Shu Uemura KYE Collection: Fresh Cushion Blush - hibiscus orange

I'm starting off this KYE series review with my favorite product thus far. This is my first cushion blush product ever, and have to say this now my favorite form of blush!

 I love applying cushion BB creams, like my IOPE Air Cushion, but this is even better!

 

 Cute packaging aside, it's a traditional cushion packaging with a soft sponge. This is smaller than a BB cushion of course, so only 2 fingers fit on this sponge rather than 3.

 

 The sponge is very saturated with product, and initially I thought I was going to apply way too much. 

I needn't have been concerned though, as this blush is very sheer, but buildable. I dab the sponge in the cushion then lightly tap it around my cheeks. It blends like a dream!

 On the left is a big unblended splotch of the product, and on the right is blended out. It's subtle and very natural, of a demi-matte, non-shiny sheen. It doesn't look artificially orange, but rather warms up my cheeks almost like bronzer, though without the "tan" look. It's beautiful though I had trouble capturing my cheeks on photo with this showing up so hopefully you can trust my words and go try this out yourself! It looks even more gorgeous if you add a golden highlighter on top!

Have you tried a cushion blush before? It feels like a pampering spa experience for my cheeks!

A Better "Orgasm": Face Aterlier Ultra Blush - Peach Glaze

My hubby still finds it really odd that Nars would name their blush "Orgasm", but name aside, I always really liked the peachy-pink shade of Orgasm but found it too sparkly/shimmery for me. Alas, I found something similarly shaded but less shimmery!

Face Atelier is a Canadian brand which I've written about lots; mostly I love their foundations for the amazing skin-like finish. 

 

They also make blushes of course, called "ultra blush". These are very simply packaged (not good for those of you who adore packaging), but amazingly blendable. The pigmentation level is medium, so is easier to use and allows some building up before going clown-y.

I've previously reviewed the shade on the right, "Tangerine".  The new shade I picked up, "Peach Glaze", is a peachy-pink with fine shimmer, but not overly done.

with bounced flash

 Here it is next to Nars "Orgasm" in the pan.

no flash, bathroom lighting

You can see that it leans more peach than pink, but the difference is not notable on the cheeks.

Left to Right: Nars Orgasm, FA Peach Glaze, FA Tangerine; bounced flash

Swatched side by side, you can see how Peach Glaze is still a shimmery blush, but has slightly less shimmer particles compared to "Orgasm" on the far left. "Tangerine" is obviously a matte blush.

Overall, I'm loving it! Perfect summer glowy blush without too much shimmer. What do you think? Are you a fan of the infamous "Orgasm", or have you also found other, and better options?

Tarte Amazonia clay 12 hour blush - amused

This is an unusual shade of blush for me to buy, but it was on sale at Sephora (so hard to resist!) and I keep hearing from others how lovely this blush line is, so into my cart it went. I've been trying this blush out for the past month, and at this point I'm not sure if I like it...Click to read more and see why:

Illamasqua Velvet Blusher - Sleek

I bought this blusher for my mom actually, however since I was visiting her in BC, being her daughter naturally I get to try and test all her cosmetics right?! Oh I'm not looking forward to the day my daughter does this to me... =P

This is a cream blush, of a cream-to-powder finish that blends out impeccably fine, and feels like nothing is on my cheeks. 

indirect sunlight

Though the formula blends beautifully, on me this actually isn't the most "natural" shade. It's much better on my mom who is slightly more dark and yellow in her skintone than me. I have to use a very light hand. It's a strange effect, the formula blending so well that it becomes a part of my face, yet the shade being somewhat unnatural. It gives a very pretty and contoured look though, despite the oddity. I'm not sure how I'd even describe this shade, dark warm apricot?

direct sunlight

Overall, I'd recommend this for those with darker and warmer skintone! It looks beautiful on my mom (*pat myself on back for good pick*). Anyone paler than me I think is going to experience the unnatural shade effect.

Are you sad that Illamasqua has left Canada? Sigh... If it was still here I'd definitely try out some of the other shades, as the formula is the perfection of cream-to-powder blush.

Tom Ford Cheek Color - Wicked Review + Swatches

I had gone to NYC awhile back with hubby. We had an amazing time (without the little one), and saw an amazing musical, called "Wicked". It's a twist on the story of Oz, where the wicked witch was not so evil as all thought. So of course, the next day, when shopping at Saks, I'm browsing the Tom Ford counter and come across this lovely blush, also called "Wicked". Of course I had to buy it right?! (It's amazing how I justify random purchases).

I've long heard the legend of Tom Ford, particularly about his eyeshadows and blushes and how absolutely amazing they are, but the price point and lack of availability had previously prevented me from over-indulging in his over-indulgent line of cosmetics. Only a couple of years ago now did Tom Ford counters enter the Canadian market via Holt Renfrew, which means special trips as Holts are not "everywhere" like the Bay and Sephora.  His limited edition products are even harder to procure, every time they have been sold out and even putting my name on a waitlist has not been fruitful. I'm truly jealous of our neighbors down south over this :)

Tom Ford's packaging is always simple and minimalistic, yet weighty and quietly speaking luxury. This blush is housed very similarly to the eyeshadow quads, though of course of smaller size. See my review of one of his quads here.

Ok enough impressionist rambling, onto the blush! Wicked is a muted pink, which on me is demi-matte. Enough lustre to not look dull but not at all shimmery. 

Left is one finger swipe on the pan, middle is back-n-forth of finger in the pan with one swipe on the arm, and right side is blended out.

As you can see, the pigmentation is very even and smooth. No powdery chalkiness or uneven blotchiness here. Well, it better be for a blush that is $75 CDN or $57 USD (isn't that crazy?! I'm so glad I bought it in the US, the exchange doesn't even work out if you do the math).

Despite the glaring "pink" of this, it comes out very natural on my face when blended. I wear blush very lightly and unfortunately is too light for the camera to pick up so I didn't include a face swatch, but you could definitely build this up if you like. 

Overall, I'm glad to have this in my collection. Would I buy more...that is debatable due to price. If I had more disposable income, I'd collect this (there aren't all that many more colors), but for now, I'll settle for just being "wicked" :) 

Ok that is totally cheesy, sorry =P 

What do you think of Tom Ford cosmetics or his blushes? Worth the price or no?

Inglot Freedom System Blush 47

Oh Inglot, where have you been all my life... ok it's my own fault I didn't walk into your store though I have walked by many times when visiting Times Square... now that you came to Toronto though, I'm plenty interested suddenly and had to pay a visit to the Times Square store (ironic). In it I found the amazing "Freedom" system, where I could just play and swatch and buy the amazing products you make without paying anything for the extra packaging. My Z-palettes thank you.

I started with blush. The sales lady introduced to #47, a matte pink-coral shade that is one of the most natural blushers I've ever used.

Above is a one-swipe swatch, swiped once, and then blended out next to it. As you can see, not the most intensely pigmented blush on one swipe, but not the most sheer, and certainly buildable. This is actually the perfect consumer blusher. Blushes that are too pigmented can be difficult to use sometimes, needing a very light hand or very good blending techniques as a MUA. The really crappy blushers out there are too sheer, annoying to try to build up and end up cakey. This Inglot formula rides the perfect balance!

Here's the size of the pan inside a small Z-palette. This is a no-brainer blush that goes with anything and blends without any real effort. Easy to use, easy to pair, easy easy easy...and cost was amazingly affordable without buying their palette! $11...yup that's it. So little though I know the cost went to the product, not the packaging.

If you like fancy blush packaging (I totally get you), this isn't your friend. If you have Z-palettes hanging around waiting to be used, this is your friend. Overall, affordable highly quality blush...what are you waiting for, go try it already!

Let me know what you think of these or Inglot as a brand in general! I have a few more things from them I will review soon...

Face Atelier Ultra Blush - Tangerine

I'm sharing one of my all-time favorite blushes today. I love Face Atelier as a brand and many of their products (especially the foundation!), and have now come to love their blush. 

Their packaging is simple and functional, and that's all. No fuss.

This shade is called Tangerine, and as the name says is a orange-peach-corally shade.

 

A snapshot I took before I dug in to this beauty a year ago

You might be thinking, orange as a blush?! I am surprised too, but actually this is one of the most natural blushes I own. 

one swipe swatch on the right, same type of swatch blended out on the left

As you can you, it blends smoothly and translate to a natural warm corally-pink on the my skin. The effect is very similar to my Shiseido Color Stick in Peach Flush (click to see my review). The exception is that this FA blush is completely matte, whereas Shiseido is slightly shimmery.

Overall, a HG blush that hasn't left my bathroom daily-makeup pile since I got it! If you haven't tried any FA blushes yet I highly recommend it!

You can buy Face Atelier Blush for $26 CDN on their website.

Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Color Stick (Multi-Use) - S2 Peach Flush - Swatch & Review

Woa that was a mouthful of a name...Regardless of the long name, the product is a simple color stick that can be used on cheeks or lips (hence "multi-use", though I suppose it's really "dual-use"... I wonder where else would I use it??). 

 

I actually have had this for awhile, but it disappeared into the bottom of my stash and I recently re-discovered it. Upon re-using, I now remember how awesome this product is and how much I love the formula.

I have this in Peach Flush, which as the name states, is a peachy-coral shade with a very small amount of shimmer that gives a nice glow but is really not noticeably shimmery. The color is easy to wear and pairs without any look without too much thinking, however what I love most is the formula. It goes on my cheeks butter smooth and blends super easily with fingers into what feels like nothing. I've tried cream blushes before that leaves a sticky feeling on my cheeks, but this doesn't! It's not powdery and really just feels like I'm not wearing anything. 

This swatch is only one swipe on the left, and on the right is the same amount blended. It gives a very soft natural flush to my complexion and doesn't really appear as if I'm wearing blush unless I put a lot on.

I don't really like this on my lips though, it is a bit drying but my lips are super-annoyingly sensitive, so it may be fine on yours. 

I should dig around in my piles more often... I've re-found a HG blush! What's also awesome is the amount of product, I actually cut 1/4 of it off before for a DIY tinted lip balm, and I still have tons left. It'll probably be a looong while before I run out of this thing.

Have you tried any multi-use sticks? What's your favorite?

Nars Orgasm/Laguna mini palette

If you've read my blog before you probably know I'm REALLY slow on the uptake of any hype products. So yes, I have done it again... I have JUST begun using the infamous Nars Orgasm/Laguna  combo.  These have been swatched and compared bajillions of times before on other blogs so I won't contribute photos to that, but will add my two cents (just cuz I can...).

 

I probably don't have to say this, but just in case you're unfamiliar, Orgasm is a peachy-pink shade with fine shimmer/glow. Laguna is a warm mildly-shimmery bronzer (less shimmery/glowy that Orgasm).  This has been noted to be the perfect blush/contour combo by many others.

 

So I have been trying this out for the last few days, my take... I actually find Orgasm a bit too shimmery for me. I still prefer my matte blushes, and would rather than add shimmer highlighter to where I like to put it (in a "C" shape from just above my eyebrows to top of my cheekbones), rather than mix it with the blush. 

As for Laguna, it's a great bronzer! Adds a nice warm glow with just the right hint of shimmer. Note I do NOT use this as a contour. Contour/shading should be done with a shade that mimics a shadow on your face to get a realistic effect. Laguna is not the color of a shadow for my skintone, and I'm going to guess it's not going to be a good shadow shade for a lot of lighter skinned people, it's much too warm. Grey-tones usually perform better for this.

For me, I like to use bronzer where the sun would hit to mimic a glowy tan (what a bronzer is meant to do), which means top of my forehead and on TOP of my cheekbones (not under), and some on my chin and jawline.  Refer to this excellent video by Jordan Liberty to see the effect of bronzer inappropriately used as contour. That said, some people can use certain bronzers as contour, but again only if the bronzer shade happens to mimic how shadows look on one's face. 

Personally, I don't like to contour as my face is already quite angular. I much prefer highlighting to get a more youthful appearance.

Do you have this infamous combo? What were your thoughts? How about your thoughts on contouring? Please feel free to disagree with me and share your experience with bronzers/contouring, I'm always open to learning what others are doing!

tokidoki sale grab ^_^

It's always fun to catch a sale :)

I was browsing Sephora on fine civic holiday (after failed attempt at outdoor Ribfest in the heat), and turns out tokidoki line is being discontinued so everything was 40% off. Unfortunately the brush set was already sold out. So bought some "fun" things to try out.