Blush is defined as “a facial flush; to become red or rosy in the face…”; I define blush as a key element of all makeup looks. I should have actually begun by dedicating this post to my good friend Liz of Beauty Reductionista (and by association, to my “lil sis” Tracy of Beauty-Reflections – both fellow blush fiends!), for inspiring me to finally take stock of all the blushes I actually own. While blush, or “rouge” as I grew up thinking of it, becomes almost an afterthought in the summertime, especially when your face may be slightly sun-kissed, it goes on to become basically mandatory once the weather cools, and all traces of tan disappear. From an anthropological viewpoint, a visible flush on one’s face denotes good health, thereby making one more attractive to the opposite sex – sounds like a good enough reason for indulging to me! The following swatches are all on unprimed skin, in order to give you the most accurate representation of each colour.
The peach blushes (clockwise from left): CHANEL ‘Espiègle’, MAC ‘Instant Chic’ (Sheertone Blush), MAC ‘Utterly Game’ (Mineralize Blush), Illamasqua ‘Lover’, MAC ‘Bite of an Apple’ (Matte), and MAC ‘Hipness’ (Frost).
The peach blush swatches (left to right) and a quick breakdown of how they compared:
- Bite of an Apple – the deepest and most opaque, strongest hints of pink
- Hipness – surprisingly sheer but buildable, very subtle shimmer
- Utterly Game – smoothest texture, densely pigmented
- Lover – excellent colour payoff with first brush swipe, slightly powdery
- Instant Chic – 2nd in terms of sheerness, slightly powdery
- Espiègle – sheerest, delicate glow imparted
Even though several of these blushes are quite similar, there are still enough subtle differences in each for me to appreciate them all on an individual basis. For my skintone, which is medium/fair with light olive undertones, peach definitely is the most flattering, but I avoid anything with orange hints, as that has a tendency to make my skin look quite sallow.
The pink blushes – top row (left to right): MAC ‘Well Dressed’ (Satin), MAC ‘Coygirl’ (Sheertone Blush), MAC ‘Tippy’ (Beauty Powder Blush). Bottom row (left to right): NARS ‘Angelika’, Illamasqua ‘Morale’, and CHANEL ‘Tweed Pink’.
The pink blush swatches (left to right), and a quick breakdown of how they compared:
- Morale – deepest in tone, buttery texture, glowing shimmer
- Angelika – exceptionally smooth pale pink, filled with delicate ultra-fine glitter
- Tippy – surprisingly sheer for a vivid-looking pink
- Coygirl – rather sheer, but buildable
- Tweed Pink – sheerest pink with shimmer, sparse and delicate sparse fine glitter
- Well Dressed – sheerest, the palest tint even after multiple passes
Looking at the above swatches and keeping in mind that when applied to the face (usually primed first and foundation added) the shades will appear slightly more pigmented, I realize that I’m not really a fan of pink blushes (on me), unless they bear slight peach leanings. Anything blue based usually clashes against my warmer skintone, although that being said and with the exception of perhaps 2 of the above, I like the “doll-like” effect you can achieve with this hue.
The tan blushes, top row (left to right): MAC ‘Get-Away Bronze’ (Frost), MAC ‘Harmony’ (Matte), MAC ‘Garb’ (Sheertone Blush). Bottom row (left to right): NARS ‘Douceur’, and MAC ‘Fun & Games’ (Beauty Powder Blush).
The tan blush swatches (left to right), and a quick breakdown of how they compared:
- Garb – palest and sheerest in tone
- Fun & Games – sheer with a subtle shimmer, slight peachy tint
- Get-Away Bronze – even shimmer, smooth texture, easily buildable colour
- Harmony – deepest tone, densely pigmented
- Douceur – tightly compacted, pale tone, most even pigment distribution
Tan blushes are real workhorses; able to impart the most subtle of colour to your cheeks when used alone, they can also double as contour powders, in the case of ‘Get-Away Bronze’ (which bears a delicate shimmer) used as bronzers, or in a pinch, substitute for a neutral eyeshadow. I think that everyone needs at least one tan blush in their arsenal, as it can also enhance other blushes; under a brighter shade, the tan adds a unique depth. A light tan blush layered on top of a more vivid hue, will help tone it down. Not just pretty, but versatile as well!
The cream blushes include (clockwise from left): NARS ‘Beverly Hills’, ‘Cadaqués’, and ‘Turks & Caicos’ Multiples Tints (limited edition from summer 2010), and MAC ‘Crushed Bouganvillea’ (limited edition from the 2008 Emanuel Ungaro Collection).
The cream blush swatches (left to right), and a quick breakdown of how they compared:
- Crushed Bouganvillea – the most highly pigmented and quite long wearing
- Cadaqués – delicately pale, can be built up for more saturation
- Beverly Hills – the most realistic “flush”, intensity can be increased if needed
- Turks & Caicos – gives a sun-kissed look, can also be somewhat built up
I’m not all that keen on cream blushes, however I will make an exception for these NARS Multiple Tints. The stick format means no finger dipping required, and they are sheer and creamy enough to spread quite easily, although you can definitely pump up the volume intensity-wise if you wished. Sadly, they were a limited edition trio NARS released last year and therefore no longer available so I couldn’t re-purchase even if I wanted to, but the good news is that a little goes a long way, and I don’t see myself finishing these anytime soon. The MAC was also a limited edition piece, and while the consistency of the formula is wonderful, it’s not a colour I normally gravitate towards and so it has received very little love. The bonus to cream blushes: they impart the most believable flush of colour. The downside: they don’t last as long as powders.
The Big “O” Trio, or ‘Orgasm’ (the blush!) according to François Nars (clockwise, left to right): ‘Super Orgasm’, ‘Orgasm’ (original), and ‘Orgasm’ (reissued as part of the 2011 ‘Portrait of Paradise’ Collection).
The Big “O” swatches (left to right), and a quick breakdown of how they compared:
- Super Orgasm – the sheerest in terms of colour payoff with large glitter flakes
- Orgasm (reissued) – slightly more golden that the original with a denser and more obvious shimmer
- Orgasm (original) – a natural looking flush, made unique by the addition of subtle shimmer
There’s a reason that NARS’ ‘Orgasm’ blush has reached iconic status and has become a must-have in every makeup artist’s kit; this universally flattering colour really does give that “you know” glow, and seems to suit practically everyone. When ‘Super Orgasm’ came along, I jumped all over it but have yet to use it for its intended purpose; because of fallout of the large glitter particles it holds, I prefer to use this more as a highlighter, especially along the collarbone or even along the shinbones in summertime. Much to my surprise, the reissued version of ‘Orgasm’ (part of the ‘Portrait of Paradise trio – previously reviewed here) appears to be a more intense version of the original, and while it came conveniently packaged with ‘Laguna’ bronzer and ‘Albatross’ highlighter, all in a travel-friendly zippered pouch (another limited edition item…sorry!), I still prefer the more subtle nuances of the original version.
In addition to the shimmery peach blushes of the ‘Big “O” Trio’ from above, I’ve also included MAC’s ‘Stereo Rose’ Mineralize Skinfinish to this category.
All 4 shimmery peach blush swatches (left to right), beginning with ‘Stereo Rose, ‘Super Orgasm’, ‘Orgasm’ (reissued), and ‘Orgasm’ (original). While all four seem to be in the same colour family and bear very close undertones, ‘Stereo Rose’ differs in that it definitely is the most sheer, imparting an overall subtle glow and thus making it also versatile enough to be applied to other parts of the face.
My one and only red blush, ‘Rouge’ from CHANEL – part of the ‘Les Byzances’ limited edition collection (full review on complete collection forthcoming).
‘Rouge’ blush swatched (left to right): blended out, slightly blended, and heavily. Scary looking in the compact due to its incredibly vivid hue, this has got to be one of the most beautiful blushes I will ever own. Did you know that when we flush, the shade we turn is actually red? Not peach, pink, or any combination of the two. Red. So it makes sense to wear a blush that most accurately mimics what our own bodies are capable of doing, no? Make no mistake: this is a SUPER pigmented product, and you absolutely need to apply this with a very light hand, or risk looking like you’ve been slapped – hard. On the plus side, as this powder is so incredibly fine-milled, it lays down like a dream across the skin, and once you’ve mastered blending it out, looks absolutely spectacular! The bad part: another (dreaded) limited edition item, and one that wasn’t easy to even come by in the first place, at that.
This segment would not be complete if I did not give mention to these two absolutely breathtaking specialty powders from MAC; on the left is ‘My Paradise’ Cheek Powder from the summer 2011 ‘Surf, Baby! Collection’, and on the right, the highly coveted ‘Marine Life’ High-Light Powder from the summer 2010 ‘To The Beach Collection’. As you can see, I have *barely* made a dent in either one, and something tells me that I won’t be going to town on them anytime soon, either! The reasons for my obvious neglect is none other than the fact that they’re almost too pretty to ruin by actually using them, which begs the question of why buy them in the first place, right? From baby swatches I’ve done of both, I can tell you that ‘Marine Life’ definitely has a brighter tone than ‘My Paradise’, and seems to lean slightly more rose as well. When I finally dig into these works of art fully, I’ll definitely post an update!
The above three beauty powders from MAC, which include ‘My Paradise’, ‘Marine Life’, and ‘Stereo Rose’, have all achieved cult status, and while I am still hesitant to dig into the gorgeous finishes of the first two, I have had no such reservations about using the latter. What I love about ‘Stereo Rose’, is that the subtle veining throughout the base colour, adds interesting depth and subtle colour dimensions, while the mineral component of it helps it to fall evenly wherever you apply it.
So…..the final breakdown by brand (sort of!):
NARS blushes (5)
CHANEL blushes (3)
Illamasqua blushes (2)
NARS Multiples Tints/MAC cream blushes (3/1)
MAC blushes (11)
Final thoughts: I own a grand total of 28 assorted blushes (some did not make the cut, and therefore are not included here) and I seriously have way too many tan blushes! What’s actually almost cathartic about doing an inventory such as this, is that it enables you to physically see which way to proceed for any future purchases. In my case, I would like to try other brands and perhaps even new shades I might otherwise overlook. I realize that I’m not a cream blusher fan, but I’m not closing myself off to this finish either. Another thing I enjoy, is the different looks you can achieve with powder blush, depending on the type of brush you apply it with…and for that, I guess I’ll have to cobble together a blush brush review!
Liz, Tracy: I now officially join you in the ranks of “Blush Fiend”… and darn proud of it!
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