Best and Worst: Blushes

It can be a daunting prospect strolling into Boots or The Body Shop and being bombarded with saleswomen persuading you to purchase ludicrously overpriced blushes, that for all you know will be worse than wet socks in the winter.  Hopefully, this will help you make up your mind regarding blusher quality, the type of blush that suits your skin tone and type, and value for money.

The first blush, which is possibly my favourite out of all of the four blushes regarding performance, is the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Multi-Tonal Blush in 2169 Summer Fever. The blush consists of a trio of colours, each varying in purpose. I prefer to use the colour furthest to the right to contour my cheekbones, and sometimes to add a splash of colour to my cheeks if I am opting to sport a more olive tone foundation. The middle shade I prefer to use as a bronzer, mainly on my forehead, nose and again, my cheekbones. The right shade appears as a beautiful muted pink on the apples of the cheeks, and looks so natural it would be hard to decipher one was even wearing blush. The three shades swirled together in a tornado of colour produce a breath-taking fury of peaches, with a slight iridescence of caramel bronze. This blush is amazing, and at the affordable price of £5.19 (bearing in mind that you receive three blushes in one), is readily available to add to your make up collection now! The trio is available to purchase from any good cosmetics retailer now, or online at: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Multi-Tonal-Powder-Blush_929030/.

(Colours mirrored from palette. Left to Right.)

If cream blushes are more your thing, then the next blush may be just your cup of tea! The NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Tea Rose has to be the most pigmented cream blushers I have ever used. I absolutely adore the creaminess of the blush, and the pretty natural pink sheen the cream produces after being blended. I was hugely sceptical of how wearable the colour would appear on my face during the day, but it is so effortless to wear that I forgot I was sporting it. As for skin types, I have extremely oily skin, and the colour did not make my face look shiny; more luminous and natural. I did not need to re-apply the blush half way through the day, and there were even (gasps) traces of it in my toner, at the end of the day. I foolishly made the mistake of gouging my fingers into the blush upon first application, and as a result ruined it’s gorgeous packaging appearance! The blush will last you for a ridiculously long time, so at £5.50 is amazing value for money. The blush is available to purchase online through http://www.nyxcosmeticsstore.co.uk/acatalog/CB_-_Cream_Blush.html.

(Central colour is a swatch of the blush un-blended. Upper right, blush blended)

My experience with mineral blushes is very sketchy, so I have to warn you that I don’t have a vast variety of blushers to refer to (other than Collection 2000 pigments, which can be used anywhere desired on the face). One of the only mineral blushes that I use on a frequent basis is the Avon Smooth Mineral Blush in Blushed. The pigments are silky smooth, and the blush has a very photogenic, shimmery nature about it. The colour itself appears as a gorgeous nude brown in the packaging, but the result on the face is very unpredictable. The colour pay off of the blush is horrifying, being that the colour is barely visible on the face, and when it is, looks nothing opposite to a sickly beige-orange colour. However, with a little mineral foundation lightly applied over the blush, my face looks naturally radiant, but NOT blushed or coloured. The colour does not stay on my face for more than three hours, so retouching throughout the day is crucial. I could imagine the colour looking gorgeous on paler skin tones, and would look stunning on olive tones. The blush seems to have been limited edition, but if you’re quick you could be lucky enough to purchase one off of eBay, through the link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Avon-Smooth-Minerals-Blush-new-U-CHOOSE-COLOR-/220729261901?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item791423afdd#ht_500wt_1054.

Last, but most definitely not least, is the No7 Natural Blush Cheek Colour in 20 Honey. This blush is absolutely wonderful. Beginning with pigmentation: not the best, but bearable. I try and see this as a positive point, as the colour can be used to contour cheeks and give a subtle hint of colour, or be used on the apples of the cheeks and built up to boast a glamorous pale beige. The colour stays firmly on my face for around four hours, so although reapplying is necessary, it’s worth it. The colour best suits medium skin tones (in my opinion), but could definitely be pulled off on dark or light skin tones. My favourite thing about this colour is how wearable it is. It’s perfect for any occasion, be it a normal day or your very own wedding extravaganza, this blush is perfect. It’s readily available at Boots stores, and is slightly pricier than the other picks, at £9.50, but this blusher has lasted me three years, so it’s brilliant value for money! Otherwise, purchase online from http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Natural-Blush-Cheek-Colour-5G_953467/.

 Happy Shopping!