were super chalky and the ones that I had in a palette broke right away. However, this set came with little shadow pots and I can’t say enough good things about them.
First, the lace clutch this came with is so pretty. I love anything with black lace and nude color so I instantly liked this. This doesn’t feel low quality at all and I could see myself using this as an actual clutch for a night out. Packaging gets an A+
Next, the lip glosses!!! I’m obsessed! The colors this came with are Vintage, which is a true nude shade, Trend setter which is a peachy pink with a slightly shimmery look but no actual glitter, and last Muse which is a great nudey pink. These are available to purchase in full-size outside of the set and I have to buy them. The smell of these are amazing. It’s like a cinnamon marshmallow? Haha I don’t know it’s hard to describe, but if you’ve used the Lorac Tantalizer Bronzing lotion it is the exact same smell. These are very creamy and do have some opaqueness to them. While they are thick enough to be pigmented they don’t feel sticky. I need to buy Vintage and Muse, they are so pretty and perfect colors on me. I’ve been wearing these alone and over lipsticks and they work great either way.
From Left: Vintage, Trendsetter, Muse, Negligee, Boudouir, Rendezvous
These eyeshadows are great everyday shades. The texture is very creamy and they blend like butter. If you aren’t very good with eyeshadows these would be very easy for you to use. While these colors are not available outside of this set I believe these are the same formula and packaging as Lorac’s normal single eyeshadows. Boudouir is actually a more taupey plum than in this swatch and it makes a perfect crease color. Negligee is a champage cream color and makes a great highlight because it isn’t overly shimmery but I also have been wearing this all over my lid or in my inner eye. They are just great, easy to use shades.
The blush is a great classic peachy pink called Rendezvous. It works really well with the other items in this collection and just gives my cheeks a nice natural flush. It’s not matte but the shimmer in it is still wearable everyday.
Overall I think everything in this set is great quality and it’s a great neutral collection to have. You can wear everything and look super natural but you can also use boudoir to smoke out your eye and easily transition to an evening look. I think this is an excellent group of items to keep in your purse for fast touch-ups at work and to take you from a day to night look. I’m really pleased I didn’t miss out on this ( I got it during a sale on hautelook) so if you see it for sale online or at a store grab it!
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Sula Natural Blush Swatches (BIG FAIL) – Check This Out Before You Purchase Online
I purchased these blushes from hautelook a few weeks ago for $4.00 a piece and wanted to show you some quick swatches in case you have considered purchasing this brand online. The blushes look very different in person then the pictures provided on the website. They look so different that at first I thought maybe they sent me the wrong colors but I don’t think they did. In any case, I wanted to get some pictures on here so you have a reference when purchasing. I loved these colors on the website but in person I was pretty disappointed, the blushes themselves are fine but they were not anything like the colors I expected them to be.
The oddest thing is I’ve seen some other Sula blushes in stores and they were very vibrant pretty colors, so i’m not sure if this is just an issue with ordering online or if maybe I got a bad batch? Either way, I definitely won’t be purchasing from this company over the internet again. If I do try this brand again I’ll buy the products in person.
The first blush is Forget Me Not
Here is the online picture, I think it looks like a gorgeous peachy pink color
Here is what I received, a very pale pale pink
Next is Almost Famous which online looks like a deep plum:
What I received is a very dark pinkish red:
And last Girl Next Door, I was most excited for what I thought would be this bright pink:
What I received is a very subdued mauvey pink.
Swatches:
From left to right: Forget Me Not, Girl Next Door, Almost Famous
From left to right: Almost Famous, Girl next door, Forget me Not
Needless to say I’m pretty disappointed. I thought I was getting some really vibrant colors that would be great for spring but what I actually received is anything but. Forget Me Not is so light I probably won’t even be able to wear it
Besides the colors, the texture of these are fine. All shades are matte, they aren’t overly powdery but not particularly creamy either. Just a standard blush I guess.
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Blush Fail: Rimmel Match Perfection Blush in 004 Medium Dark
I picked this up on a whim while I was shopping at Wal-Mart and after trying it out this is definitely a product you can pass up. These coordinated shades are supposed to give you a natural even flush of color and the package says it has a hint of blue sapphire in it, which I honestly am clueless about. There is some very small gold glitter particles baked in but that’s about it. My main complaint about this product is how powdery it is. As soon as you try to pick up product with your brush the whole compact turns into a powdery mess. Because of this, application is somewhat difficult. I felt like I had to put on so much product to get any amount of color to show up on my cheeks. The colors themselves look pretty dark so I thought this would be a nice contour blush but it showed up very sheer on my skin. I tried swatching some on my arm to show you the color but I literally couldn’t get it to show up in a picture. I’m pretty sure this only cost me around 4 dollars but it’s definitely a drugstore fail product to me!
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NARS Amour – A beautiful peachy blush
I’m a fan of peachy blushes on my skin tone and Nars Amour didn’t disappoint. This is a richly pigmented matte blush that is great for a soft peachy glow. Amour is described as a peachy pink but when blended out on my cheeks this reads more on the peach side for me. Since it’s a matte shade it’s great for everyday wear and the staying power is great. While this is a matte shade it isn’t chalky or powdery at all. The texture is creamy and easy to blend and a little goes a very long way. I swatched this with some of my other peach blushes to give you a comparison.
Starting from the left:
1. Nars Amour (Matte finish)
2. Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Blissful (Matte finish)
3. Elf studio blush in Peachy Keen (Shimmer finish)
While I love all three of these colors Amour is the most pigmented and the one I have to have the lightest touch with.
What You Need To Know:
1. This blush leans more on the warm side
2. Matte finish
3. I like wearing this best with a brown smokey eye
4. Great pigmentation and creamy texture
5. I usually wear this swept across my cheekbones, avoiding the apple of my cheeks
Like most NARS products this is a bit pricey, I paid $27.00 and ordered mine from Sephora.com
Shop Below:
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Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush – Hot Tamale
One of Maybelline’s newest product launches is it’s powder-gel formula Dream Bouncy Blushes. The line has 10 shades and is supposed to be lightweight like a powder but melt into your skin like a cream. The biggest buzz about this product is it’s literal bouncy texture, when you push down on this product it literally gives under your fingertips and springs back into place. I guess this is supposed to be a big selling point but to be honest I think it’s kind of gross seeing all my little finger-print impressions everytime I open the product.
I watched quite a few reviews on this so I knew when I bought this product it would go on sheer but could be built up for a more intense color. I like my blushes to be fairly pigmented so I chose Hot Tamale since it looked like I would get the most color from it. The color swatches nicely on fingertips but I had a hard time building it up to a color I liked on my cheeks without piling on a lot of the product. But like I said this product is aimed more for those people who like a more sheer flush of color. That being said I still feel like if you bought one of the lighter shades you would be getting very limited color payoff so what’s the point of even wearing it. Another issue I had with the product was staying power, the first day I wore it I did not apply any other powder blush on top of it and I felt like it faded quickly and looked splotchy after just a few hours. It worked fine as a base.
What You Need To Know:
1. These apply best with fingers
2. These are very sheer washes of color once you start blending them in
3. The lasting power on this was NOT very long for me
My overall opinion of this product is you’re mostly paying for the quirky texture and not a high-quality product. It’s not a terrible but it didn’t wow me and I won’t be purchasing any of the other shades. I also think this would work best for people with dry skin and those who just want a very sheer wash of color. My other suggestion is if you already bought this product and aren’t crazy with it, try using it as a base for one of your favorite powder blushes!
Swatch of Hot Tamale
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My Favorite Drugstore Blushes!
High quality, pigmented, blendable drugstore blushes are few and far between for me. Many are hit and miss when I purchase them and end up in the garbage after I try them out. However, shelling out 25.00 dollars for a new Tarte blush or 18 dollars for something from MAC isn’t always in my budget. Here is a list of my favorite drugstore blushes that won’t hurt your wallet but still look beautiful when you use them!
NYX Powder Blush- These little blushes cost around $5.99 at ULTA and have great pigment! They blend easily and wear nicely throughout the day. My favorite colors in these are:
Pinched – A pretty peachy pink with a slight golden shimmer
Mocha – The name of this one is deceiving! I would describe this as a deeper matte pink with no shimmer at all
Silky Rose – This is a deep pinky/wine color. I think this is beautiful for the fall
One drawback of these are I always have trouble with the packaging. I love the cute square shape but the clear plastic in the lid usually pops out if I carry these in my purse or try packing them for travel. Then I always have to worry about them cracking and getting powder all over the place. Besides that, these are a great product. You can click the link below to purchase online or find it in any ULTA store in the blush aisle!
e.l.f Studio Blush – The e.l.f studio line has some really great products at affordable prices. I usually purchase mine online but I see e.l.f. at Target and at K-mart stores. These blushes cost around 3 dollars but I try and hold off on purchasing mine until the website has a 50% off sale, that way you pick them up for $1.50 !
These blushes are very pigmented and blend easily. The one downfall is they are very powdery, so make sure you tap off your brush before applying to your face. I have a full review on these blushes here
NYX’s pinched is very similar to e.l.f’s twinkle pink. The e.l.f. blush has a bit more sparkle though. I think pinched and twinkle pink both look great on almost any skin tone and would be a great starter blush for those new to makeup!
Milani Baked Blushes – The milani baked blushes are gorgeous and one of my all-time favorite blush products. These cost around 6.99 and come in beautiful shimmery shades. My favorite for summer is coralina. It’s a beautiful coraly peach shade flecked with gold and vanilla swirls. For fall I love the shades Fantastico mauve and Red Vino. I’ve purchased mine from CVS but you can also buy them from cherryculture.com if they are sold out at your store.
Hopefully these give you some good alternatives to the more expensive brands! I’d love to hear which are your favorite drugstore blushes so that I can try them out myself!
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