Swatches: NARS Douceur; MAC Blushbaby; NARS Deep Throat

Hi Blushers!
Just wanted to share some swatches of my newest blushes. Haven't had a chance to wear any of them yet, but thought I'd get the swatches out there in case you are interested. I'll have a review up soon I promise :) Until then, happy blushing!

L to R: NARS Douceur; MAC Blushbaby; NARS Deep Throat

Mockingjay

OK I know this isn't about blush but I just felt like I needed to get something out there about the book I just finished reading, "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins. I absolutely loved the first two books in the trilogy and was really excited about this last instalment. Have to admit I'm pretty disappointed though. Cried at the end of the book, but not sure so much if I was crying about part of the ending, or crying that the book was finished and the trilogy is over or crying that all the expectation and excitement for the last book is over. Would love to hear what you think??

Btw, I'm totally team Peeta. If they make this into a movie I know I will watch it but I'm worried if I watch it it will ruin the book for me. Similar to how the Twilight movies have ruined the re-reading of the books.

Blush Comparison: NARS Orgasm v Milani Luminous v ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

I thought I'd share a few photos and thoughts about how similar (or dissimilar) these three blushes are. Colour wise, they are peachy pink, though more peach than pink. I do think Orgasm and Luminous are the most similar, but Orgasm has more visible gold sheen to it than Luminous. ELF is the most dull looking of the three and although it has some gold flecks in the pan, when applied they don't really seem to show up!

From L to R: ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Duo (the blush swatch only); Milani Luminous Blush; NARS Orgasm Blush

Orgasm is definitely the most pigmented. With one swipe you already need to blend blend blend to get it looking natural, which is why I think I prefer Luminous! Bonus points because it is so much cheaper too (USD$6 for Luminous vs USD$26 for Orgasm)! Luminous is gorgeous because it has gold undertones but it isn't too overpowering, and the colour is very buildable, so for those who aren't heavy blush users you can choose to apply as little or more as you like. Downsides to both Orgasm and Luminous are the shimmery/sheeny aspect. On days my skin is suffering from large pore syndrome or blemishes, the shimmer really accentuates these negatives.

What about the ELF you say? For the price (USD$3) it's still a good solid blush but I admit I never reach for it and I'd rather spend an extra $2 to get the Milani Luminous.

My pick of the three? Milani Luminous, followed by NARS Orgasm, followed by ELF.

Happy blushing!

From L to R: ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Duo; Milani Luminous Blush; NARS Orgasm Blush

Review: Illamasqua Katie Blush

Illamasqua Katie Blush

I've had this blush for little over a week now and can't love it enough! I was originally worried at first that it would be too light for me and look a bit ashy against my yellow toned (but still relatively fair) skin but that's totally not the case. For reference, I am a No.1 in the Hourglass veil foundation in winter and a No. 2 in summer; Punjab in NARS Sheer Glow foundation (sorry I've never been MAC colour matched so I can't give you the NC/NW comparison - I swear it's on my to do list though!). 

Things I love about this blush:

1. Colour

Now I wouldn't say that this blush imparts a "natural glow" (and to be honest my natural glow after I've been doing exercise is not pretty at all! - side post - does anyone out there agree? I never "blush" after exercise, but rather my whole face just goes red), but it does give me a very pretty doll like pink flush. Especially if I'm going for the asian minimalist makeup look, this is the perfect blush to complement the just foundation, blush and mascara look.

2. Quality

It feels very finely milled. It takes just a small pat from my MAC 129 brush to pick up a good deal of product, so with one swipe of the brush I can get a decent amount of pigment pay off on my cheek. The colour is buildable too so I don't have to use a light hand when applying, but can build it to a darker pink with a few more swipes.

3. Matte

Where has a matte blush been all my life? After succumbing all too readily to the raves on you tube re the NARS Orgasm blush and using other brands which always had some shimmer to it, I can't believe I never appreciated the power a matte blush could have. With my oily/acne prone skin, the last thing I want is a shimmery blush to highlight further any bumps or blemishes I have. That's where the matte blush comes in. While Katie is matte, the colour shows up so pretty on the cheek and doesn't look dull at all (which is probably what I worried about most with a matte blush).

4. Packaging

Ok, so I'd like to say that I'm generally not lured to a product because of it's packaging, which I can vouch for because I pretty much used a $1 ELF blush for about a year straight. But I do really love the packaging. For starters the pan is HUGE! It's almost the size of my palm. I love this because it means my MAC 129 brush can easily pick up the product and this helps to give a more even application (Brownie points +5). Extra +5 Brownie points goes to the lightweightedness (is that a word??) of the packaging. For such a large pan, it is surprisingly light! Who wants to carry around a blush that's heavy? 

Caveats:

Unfortunately there has to be a downside right? Well the good thing is I can't think of too many.

1. Price - AUD$40; USD$16 +AUD$11 shipping at beautybay.com; USD$24 at Sephora (unfortunately they don't ship to Australia :() Yes - this is v. expensive for a blush. Is it worth it? Absolutely! But I would try to find a friend in the US or UK who can send it to you.
2. I have to admit I'm a bit of a...you guessed it...blushaholic. So given I've only had this blush for a week, I can't promise that I won't have another favourite next week!

Until then...happy blushing!