Illamasqua S.O.P.H.I.E. blush

Say hello to my new favourite blush! This is S.O.P.H.I.E. and it's a powder blush from Illamasqua. I used it for the first time about three weeks ago and have struggled to put it down since. The brightening effect it provides is helping me through this dull and dreary January.

I don't know if you can tell from the photos but this blush looks like an absolute glitter bomb in the pan; that's usually a huge no-no for me. However, you can see in the swatch that it's only slightly shimmery and on the cheeks I think it looks almost matte. Illamasqua describe it as a 'golden coral shimmer' which I suppose is fairly accurate. 

Texture-wise S.O.P.H.I.E. is easy to apply and blend. I've been using a duo-fibre style brush to avoid applying too much colour, which works pretty well. I get a good 6-8 hours of wear out of this blush; that's longer than average for me!

All in all, this is a nice product from a lovely brand. I think the colour will work for most people too so it's definitely worth checking out the next time you're at a counter. It's also a bit of a feel-good purchase because the proceeds go to a charity. If you're not familiar with Illamasqua's involvement with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, go and read about it!

S.O.P.H.I.E. blush is priced at £18 online and at counters.

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

When the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour blushes launched in the States they seemed to take the online beauty community by storm. Unfortunately these aren't available in the UK so I had to get a friend in the US to pick one up for me. I went for the shade Exposed because at the time I didn't have anything like it and it seemed to be the most popular shade.

The packaging is nice; I like the fact the colour of the compact matches the blush shade. It has a decent sized mirror inside if you need it and the blush pan can be easily popped out of the compact if you'd prefer to keep it in a Z palette or something similar. 

Exposed is a dusty rose-brown shade which doesn't look particularly exciting in the pan but it's a great colour to have on hand if you're not sure which blush to reach for. On my cheeks it looks much more brown than pink but I've seen it on a variety of skintones and it seems to look different on everyone. It can be worn subtly or more strongly depending on your preferences. I find that it's quite difficult to make Exposed look too in-your-face compared with other, more brightly coloured blushes I own. I have to be honest and say that the colour itself isn't particularly unique; there are similar shades available from other brands.

Texture-wise Exposed is quite dry and can be a tiny bit dusty compared with my much-loved NARS blushes but it's applies nicely to the cheeks and never looks patchy. I'm not sure that these blushes live up to their 12 -hour-wear claim but then I don't think I've tried a blush that lasts a full twelve hours on me. I find that I get about seven or eight hours of wear which is what I expect from the other blushes I use.

So, is Tarte Exposed worth the hype?

I think it is to an extent. It's a nice wearable, versatile shade and it's easy to use. If Tarte is readily available where you live I'd recommend having a look at Exposed if you don't already have a similar shade but if you're like me and don't have access to the brand I'm pretty sure NARS do a similar shade and if the quality is in line with most of the other NARS blushes I've tried, you won't be disappointed. 

Have you tried the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes? What did you think?

Stace xx

PS - The shade Tipsy has been on my wish list for forever...I really don't need another orange blush though, do I?

NARS Blush in Madly

Regular readers of this blog will know that NARS blushes are by far my favourite blushes. Madly is my most recent acquisition and it has quickly become one of my go to blushes.  

NARS describe Madly as a 'warm soft focus seashell pink' but on me it definitely looks more brown than pink. When I first got my hands on it I was a bit worried that it was too light for me but I was wrong. It's definitely a lot more subtle than the bright peach blushes I tend to favour but it's a nice change. This colour gives my face a softly contoured look which goes with any eye and lip combination. I've worn Madly on days when I'm going for a very minimal look as well as when I've got a lot going on on my eyes or lips. In blush terms, it's a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.

The texture of Madly is similar to my other favourites from NARS so I have no complaints there. I like to apply it with a MAC 168 brush but I've found that it's quite difficult to get it wrong with this blush so the brush probably doesn't matter as much as it does with a more vibrant shade. Just because this shade is more subtle than some others doesn't mean it lacks in pigmentation; I still only use a little each time I wear it. Finish-wise, I was convinced that Madly was matte but on closer inspection there is a little shimmer in there in the pan but I don't find that it translates on my face.

All in all, Madly is an excellent blush and definitely worth trying if you have a light/medium warm skintone. It is priced at £21 and available from NARS online (here) and at counters.

Have you tried Madly?

Stace xx

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Zygomatic

I wanted to buy most of the products from Illamasqua's Naked Strangers collection but I was restrained and went for the cream blush in Zygomatic. I've already got an Illamasqua cream blush in Rude, which I love, so I was pretty sure I'd be pleased with my purchase.

The texture of the Illamasqua cream blushes isn't sticky at all and the finish of Zygomatic is quite dewy.   Illamasqua describe this shade as a 'naked pink brown' which I'd say is about right. It's very subtle on my skin tone so if you're any darker than a MAC NC35, I'd advise skipping this but if you're pale, this should be a great shade for you. 

My favourite way to apply this with the Illamasqua Highlight brush but I also like using my fingers or a Real Techniques Stippling brush. Since it's on the sheerer side it's quite difficult to over-do it with this blush in terms of colour but I'd avoid applying more than a couple of layers as it can look a little greasy. I get around five or six hours of wear out of this blush which is pretty good considering it's a cream product which doesn't dry down. I've applied a powder blush on top to increase the wear time and that's worked well for me. 

Zygomatic is priced at £16.50 and is available from Illamasqua counters or online (link).

Did you buy anything from the Naked Strangers collection?

Stace xx

NARS Blush in Gilda

This is another of my more recent NARS purchases. I'd seen it on a few blogs and it had been on my wish list for a while so I was pleased to finally pick it up.

Gilda is a coral shade which leans more peach than pink on my skin tone. MAC Melba is a similar shade but it looks a touch more pink on me. It has a matte finish but it's not at all chalky looking. I do have to be a bit more careful when applying this blush as it is so pigmented so I like to use a MAC 188 if I want a light flush of colour. If I want a stronger colour on my cheeks, I'll use a MAC 168.

I can see myself using this a lot in the spring and summer so Gilda is a welcome addition to my ever-growing NARS blush collection. It's not a shade I hear an awful lot about but I think if you don't like shimmery blush and you have a warmer skintone, this is a great option from NARS.

Stace xx

Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels

I picked this up at the weekend and have been using it for the last few days so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the product!

I picked this up in a Topshop store for £6 (or £5.40 with student discount) but it's also available online (link)

The packaging is white with a matte finish. It looks pretty but it quickly starts looking grubby. The compact also includes a decent sized mirror which is useful if you need to reapply on the go.

I am not the biggest fan of cream blushes, to be honest. I feel like I end up rubbing off a lot of foundation when I apply them with my fingers due to their sticky texture. I sometimes find them to be too pigmented and whilst I do love a good dose of blush, I don't want to look like a clown either!

The formula of this Topshop cream blush is excellent for someone like me as it quickly dries down to a powder finish and doesn't interfere with my base underneath. It's also pretty sheer which I like as it means I can layer it to get an amount of colour I'm happy with.

I did try applying this with my fingers but found it easier to apply with a Real Techniques Stippling brush. I looks more even and wears much better when I use a brush. The blush lasts around 5/6 hours on my cheeks when I apply it this way. The skin on my cheeks is 'normal' so if you have very oily skin, you might find this doesn't wear for as long. It's easy to top up throughout the day if necessary.

Sorry for the weird angle! The photo above is just one layer of the blush. I'm around an NC30 in MAC, for reference.

The colour is a peach shade with a hint of pink; right up my street! It looks a lot more frightening in the pan than it does swatched or on the skin. I think it will work on a range of skintones since it is buildable but if you're darker than an NC40 you might struggle to get a great deal of colour from this. 

I hope that was helpful! I'll be trying out the famous Neon Rose shade next week so expect a review on that very soon.

Stace xx

My NARS Blush Collection

I'm running a 200 follower giveaway right now and the prize is a NARS blush. I mentioned in that post that I could do a quick post about my NARS blush collection and quite a few of your asked to see that so here it is! 

I currently have six shades which to some may seem excessive and to others it will seem like a very small collection. I do plan on getting a few more but I'm happy with what I have right now. 

Taj Mahal

 Burnt orange with shimmer

This is the least wearable NARS blush I own just because it's so incredibly pigmented and the colour is one I have to use an extremely light hand with. This blush looks beautiful when I have a bit of a tan, though. I will try to do a FOTD with this on in the summer. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with very fair skin but I think if you have a warm medium skintone, you can definitely pull this off. I'd imagine this looks beautiful on dark skintones.

Luster

Sheer golden apricot

This was the first NARS blush I purchased and it's been my most used. I used this to death when I first got it and have rediscovered it recently. This is quite sheer so it's great if you're a bit heavy handed. It's also excellent if you're in a rush because it's so easy to use. I've seen paler girls wearing this and it looks brilliant on them as a blush. It's great for medium skintoned girls like me but I think it would be more of a highlighting product for darker skins.

Torrid

Coral with shimmer

I've had this one for quite a while but I don't find myself reaching for it a lot. I think this will be another shade I'll use a lot more in the summer months when my skin's a bit more tanned. The shimmer isn't too obnoxious. I think this will suit most skintones in the medium/tan range.

Gina

Tangerine

I really love this one! The shade just brightens up my face so nicely. This is definitely one of my top five blushes. Gina has a matte finish which I like as I can add just add a highlight if I want. I don't hear this blush talked about as much as some other shades but I think it is one of the best, especially for anyone with warmer skintones.

Gilda

Coral

This is the newest addition to my NARS blush collection and I have to admit that I've not used it yet. I had it applied at the counter and it looked great. It's quite similar to MAC Melba if you've tried that. It is a touch more peach/orange, though. Again I think this will work for a variety of skintones. Gilda also has a matte finish.

Orgasm

Peachy pink with shimmer

I guess this is the blush everyone thinks of first when they think of NARS. This was the second NARS blush I purchased and I do find I use it quite a lot. The swatch below is making it look very glittery but I don't find that transfers onto my face. The level of shimmer in Orgasm is much like the shimmer in Torrid or Luster. If you're new to NARS blushes and you're not sure which shade to go for, this is a great 'one shade suits all' shade unless you have a very dark skintone. I do prefer Luster and Gina to Orgasm but that doesn't mean I dislike it. I use it a lot when I use cooler toned make up because it complements those shades better than my other NARS favourites.

L-R: Taj Mahal, Luster, Torrid, Gina, Gilda, Orgasm

You can see I like my orangey, peachy shades!

I have previously owned Taos and Oasis but neither worked particularly well for me. Taos was a bit too red toned whereas Oasis had too much obvious glitter in it. I have Madly on my wish list right now

These are priced at £21 for 4.8g and are available from NARS counters, the NARS website and ASOS.com

Do you have any NARS blushes? Let me know your thoughts!

Stace xx

Product of the Week #9 - NARS Blush in Luster

As you can probably tell from this blog, NARS blushes are always amongst my favourite make up products. I've already featured Gina as a product of the week and this week it's Luster's turn.

The packaging looks pretty rubbish now because I think this is the oldest blush I still own. I bought it before Christmas 2010 and wore it to death for about three months. I was never a big fan of blush until then but this subtle apricot-toned sheeny wonder had me hooked!

Unfortunately for Luster, I've purchased many, many blushes since then and it's been neglected for a long time. I decided to dig it out this week and I've fallen in love all over again. There's something about this shade that just looks so flattering on me. 

I apply it either with a MAC 168 or a MAC 188 brush, depending on the intensity I want. I think darker skinned ladies will struggle to get a lot of colour pay off from this but if you're around the same shade as me (NC30ish) it's a great choice. This also looks lovely on pale skinned girls. 

This costs £20.50 and is available from NARS counters and online. Remember to watch out for ASOS discount codes if you'd like to get it a little cheaper.

I'm so glad I picked this up again and now that I have fewer blushes, Luster will definitely be getting a lot more love from me. I'd never be without this in my collection and there aren't a lot of products I'd say that about!

Did you have a favourite product this week? What was it?

Stace xx