Category Archives: blush

creme, powder, shimmer & tints of all browns, roses, plums & pinks

sweet charity: make by we see beauty

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make by we see beauty
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it’s nice to be nice and we see beauty’s vision is just plain nice. with a shop full of gorgeous products, 1/3 of sales goes directly to the we see beauty foundation, a non-profit organization supporting women-led, worker-owned cooperatives. make is the first wholly for-benefit color cosmetics line launching on we see beauty’s online marketplace.

i got to play around with a few pieces of the collection yesterday and i am seriously impressed. the line has a fun freshness about it that makes the products completely unique and totally wearable at the same time. on top of that, the creators certainly did their homework, formulating products that are blendable, buildable, and long lasting.

matte finish blush in vegas, $22.50 – this electric pink requires a very light touch, but the high quality pigments are a piece of cake to blend so you’re left with a sheer fuchsia flush that’s ultra fresh.

soft focus corrective duo, $22.50 – i have been in the biggest concealer rut until discovering this concealing/setting pair. dabbing the creamy formula on to blemishes made them vanish completely and setting with the translucent powder kept them under wraps until bedtime – a huge win in my book.

defining mascara, $16 – i’m a mascara snob so i did not have high hopes for this. i was quickly proven wrong after applying the silkiest, blackest black lengthener ever. the tapered brush delivered crazy long, fluttery lashes that looked homegrown and did not flake or smudge. the biggest surprise of the day – love!

if you do nothing else, you must pay the website a visit. i’ve never seen a cosmetic collection so gorgeously represented online! beauty junkies who have to have it, will absolutely devour the comprehensive line complete with color, skincare, and tools ranging in price from $5 – $40.

bareminerals blush in the natural high

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bare escentuals natural high

part of the ready collection, this new blush from bareminerals comprises all of the mineral goodness from your favorite bare escentuals blushes in a solid form. antioxidant sea minerals help to smooth and soften skin while enhancing cheeks with an ultra flattering pop of color.

the blush itself is smooth and sheer, very easy to build and blend. i get an easy eight hours of wear without any added shine or extra attention to pores or imperfections. it’s just the right amount of glow in a color that’s perfect for my fair skin, but it’s a shade that will definitely flatter olive and caramel tones as well. the golden petal gives me a windswept flush and doesn’t accentuating the touch of redness that i get on my cheeks and around my nose this time of year (an impressive feat – i have to be so careful with blush color). i apply it using this brush in swirling circles and the finished look is pure perfection.

if you, like me, tend to collect these peach-gold-shimmer-rose toned blushes, this will be a welcome addition to your menagerie. note: it’s nearly sold out everywhere, get this one while you can!

shop bareminerals ready blush in the natural high ($22) >

bobbi brown pretty powerful pot rouge

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bobbi brown pretty powerful pot rouge

happy international women’s day, beauties!

to celebrate the day, i am pleased to announce a new initiative from bobbi brown cosmetics. the brand is launching its first ever charitable initiative: the pretty powerful campaign for women and girls. the worldwide movement is dedicated to empowering women and girls with education, resources, job skills and work experience and will aim to help them “be who they are.”  the campaign will raise funds through the sale of a limited-edition pretty powerful pot rouge ($25) and via globalgiving.org.  in the u.s., every cent of the proceeds from sales of the pretty powerful pot rouge will go to dress for success, which bobbi has worked with for years.

i love bobbi’s pot rouge – it’s a makeup bag essential for both lips and cheeks and i absolutely love the way that it blends. i always feel like it brings out a natural-looking flush, but i can’t get enough of this new universally flattering pink shade. the pretty little pot is the perfect way to update your look for spring while supporting an important cause.

shop bobbi brown pretty powerful pot rouge ($25) >

seeing hearts

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seeing hearts

 

valentine’s day has come and gone and i can’t help but notice that the beauty brands are still feeling the love. with a prevalence of heart-bedecked blushes on the market at the moment, i just had to round them up for you:

physician’s formula happy booster illuminating bronzer veil, $13.95
stila ‘all you need is love’ blush, $14
mac ‘archie’s girls’ pearlmatte face powder, $30
smashbox love me blush, $28
too faced sweethearts perfect flush blush, $29

do you own any of these lovey dovey cheek powders? which one is your favorite?

hourglass aura sheer cheek stain

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hourglass aura

i have a new blush love! hourglass’ aura sheer cheek stain is  a bit of a game changer. the sheer water-based stain is housed in a stick with a click base and spongy applicator top. it can be tricky to get cream and liquid cheek color to go on evenly, but the lightweight formula is super simple to stamp and blend onto cheeks without the need for your fingers to get involved. (i don’t know about you, but i find that the less i touch my face, the better off i am.) it’s somehow hydrating and gives a gorgeous natural flush but it sets and dries completely leaving no stickiness behind. used over tinted moisturizer, it could not be more perfect for everyday wear and i love the fact that it stays where you put it sans settling into any creases. coming in two natural shades appropriate for a range of skin tones, it’s nice to find something that absorbs quickly and gives a dewy look without actually being wet or shimmery. in short, this blush is just easy – and couldn’t we all use just a bit more easy?

shop hourglass aura sheer cheek stain ($45) >

vapour aura multi-use blush

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vapour

i’ve decided that i like the youthful lit-from-within glow that i get from a cream blush. even though my skin gets shiny, i feel like powder blush can be aging on me and i don’t love that. the problem with cream blushes is that they sit on your skin so if you touch your cheeks, you can feel a stickiness. worse, if you’re married to a portuguese man and you have to double cheek-kiss all of your in laws upon arrival and departure you will literally stamp your cream blush on to the cheeks of everyone you greet. ugh, it’s a disaster.

so, happy am i to discover aura multi-use blush from vapour organic beauty. the slim stick houses a beautiful blush that can be easily applied to cheeks and lips, or even used as a highlighter on the bridge of your nose, brow bone, etc. i’m sweet on the ‘radiant’ formula which has a touch of sophisticated shimmer. my shade is whisper, an orgasm-esque warm pink with gold shimmer. it’s perfect for layering over bronzer and can be worn all year-round. best of all, it dries to a smooth finish giving me the bright and refreshed look i love, without the stickiness.

on top of the prettiness it provides, i delight in knowing aura’s organic ingredients, minerals, and vitamins are infusing my skin with calming antioxidants. the packaging makes it a dream to travel with and very easy to keep handy for touch ups.

if you’re looking for a natural dewy sheen this winter, this is your new best friend. vapour aura multi-use blush is available here for $28.

jouer customized makeup palettes

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jouer is one of the very first beauty brands to fuel the makeup obsession that drives the glossarie. what used to be a little-known brand available only at the henri bendel counter in nyc has grown into a makeup phenomenon with a serious following. i was originally drawn to jouer because of their intelligent packaging. they were the first to create the custom palette in a click-together format that is impossible to resist. jouer offers ladies the opportunity to get exactly what they want in terms of color in a makeup palatte, and, well, i totally dig that.

beyond the cool design are quality formulas in wearable colors that are just plain pretty. the result of whatever combination you put together is an effortless beauty that jouer refers to as the truly essential beauty wardrobe. just like the lbd, they offer up the perfect fit for everyone, for every occasion.

after investing in your favorites, you’ll find that jouer’s products click together side to side and back to back, meaning that you can break things up any which way you like, taking as much or as little of your beauty routine with you as you travel.

my must-haves:

moisturizing lip gloss in hamptons, $20
powder eyeshadow in meringue, $20
oil-free mineral powder bronzer in sunshine, $28
lip and cheek tint in petal, $20

the products are timeless and have quickly become key pieces in my otherwise overwhelming collection of beauty. i get instant chic whether i’m at home or on the go making jouer a true glossarie mvp.

to start customizing your own essential palette, shop the full jouer cosmetics color range ($14 – $38) online.

theBALM stainiac

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’tis the season for boots, pumpkin spice, and dark, stormy manicures, but i still have trouble saying goodbye to my cherished summer glow. enter, thebalm staniac. this lip and cheek tint (discovered thanks to birchbox) is the perfect product to help hang onto that sunkissed look long into the chillier months.

i tried beauty queen, a light, sheer berry tint. one swipe on the apple of each cheek leaves you looking fresh for daytime, or dab it on a few times for a more dramatic look. bonus: for a night out, i like to add nars the multiple orgasm on top for extra shimmer.

the best part about this product is that you really have to layer it to get a lot of color, so there’s no danger in looking like a clown on your first attempt, even if you’re heavy-handed.

keep your pretty flush for fall: buy staniac online here.

maybelline dream bouncy blush

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now i know that this blush is nothing new. the blogs raved about it months ago but i was too timid to give it the old college try. you see, i couldn’t for the life of me figure out how you were supposed to apply it. i love maybelline, love the color range, love the idea of a powder-gel formula…but how to get it onto my cheeks?

well, i dedicated my morning to playing around with it and found that the consistency is less bouncy, more mold-able solid. after a few attempts to apply it with my fingers (you need like four layers to get any pigment showing) and a brush or two (nope, just don’t even waste your time), i flipped the case upside down, held it by the lid, and stamped the color directly from the rounded dome onto my cheek.

the result was amazingly beautiful color, no brush needed. huzzah!

i highly doubt that’s the way that the fine people at maybelline intended it to be applied (also, i may be the only person on the planet with chunky chipmunk-y enough cheeks to pull it off…) but it is working for me and i adore the end look and feel.

so anyway, please carry on with your saturday. i’ll just be over here continuing my mad love affair with this blush (in orchid hush) and patting myself on the back for my super sleuth-y beauty problem-solving skills.

happy weekend!

this or that: bronzer duos

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*this or that: blush & bronzer duos

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i love a blush and bronzer duo. my years as a beauty addict have taught me that going with a formula that has multiple tones can be super flattering to tricky skin tones since there’s often nothing better than a product that allows you to create a custom blend. i need a bit of bronzer to warm things up after putting on my daily dose of foundation, but for fair girls like me, the addition of a peach, coral, or rose to the bronze can add a brightening finishing touch. it pulls the whole look together and makes it look more natural. i’ve chosen two bang up options for anyone in the market for a blush and bronzer in one compact, regardless of your budget.

top: nyx cosmetics bronzer & blusher combo, $9
(a mostly matte finish, perfect for those fighting
blemishes or wrinkles which shimmer tends to amplify)

bottom: bobbi brown limited edition bronzer/blush duo, $36
(so stunning in pink peony and bahama brown)