Just to let you know how afraid of looking like a trampy circus clown I used to be, I never used to wear blush (granted, just a few years ago I was a fresh-faced teen so I didn't really need any), but now mineral make-up has appeared to tame my clown-fueled anxietes with blush that is so natural people will just assume you are a beautiful, rosy-cheeked angel and not even realize that you're wearing blush at all!
Blush Challenger #1- L'oreal Paris Bare Naturale Blush
This blush is already way ahead of its competitors just due to the fact that it comes with its own brush. The dispenser is like most other mineral make-up brands, a small container with holes to
shake out the make-up, but sadly, no way to secure it for traveling (perhaps with tape?). Built in brush and packaging aside, the blush blends flawlessly into skin, giving a super natural glow. The formula is extra shiny with a lot of dimension and lasts all day, through work, sweat, and play.
The blush in Pinched Pink works great for my medium skin, just a sweep along my cheekbones gives me a natural wash of color that brightens up my face and makes me look like I spent a few minutes in the sun. The only drawback is that there aren't too many colors to choose from, mostly in the pink and bronze family, but it is a really great quality brush, drugstore brand or not.
Blush Challenger #2- Maybelline NY Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush
I bought this blush in True Peach for my vacation last month. The first thing I noticed about it (apart from there being no brush) was that the blush was more matte than shimmery, which is not so great. You want your blush to attract and reflect light, not absorb it. This blush comes in a wider range of colors than the L'oreal blush, most of them seem universally flattering, but just in case you aren't sure which will work for you, the website offers a color matching tool where you enter your skin tone and eye color and it selects the best colors for your coloring.
I discovered that while the blush is not very special on its own (despite the pretty color), it makes a perfect cheek stain when I mix it with equal parts of my rosebud salve, which also gives it a nice shine that the powder alone lacks Using it this way is also nice for summer, because a stain will hold up better than powder in hot weather.
Although both put up a good fight, I have to say that the L'oreal Bare Naturale beats out the Maybelline Blush just by a few hairs, mostly because of the brush and because of the shimmery and long-lasting powder. Let me know which one is your favorite.
love, iCandy
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2 comments:
I've never tried either one of them but I really want to now! I have a difficult time deciding what color looks good on me (since I usually shop alone for makeup...none of my friends really care). It's nice for someone to explain what I look for in blush, and with your second example (maybelline), I love the suggestion of using rosebud salve, even if I'm not sure how to do that).
The trick with fair skin is to use a very light hand, a little goes a long way! And the best way to tell which color is to pinch the apples of your cheeks and match your blush to that color so you get the most natural look possible.
Rosebud Salve is basically a fancy, better smelling and not so greasy version of Vaseline. It can be used as lip balm, moisturizer, but when you mix it with a powder blush it makes a sort of cheek stain that you can dot on your cheeks.
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