Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Crush, Bittersweet & Quickie

Recently launched from Urban Decay, Afterglow Blush (CAN $31.00 available in 10 shades, 12 in the US) claims to provide 8 hours of continuous wear, in an innovative lightweight formula that comes in a variety of both matte and lightly shimmered hues. Urban Decay is a brand that continues to push the envelope, both in terms of formulation as well as the provocative product names, yet one thing remains a constant: quality, and from the 3 blushes I was kindly send to test, that last factor certainly holds true here as well.

Housed in gunmetal-coloured cases with a nice heft to them and a magnetic closure, each Afterglow Blush has a mesh window of the Urban Decay initials on the cover, so you can easily see the shade within. Bearing a new and exceptionally finely-milled powder formula that feels creamy to the touch, Afterglow Blushes are said to be sheer yet highly blendable; my experience with these three is that they are all certainly quite blendable and can be easily buffed into the skin for a seamless finish, but I definitely found them also quite pigmented – a fact to consider in order to avoid loading up your brush too much from the start. I also suggest not diving in too aggressively with your blush brush, in order to minimize any powdery kickback – but that’s nothing a quick tap of the brush couldn’t solve. Overall, the flawless application of colour these blushes provide more than offsets any drawbacks, and as to that 8-hour lasting claim? All true … and then some.

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush compacts

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in (left to right) Crush, Bittersweet, Quickie

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush swatches

Crush | A medium pink shade that leans warm and will be particularly suitable on light-medium to darker complexions. Highly pigmented, you’ll need a light hand to start with as Crush can pack quite a punch otherwise, but the colour blends so seamlessly into the skin that it’s almost difficult to overdo. The finish is matte but not of the light-absorbing variety; instead, all three shades shown here display an ultra soft shimmer that adds a beautiful radiance to the skin — without ever coming off as too glowy. Personally, I’m absolutely loving how Crush brightens my face and adds that lit-from-within kind of luminosity; think of it as the whoopee-flushed look, but without the exertion involved in getting it.

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Crush

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Crush swatches

Ingredients: Isoeicosane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Zinc Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Methicone, Tin Oxide.
May Contain:
Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77492 (Iron Oxides), CI 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 45410 (Red 28 Lake), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake)]

Bittersweet | Not for the faint of heart, this is a strongly vibrant purple hue that is more suitable as an eyeshadow on my skin tone, than a blush shade. That being said, by using a light hand it becomes more wearable and can actually provide a nice contrast when paired with a brighter-coloured blush (sort of like ‘blush contouring’, if you will) but Bittersweet needs to be properly buffed into the skin to avoid any “bruised” appearance. I suspect this is one of those shades that will look amazing on darker skin tones but that should probably be avoided by those with the palest complexions (to eliminate above-stated bruised look), unless you’re going for a more editorial feel. Still, I can’t help but want to really make this shade work, mainly because it’s just so unique – both in my blush collection and experience.

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Bittersweet

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Bittersweet swatches

Ingredients: soeicosane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Zinc Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Methicone, Tin Oxide.
May Contain:
Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 15850 (Red 6), CI 45410 (Red 28 Lake), CI 77742 (Manganese Violet), CI 42090 (Blue 1 Lake)]

Quickie | A vivid blue based pink that definitely leans cool, but can also be made to work on medium skin tones – provided one’s undertone isn’t too yellow leaning (then you’ll be looking at a serious colour clash). Darker complexions can benefit from this shade as well, as Quickie will provide an impactful spot of colour without coming off as ashy. I am continuously drawn to electric pinks such as this, and while the majority fall short against my skin tone, Quickie (gotta love the name) seems to work like a charm, adding a youthful-looking flush and works best when I pair it with a smokey eye, a perfectly “sweet” counterpoint to a dark and/or edgy makeup look.

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Quickie

Urban Decay | Afterglow Blush in Quickie swatches

Ingredients: soeicosane, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Zinc Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Methicone, Tin Oxide.
May Contain:
Mica, CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 45410 (Red 28 Lake), CI 15850 (Red 7 Lake), CI 77007 (Ultramarines)]

Other than mascara, few beauty products can give your face that instant boost quite like blush can – although one should never rush the process of application (hello, clown cheeks?). The new Urban Decay Afterglow Blushes are well worth looking into and investing in – especially if you’re a blush fiend like I am, as the quality (from what I’ve seen thus far) delivers on all its promises and there’s no doubting the sensual radiance your skin receives. Yes, sensual. Or even raunchy … depending on your which way your colour selections swing.

Available now through Sephora and sephora.com, and select Shopper’s Drug Mart locations (Canada). Find more information at urbandecay.com