Spring 2012 Blush Favorites

I figured this was an appropriate first post to christen this new blog!

The blushes listed below are a few of the ones I have enjoyed wearing this Spring; I have countless others I wear as well, but the ones included are particularly “Springy” in my opinion.

Mac Blush in Full of Joy: Now, while I consider myself to be pretty immune to MAC, and find their incessant releases to be pretty tiresome, (I haven’t bought anything since Peacocky, which I believe was released towards the end of 2010 or early 2011; when you indulge in as much makeup as I do, that is quite a feat), I admit that I did feel a few heart palpitations when the photos were released of the Tres Cheek collection. I ended up only picking up one blush from this collection (gold star, I know!) partly because there was only one that I felt was truly unique and dissimilar from anything else I had, and largely because I got a little confused with the online release date, and when I remembered found most of the colors sold out, and was too lazy to drive to the mall to check it out in person.  

I ended up purchasing Full of Joy, which is the one described as a lavender frost by MAC. As soon as I saw the promo pics for this collection, I knew this one had to be coming home with me. I actually took a sharp intake of breath when I read the description, because I have been yearning for a lavender blush for so long now!  Initially, I was a little underwhelmed with this…I think the main reason for my disappointment was that I would not classify this as a lavender! It is cool toned, certainly, but I think I would describe it as a very cool toned pink with lavender undertones (nitpicky, I know, but when a company states that a product is going to look a certain way, I want it to live up to that!) That being said, it is still quite pretty, and unique to anything else in my collection. The other disappointment for me is I would say the texture is a tad bit chalky, but it is still pigmented, and is flattering on my cool, fair skin tone. Overall, despite some of my disparaging comments above, I am very glad I got this. I really don’t have anything else like it; I think it is a nice blush to have for Spring, and I loved pairing it with Revlon Lilac Pastelle Lip Gloss.

 Illamasqua Blusher in Katie: I picked this up last Spring, and I have to say this is my most quintessentially Spring blush. I don’t feel compelled to reach for this really any other time of the year, not because I don’t love it, but because it screams Easter, flowers, and all symbols of the season to me. It is an extremely light, matte, cool-toned baby pink, and is very pigmented. I hate to say this, but this is not a universal blush; if you are very fair like myself, this is great, otherwise steer clear as it is going to look chalky on you. I love baby pink blushes, but find that most turn red on me, since I already have so much pink in my skin. This is the closest I have found to showing up as a true pink on my skin. I love this applied liberally on the cheeks without any bronzer; it looks very doll-like, especially when paired with a baby pink lip like Rimmel Pink Blush lipstick.

Benefit Boxed Blush in Hervana: This one has garnered a lot of hype in the beauty community, and at first I couldn’t really see why. However, it has grown on me in a big way, and I now find myself reaching for it a great deal, especially when I am not sure what I am looking for.  It is hard to describe what color this is since it is one of those powders comprised of different shades that you are meant to swirl together. Those shades are a cream, a peach, a coral, and a plum. When I swatch it, it comes across as a mainly matte, neutral pink. When applied on the cheeks it imparts a subtle, healthy flush. It is not too shimmery, and also not completely matte, blends beautifully, and is overall a great everyday blush. I think this one I will continue to use all year round, because you can shift the color scheme based on which color you pick the most up with your brush.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nude Peach 28: This was released with Bobbi Brown’s Neon and Nudes Collection this year, but it is going to be incorporated as a permanent part of her line. It’s color is pretty much what it’s name would suggest: a nudey peach. I like it because it is not really a peachy-pinky, which is what differentiates it from many other blushes on the market and in my collection. If anything, it has some slight bronzey undertones, which makes me think I will get a lot of use out of this in the Summer months as well. It is shimmery, but not frosty; it just enlivens your face with a bit of a sheen. The one caveat I with this product is that this, like Illamasqua Katie, is not a universal color, in my opinion.  I find I really have to pack it on to make it show up on my skin, which is quite shocking considering I am about a shade and a half away from being a full-fledged albino these days.  I don’t know, maybe it is just pretty close to my skin tone? I would be interested to hear if anyone with a darker skin tone has tried it, and what your opinion is!

 Anyways, let me know what you have been loving this Spring! I will try and get another post up with my Summer picks once we get into Summer. I know a lot of people group Spring and Summer products together, but personally I like to move away from the pastels once Summer hits, and gravitate towards brighter and bronzier shades.

Swatches From Left to Right on my pasty arm: Bobbi Brown Nude Peach, Mac Full of Joy, Illamasqua Katie, Benefit Hervana