Lise Watier | Expression Blush Trio & Multifunction Powder Brush

Montréal beauty powerhouse brand Lise Watier has recently released one of the prettiest collections of the season, the Expression Spring 2015 Collection – filled with the freshness of Springtime and watercolour-inspired packaging. One of the undisputed stars of this collection is the Expression Blush Trio as much for its beautifully worked pattern of shades, as well as the interesting optical illusion of its textured surface (and which almost had me believing it had cracked in transit upon first opening it up … it’s that realistic). The Multifunction Powder Brush (sold separately) also available with this collection, is a soft-bristled large fan brush which can be used a number of ways and with several different products, as well as a lovely addition to one’s makeup brush collection.

Multifunction Powder Brush (CAN $35.00) is a softly-bristled oversize fan brush, but which still has enough density to provide either a diffused application of product, or used along its side for slightly more detailed work. With regards to using it in tandem with the Expression Blush Trio, the easiest way is to sweep the brush along the entire surface of the compact and applying along the cheekbones or other high planes of the face – this method is excellent for a sheerer wash of colour, and by alternating between the wider and narrower portions of the brush, you can adjust the level of product placement to some degree (but not as much as when using a more traditional blush brush, that’s for sure).

Expression Blush Trio is a triad of blush shades in a powder formula:

lower left corner: rosewood (the deepest colour of the three), warm leaning
centre: true pink (largest portion of the compact), cool leaning
upper right corner: peach (sheerest/can also double as a highlighter)

The hues of the Expression Blush Trio can be used simultaneously by swirling a brush across all three colours, although each individual shade is of a large enough size that you should be able to easily pick up just one colour, if desired. The formula is quite powdery and displays more kickback than I expected to find – which would ordinarily be a deal-breaker for me, but the end result more than makes up for this drawback; the finish of this blush as it fuses with the skin and warms up with one’s natural oils, is of the ethereal-looking glow type (not exactly shimmery, and far from flat) and not one that sits at the surface level, but as though emanating from the inside. And it only gets better with the wearing.

Of the three shades, the deepest one is my absolute favourite and deserves to be released as a single. I initially thought that the cooler leaning pink shade (the largest portion of the compact) would not be something I could pull off, but it surprisingly works quite well with my skin tone, and when combined with touches of the other hues, becomes extremely flattering and brightening as well. The peach shade is one that I personally wouldn’t recommend wearing on its own; combined with the others, it provides a nice spot of luminosity and works beautifully as a highlighter as well. As far as staying power goes (and when worn/applied over foundation), I am able to get a full day’s worth of wearing, going easily 7-8 hours before any fading takes place.

Ingredients

TALC, ALUMINUM STRACH OCTENYLSUCCINATE, OCTYLDODECYL STEAROYL STEARATE, PENTAERYTHRITYL TETRAISOSTEARATE, PHENYL TRIMETHICONE, SILICA, SORBIC ACID, SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), MICA, CI 77891 (TITANIUM DIOXIDE), CI 15850 (RED 7 LAKE), CI 19140 (YELLOW 5 LAKE), CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (IRON OXIDES), CI 45410 (RED 28), CI 15985 (YELLOW 6 LAKE), CI 75470 (CARMINE), CI 77007 (ULTRAMARINES), TIN OXIDE

Swatches of all three shades shown individually

Swatch of all three shades blended out

The old saying of “appearances can be deceiving” is one that can definitely be applied here; starting from the obvious (the ‘cracked’ surface pattern) to actual application, I was unprepared for how the Expression Blush Trio surprised me – but love it just the same! The powdery nature of this blush threw me off at first, but seeing the results first hand makes it so worth the extra little bit of effort re: application. The brush is very well made and feels ultra-soft along the skin, and even though it is a wonderful tool for those times a light dusting is needed, I prefer the control that a more traditional blush brush offers. That being said, I was missing a large fan shaped brush in my collection, and so this worked out well just the same. #everythingalwaysworksout

The Expression Blush Trio is limited edition and about to disappear off the shelves – consider this fair warning! Find more information via lisewatier.com