Name: Defining Duo Blush in Pink Grapefruit Shake
Brand: Catrice
Size: 5g
Price: €3,99

From Catrice’s website:
Each highly-pigmented Duo Blush contains one semi-matt and one shimmering shade. The silky, soft texture with fine, intensive color and shine pigments blends optimally so that you can model the contours of your face. Available in a total of four color combinations.

What I liked:
- gives a rosy flush and a natural glow to the cheeks
- good color payoff
- soft texture, not powdery
- applies and blends like a dream
- longlasting
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- the packaging

Sometimes looks can be deceiving. That’s the case with Catrice Defining Duo Blush in Pink Grapefruit Shake. It comes in a simple, see-through rectangular packaging that looks very cheap and, although the shades look pretty, I have to admit I didn’t expect that much from it. I actually stared at it in the shop for a few minutes before finally deciding to bring it home with me, thinking that this blush is so cheap that, even though it didn’t work for me, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

And boy, am I glad I did! I may dislike the packaging, but that’s the only negative thing that can be said about this blush duo. Pink Grapefruit Shake features two pink shades: a soft pink with a shimmering finish and a darker pink with a semi-matte finish. You can use both colors separately, but I prefer to swirl them together. When used this way, they provide a beautiful and natural rosy flush to the cheeks. The shimmers aren’t obvious on the skin and give it a lovely glow.

The texture is lovely: it is soft to the touch and not powdery at all. The powder glides on smoothly and blends effortlessly. Color payoff is very good as well so one swipe is enough to achieve a rosy and glowy flush that will last for the entire day. This is definitely one of the best blushes in my collection and I can’t wait to pick up the other 3 shades in the range.

Available at: European drugstores

Summary
Catrice Defining Duo Blush in Pink Grapefruit Shake features two shimmering pink shades that provide a rosy pop of color and a natural glow to the cheeks. The powder is pigmented, the texture soft and blends like a dream. The blush lasts all day on my dry cheeks and it is so inexpensive! However, the packaging is ugly.

Rating: 4.5/5

Name: Blush Me in Pink
Brand: Mememe
Size: 8g
Price: £8.50

From Mememe’s website:
Everything you need for a warm healthy glow contained in a gorgeous compact box complete with mirror and brush for on-the-go application. Comes in 4 essential shades making it a must-have for every girls cosmetic collection.

What I liked:
- good color payoff
- gives a nice pop of color and a soft glow to the cheeks
- soft texture, applies and blends smoothly
- brush is actually good and not scratchy
- good staying power
- the packaging
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- I honestly can’t think of anything

What first attracted me to Mememe Blush Me was the packaging. It comes in a square and pretty cardboard box, which reminds me of Benefit Boxed Blushes, but the Mememe version is a lot cheaper. A mirror is housed in the lid and a flat top brush is also included in the box for easier application.

I expected it to be rubbish, and was pleasantly surprised to find out the bristles are quite soft and apply the blush well without scratching the skin. Of course it doesn’t work as well as a proper blush brush, but it’s still useful if you’re  in a rush or need to touch-up your blush during the day.

Blush Me in Pink is a cool, Barbie pink shade with shimmers. It’s a bit scary in the pan actually but very wearable once applied. Color payoff is good: not too sheer but not too pigmented and bright either so you don’t have to worry about it giving you clown cheeks. It’s also easy to build up if you want a more intense color. The shimmers too are very fine, so you won’t look like a discoball either. Instead, Mememe Blush Me in Pink gives a nice pop of color and a subtle glow to the cheeks.

The powder is very soft to the touch, not powdery at all and very easy to apply and blend. Staying power is impressive too. It lasted more than 8 hours on my dry cheeks so there was no need to retouch it through the day. Overall, I’m in love with this blush and I honestly can’t think of anything that I don’t like about it. It’s great value for money and I’m already planning to buy it in Coral too.

Available at: mememecosmetics.co.uk and superdrug.com

Summary
Mememe Blush Me in Pink is a pretty cool Barbie pink with shimmers and good color payoff that gives a pretty pop of color and a nice glow to the cheeks that last for hours. The powder is soft to the touch and blends smoothly. It is packaged in a pretty cardboard box, which also includes a mirror and a brush that’s actually useful!

Rating: 4.5/5

Name: Blush By 3 in Sugar
Brand: Sleek Makeup
Size: 20g
Price: £9.99

From Sleek Makeup’s website:
Each palette has 3 ultra pigmented shades to choose from in matte and shimmer shades. Use the matte shades for a subtle day time flush, and add the shimmery shade over the top for a touch of night time glamour!

What I liked:
- good color payoff
- soft and smooth texture that applies easily
- longlasting
- the packaging
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- Turbinado has a slightly chalky texture (but it still applies smoothly)

I absolutely love Sleek Makeup Blushes. In fact, after the eyeshadow palettes, they are my favourite product from the brand. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I found out they were coming out with a blush palette! Blush By 3 is available in 5 versions (Pumpkin, Lace, Pink Sprint, Flame and Sugar), each one containing three complementary blush shades in different finishes. The one I have is called Sugar. Let’s see which shades it contains, shall we?

Demerara is a berry red shade with a matte finish and great color payoff. It is not as pigmented as most Sleek Makeup blushes, so you don’t have to be very careful when you apply it for fear you’re gonna look like a clown, but it’s not sheer either. A fluffy blush brush picks up in one swipe just the right amount of product you need and blends it easily on your cheeks.

Muscovado looks like a boring shimmering brown shade in the pan and I thought it’d be my least favourite. Instead, it turned out to be the one I love the most. When applied, it has pretty pink undertones and a beautiful gold shimmer and sheen. Like Demerara, it has a soft and smooth texture that blends easily, but because it is very pigmented, you need to apply it with a light hand. I prefer to use a duo-fibre brush with it for a more natural result.

Turbinado looks really meh in the swatch above, doesn’t it? That’s because this matte, warm orange is the sheerest shade out of the three, but it looks beautiful on the cheeks. The pigmentation is buildable, which means that it is easy to apply (you just can’t overdo it) and although the texture is a bit chalky, it goes on and blends like butter.

All three shades are very longlasting: on my dry cheeks, they stay put from morning till night, so there is no need to reapply them throughout the day. At £9.99, this palette is a steal, especially considering that each single blush costs £4.30!

Available at: sleekmakeup.com

Summary
Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Sugar features a matte berry red shade, a matte orange shade and a shimmering brown shade with a gold iridescence. Moscovado and Demerara have great color payoff a soft texture that applies easily, while Turbinado is sheerer but buildable. It has a slightly chalky texture but it applies smoothly too. All the blushes last all day.

Rating: 4/5

Name: Blush in Summertime
Brand: Neve Cosmetics
Size: 4g
Price: €12,90

From Neve Cosmetics’s website:
Its bronzy pink hue enhances a tan (even when it’s minimal!!), its slight iridescence sculpts the cheekbones, its multi-use formula allows it to be used as blush, eyeshadow and gloss!

What I liked:
- beautiful shade, enhances a tan
- good color payoff
- gives a radiant glow to cheeks
- soft texture, easy to blend
- multi-use
- mini size is huge

What I didn’t like:
- only lasts a few hours
- can be messy
- full size is quite expensive
- available only in Italy

Summer may be over *sighs* but that doesn’t mean that you have to give up that beautiful summer glow just yet. A bronzy pink blush with a gold iridescence, such as Neve Cosmetics Blush in Summertime, can help you achieve just that. Summertimes has good color payoff: not as pigmented to make you look like a clown, but not so sheer that you’ll have to apply a ton of product for it to show up. Perfect to enhance a tan, on pale skin it provides a subtle and natural tanned look, while the gold iridescence has a highlighting effect that illuminates the complexion.

Summertimes has a very soft texture that blends like a dream, although, like with all mineral blushes, application can be a bit messy so you’ll to be careful. You will also have to reapply it throughout the day. The blush only lasts about 5 hours on me and keep in mind that my cheeks are dry. You can always use a base to make it last a bit longer. When I use it as an eyeshadow, and on top of Too Faced Shadow Insurance, it lasts pretty much the entire day without creasing. Summertime is also lip safe but I haven’t used it on my lips yet.

Unfortunately, Neve Cosmetics doesn’t ship internationally yet so only those who live in Italy will be able to get it. Another con is the price. The full size retails at €12,90, which is quite expensive. However, you can also order a mini size (that’s the one I got), which costs only €3,90, but contains a lot of product so it’ll last you for a good while, especially considering that you only need a little for each application.

Available at: truccominerale.it

Summary
Neve Cosmetics Blush in Summertime is a beautiful bronzy pink shade with a gold iridescence that enhances a tanned complexion while giving a radiant glow to skin. It has good color payoff and a lovely, soft texture that applies easily. In addition, Summertime, can also be used as a blush and gloss. However, it lasts only a few hours without a primer and application can be messy. The full size is quite expensive too.

Rating: 4/5

I am a sucker for cream blushes and I’m really excited that E.L.F. has finally added some to their line.

Their Cream Blushes promise to offer the best of both worlds: their very creamy consistency transforms into a velvety soft powder finish on the skin. The formula is lightweight and oil-fee and provides buildable pigmentation and a natural and beautiful glow that’s supposed to last for hours. So far, it’s available in 6 pretty shades: Heartbreaker, Flirt, Tease, Temptress, Seductress and Vixen.

ELF cream blushes are available on http://www.eyeslipsface.it/ for €7,50 each and on http://www.eyeslipsface.com/ for $6.00 each.

I can’t wait to try these cream blushes! Are they tempting you too?

Name: Powder Blush in n.26 Fuchsia
Brand: Make Up For Ever
Size: 2,5g
Price: $19.00

From Sephora’s website:
The unique texture of MAKE UP FOR EVER Powder Blush is due to its high pigment density, which makes it last and last. You can obtain maximum coverage with the Matte texture; the Semi-Matte has a silky, satiny feel; and the iridescent shades give a transparent sheen.

What I liked:
- very pigmented
- beautiful matte finish
- easy to blend
- soft texture
- longlasting
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- small pan
- the price

After almost ten years together, Mr BWB knows that when he goes on a trip abroad and wants to buy a little something for me, the safest thing to do is to head to the nearest Sephora (I’ve trained him well lol ). On his last trip (to France, in May), he picked up Make Up For Ever Powder Blush in n.26, a matte, vibrant fuchsia shade that looks really scary in the pan. Considering how pale my skin is, it’s not a shade I would have chosen myself, which makes me all the more happy that i got it because, applied with a light hand, it’s surprisingly very wearable and flattering on fair skin too.

The blush is very pigmented and a little goes a looooong way. I find the best way to apply it is with a duo-fibre brush that doesn’t pick up too much product, resulting in a natural finish. It’s not over the top at all, but gives cheeks a nice pop of color that brightens up the face. The blush has a soft (although not silky-soft) texture that’s not powdery at all and blends easily. And once applied, it will last for the entire day.

The black, square packaging looks sleek, professional and pretty and it has a small see-through section so you can see what color the blush inside is. The only thing I dislike about this blush is that the pan is small, which can put some people off, especially considering how expensive it is. However, you need so little product for each application that the blush will last you for ages and the small size makes it convenient to carry it around with you.

Available at: Sephora

Summary
Make Up For Ever Powder Blush in n.26 Fuchsia is a matte hot pink that, applied with a light hand and a duo-fibre brush, looks very natural and flattering even on pale skintones. The soft texture is easy to blend and, once applied, the blush stays put all day. The small packaging is pretty and handy to carry around with you, but some may considering the pan too tiny for the high price tag.

Rating: 4.5/5

Name: Pretty Compact Blush-On in P115
Brand: Flormar
Size: 14g
Price: €4,95

From Flormar’s website:
Flormar Professional Make-Up develops ultra-fine, smooth and ultra-wearing blush-on. It sets the make-up and at the same time allows perfect touch up during the day. Improved micronizing technology allows the powder to feel velvety and smooth on your skin and under your fingertips.

What I liked:
- good color payoff
- warms up the complexion and provides a nice glow
- velvety smooth texture, blends easily
- longlasting
- the price

What I didn’t like:
- bronzer may not show up well on dark skintones
- the packaging

Flormar Pretty Compact Blush-on, available in six shades (two of which are duos), is packaged in such a plain round white compact that could easily be overlooked when shopping. And it would be such a shame as the product inside is really wonderful. The shade I have is P115, which contains a blush and a bronzer. Both have a velvety soft and smooth texture that’s not powdery at all and blends like a dream. They are also pretty longlasting, staying put for more than 8 hours on my cheeks.

The blush is a beautiful and shimmery peachy shade. The color payoff is just right. It’s not so sheer that it won’t show up on the cheeks but also not too pigmented that you could end up looking like a clown with just one swipe. It’s a very wearable, natural-looking blush that provides a healthy pop of color and a warm glow to the cheeks. The shimmers aren’t over the top either.

The bronzer is a light tan shade that’s chock full of shimmers which makes it unsuitable for contouring. Less pigmented than the blush, it can be used, even by pale-skinned beauties, all over the face for that pretty bronzed look. It doesn’t look too orange nor too muddy but, because of how shimmery it is, you’ll have to use a light hand or instead than a sunkissed glow you’ll just resemble a discoball. However, unlike the shimmers, the color may not show up well on darker skintones. I’m not a fan of the bronzed look so I prefer to use it as a blush or, very sparingly, as a highlighter.

Available at: douglas.de

Summary
Flormar Pretty Compact Blush-On in P115 contains a peachy blush and a light tan bronzer, both of which are chockfull of shimmers and have good color payoff. The blush provides a warm glow on the cheeks while the bronzer can be used to achieve a sunkissed glow or as a highlighter. However, it may not show up well on darker skintones. Their texture is velvety soft, they blend easily and last long. The packaging is not very pretty but helps keep the price very low.

Rating: 4/5

Name: Blush in Suede
Brand: Sleek Makeup
Size: 8g
Price: £4.29

From Sleek Makeup’s website:
Suede is a warm, tawny matte blush that elicits a wintery mocha glow. Use a contour brush to define and sculpt the cheeks, or use a large fluffy brush and swirl the colour on to the apples of the cheeks for a natural, radiant complexion.

What I liked:
- provides a warm and natural wash of color on the cheeks
- doesn’t look muddy
- good, buildable color payoff
- soft texture, blends easily
- matte finish, great for contouring pale skintones
- the price
- the packaging

What I didn’t like:
- may look ashy on dark skintones
- doesn’t show up well on dark skintones
- average staying power

Out of all the products in the Sleek Makeup Nude collection, the Blush in Suede was the one I was less curious to try. I mean, how exciting can a nude blush be? Very, as it turns out. Suede is a peachy brown blush with a matte finish that provides a subtle, very natural tanned look to the cheeks. It is a great blush for everyday and its peachy undertones prevent it from ever looking muddy.

In addition, Suede also provides a slight contouring effect. I actually prefer to use it to contour my face rather than as a blush. That’s because, having pale skin, it is really hard for me to find a good bronzer that’s not too dark, too orangey, too muddy or too shimmery. Suede, instead, is none of those things and thus perfect for contouring pale skin tones. Those with pale skin will also love that, unlike the other Sleek Makeup blushes which are insanely pigmented, Suede has good but buildable color payoff. It’s one of those blushes that’s just impossible to overdo.

However, darker-skinned beauties may find the blush won’t show up well on their skin. And if it does, it may look ashy. If you have dark skin, I highly recommend you test it at the shop before purchasing. But what about its texture? That’s velvety soft and smooth. Suede applies and blends effortlessly but doesn’t last that long on the cheeks. I only get about 4 and a half hours of wear before it starts to fade, which is only average, especially when you consider that my cheeks are dry.

Available at: sleekmakeup.com

Summary
Sleek Makeup Blush in Suede is a matte peachy brown that provides a very natural, slightly tanned look to the cheeks. The texture is smooth and easy to blend and the pigmentation is buildable. It also great at contouring pale skintones. However, it may look ashy and not show up well on darker skintones. In addition, staying power is only average.

Rating: 4/5