Happy Holidays!!

Just a quick note to say I'm still here.  I hope you're all doing well!  My passion for blush seems to have faded a bit.  I've been a little overwhelmed with some non-makeup related things.  Hopefully after the holidays my blush love will be reignited!  I just wanted to say that I'm having a blog sale if you're interested in some new goodies and have any money left after all the Christmas shopping.  So check it out if you're interested (I'm parting with some treasures).  Have a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  Hope to see you more next year.  PEACE.

Pretty in Pink! Chanel Ultra Rose JC

I sometimes wonder what Chanel is thinking with their exclusive products.  This is one of those times.  The Ultra Rose JC is a gorgeous bright pink and only available in Asia or Europe.  

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful friend get it for me.  So, if you love pink, try to get your hands on it!  It is baked, but has good color payoff.  It's similar to the hard to find Turbulent, but isn't as blue-toned or quite as pastel-y.  Of the blushes I have, it is most similar to Kevyn Aucoin Myracle.  Here are some pictures--hope they help!

Thanks for reading--have a great week!

Burberry Sheer Blush--Hydrangea Pink

Surprise!  I'm back--I hope you didn't give up on me!  Last year I had some health issues crop up, but I'm back now and feeling great.  I hope to blog more regularly (lol, I know, I always say that!) and figure out a way to find something interesting to say.  Hope you're all doing well and had a great holiday season!  

My newest purchase from Nordstom is Hydrangea Pink--this is one of the new 2013 spring blushes from the Burberry Beauty line.  I love the texture of these so much!  They're so soft and creamy and blend like a dream.  Here is a picture of Hydrangea Pink (the lighting isn't the best--sorry!)

Some of the pictures I had seen made it look VERY vibrant and bright, but it is much more wearable (even though I have a huge weakness for crazy-bright blushes).  Here are some other blushes from my collection to compare it to--these seemed like the closest matches.

 And finally, here are some quick comparison swatches of these blushes.  Honestly, the Burberry has the best texture of any of them (a few had to be layered a bit to get some color).  Hydrangea Pink is a bit plummier than I expected, and leans cool, but not close to the blue-super cool blushes like Nars Gaiety or Chanel Turbulent.

Hopefully these pictures will help with your spring blush buying and I hope you have a healthy and happy 2013! 

Update and Blog Sale

Wow!  I can't believe it's been 6 months since I posted last.   I really am a terrible blogger--LOL.  I'm doing well and hope to be back to blogging again soon.  I lost my makeup mojo and am trying to find an angle that interests me.  I did list a few new things on my blog sale, so if you're interested, you can check it out here.  Much love to you all. <3

Taking a little break

Ok, first off, I know I take a lot of breaks, but they were all mostly unplanned.  But now, something's come up where I need to take some time to relax and not feel guilty about not blogging (got that?).  I'll be trying to update my personal (non-makeup) blog with details -- Tuna Parfait. Thanks and much love.  Enjoy your blushes!

A Beautiful Bunch of Bright Pink Blushes

I don't think it will come as a surprise to most of you, but my very favorite color for blush is bright pink.  It is just irresistible to me and if possible, I think that I would like to collect every single one.  I'm not sure if this is all of my bright pinks, but here is a picture of most of them:

 Aren't they lovely?  Ha!  Some of the blushes I chose are currently available, some are discontinued, some have been reformulated, and some are brand new.  People often ask what my favorite blush is and I'd have to say it's Chanel Turbulent.  I prefer the color of the Euro/baked version, but the texture of the US one.  I've been using it sparingly because it is one of the discontinued ones and very hard to find.  Luckily, Nars Gaiety is really close in color and the texture is very nice for a Nars blush.  It doesn't have any shimmer, but still gives a nice glow.  If I need more, I can use a separate highlighter.  Here are the bright pink swatches:

Some are much more raspberry pink and others become cool and pale instead of the fluorescent pink they look like in the pan.  One of my favorites for texture is Beauty is Life.  The texture of Joy (and the others I have) is soft and creamy powder, really heavenly.  You can see the older versions of a couple Shu blushes on the far right--they're among my favorites in texture as well.
I have to admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to the texture of blush.  I really prefer very fine powder that isn't too compressed or hard.  That is why I'm not crazy about the Chanel baked blushes--it's a bit hard to get color payoff from them.  They're finely milled, but the texture is hard.  There are no blushes here that I hate--the colors are lovely and even though not all the formulations are my favorite, there are much, much worse on the market. 
I'm trying to post more and I'll be doing smaller groupings of colors/brands/etc. in the coming weeks.  Thanks for reading!  I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite things.  <3

A few things--Blog Sale...

First, I want to apologize for not posting anything in months.  I really will try to post my pretty blush pictures more consistently.  Also, I wanted to mention that I'm having a blog sale--I've purged a bunch of blushes and other things.  

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and your new year is going well.  Thanks so much!  Enjoy a few pictures of some recent pretty things. =)

Chanel Joues Contraste--Candy

Candy from Chanel is another baked Euro blush in Chanel's Joues Contraste line, it was a Limited Edition from a few years ago and was pretty popular.  Here is a picture of it in the pan

It's a lovely color--on me it is pretty much straight up peach with just a hint of coral.  There is no visible glitter, it just adds a bit of that JC glow thanks to a tiny amount of pink shimmer.  Here is a swatch of it--it's 2nd from the left.

As you can see it is a lovely, bright, smooth powder.  The baked formula glides on easily without being overly powdery or chunky.  It has the signature Chanel rose scent.

Here are the rest of this batch of Chanel blushes:

 

Tomorrow will be the lovely Caprice.  Thanks for your time! <3

Blog Sale

Just a quick note to let you know I've updated my blog sale with a few new things and lowered the price on some older items.  As always, US shipping is included.  Thanks and have a great day!!

Chanel Joues Contraste Blush--Brume d'Or

Chanel's Joues Contraste line of blushes are lovely.  They have a unique glow that is hard to capture with a camera and hard to find in other blushes.  Today's blush, Brume d'Or is one of the baked blushes, usually part of the European, Canadian, and Asia collections.  The baked versions are harder and usually have less color payoff.  The powder on these is very fine and blends well into the skin.  Here is how Brume d'Or looks in the pan.

Brume d'Or is a peachy terracotta brown with very subtle super-fine silver shimmer. Here are the swatches--Brume is on the far left.  It doesn't really capture the glowiness of it.

If you're sensitive to smells, you need to know that all these Chanel blushes have a rather strong rose smell.  I can smell them when they're in the drawer and especially when I open the compact.  Once it's applied to my face, however, I don't notice it at all.  Here's a pic of my first batch of JC's.

You can get Chanel at pretty much any department store, but many of the ones in my collection are the Euro version or discontinued.  Thanks for reading, tomorrow will be the lovely Candy. <3

Cargo Blush--Tonga

Cargo Tonga is the last of my blushes from Cargo.  It is also one of my favorites.  It is a lovely dusty rosy-pink color.  It is matte and has a lovely creamy texture.  This is the perfect everyday blush for the pale ladies.  It is subtle and just gives a gentle flush.  Here is how it looks in the pan:

I'm not sure if it varies by batches, but this blush has the softest texture.  It really just feels like silk on the skin.  Here's another look at all my Cargo blushes:

If you have a chance to test these, I think you'll be impressed and Cargo has some unique colors and there is something for everyone.  Here are the swatches that I've done.  Tonga is the last one on the far right.

Thanks for reading my blog, I really appreciate it!  Starting tomorrow I'll be working through my Chanel stash alphabetically.  Have a great week! <3

Cargo Blush--The Big Easy

The Big Easy blush from Cargo Cosmetics is one of those perfect go-to blushes.  The color is a soft nude-pink peach that works perfect on my pale complexion. 

I know it doesn't look like much in the pan, but goes on such a pretty color.  It should work for Fair to Medium skin tones, but might be too light to work for the Medium-Dark ladies.  Here is the swatch, it's the second from the right.

If you have a chance to try it out, I think you'll be surprised by it.  Cargo blushes are smooth and The Big Easy has a lovely silky texture.  There are a couple pieces of ultra-fine glitter, but really the blush just adds a lovely glow.

 

Monday is the last day for this round of Cargo--I'll finish up with Tonga.  Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Cargo Blush--Sunset Beach

Cargo's Sunset Beach blush incorporates four different colors into one blush.  I love using this for an easy natural look.  The colors blend together to make a glowy wearable blush.  Sunset Beach is part of the Beachblush line from Cargo and each has four colors in a striped pattern.  Here's how it looks:

The colors are a peachy-nude, brown, pink, and champagne.  They all combine to become a shimmery nude shade.  There is some fine glitter in this one and for some reason it doesn't feel as smooth and soft as my other Cargo blushes. 

I do like that the color is somewhat "adjustable" in that I can pick up more or less of a color to personalize it for my coloring.  Here is the swatch--Sunset Beach is third from the right.

I hope you've enjoyed the Cargo blushes--I really like them and feel they don't get enough attention.  Tomorrow is one of my favorites--The Big Easy.  TTYL!

Cargo Blush--Miami Beach

Miami Beach from Cargo is one of their striped Beachblushes.  I've used this more as a subtle blush/bronzer than straight up blush.  It has a bit of a shimmer and sheen about it, but not much real glitter.  The colors are in the rose, brown, and beige family.

One thing I like about these striped blushes is that I can pick how much of each color to use.  For example, if I want more of a beige highlighter, I just use the lightest color.  For the swatch below, I just swirled my finger around evenly over the surface of Miami Beach.

When I blend all the colors together, it becomes an almost peach-rose color with a pretty sheen to it.  This should work on everyone.  Cooler toned gals may want to skip the top color as it might warm it up a bit too much. 

Obviously how it looks will vary by how much of each of the four colors you get onto the brush.  Miami Beach has a lovely texture, just like the rest of the Cargo blushes I have.  Thanks for reading and tomorrow, will be another beachblush--Sunset Beach. TTYL

Cargo Blush--Mendocino

Cargo Mendocino blush seems a little dark and scary in the pan.  But on closer inspection it is a lovely wearable plummy rose with slight silver shimmer.  The glitter is ultra fine and not overwhelming, but if you prefer matte blushes, you might decide to skip Mendocino.  Beyond the shimmer, it has a glowy sheen.  Here's a pic:

I'm not sure how this new blog template is working, so if you can't see all three photos, you need to click on the article to see/read more.  Below are the rest of my Cargo blushes:

Mendocino has a fabulous soft and smooth texture.  The powder is very finely milled and glides on like a dream.  There is no scent and the tin is huge!  Here is a picture of all the swatches:

Mendocino is a lovely color and should work for all skin tones.  Cargo blushes can be purchased at Cargo's website.  Thanks for your time, tomorrow is another stripey blush--Miami Beach.

Cargo Blush--Key Largo

Today's offering from Cargo is Key Largo.  It is a lovely, bu unique color and rather hard to describe.  I'd say it's a coral-rose red.  Here's how it looks in the pan:

I really love the bright color!  It's even brighter IRL than it is on my monitor.  Hopefully you get a clue to the real beauty of this blush.  On my skin, I'd call it a bright pink-coral and I think it would work for almost anyone.  However us pale girls will want to apply it with a very light hand so we don't look slapped/sunburned.  Here are the swatches--Key Largo is the darkest/brightest one in the middle:

The texture is heavenly, just like the rest of the Cargo blushes.  I see no shimmer in this one--it looks totally matte.  I love this blush for the brightness and uniqueness of it.  It really is a beauty.  Here's the group shot:

I'll be back tomorrow with Mendocino.  Thanks for reading! TTYL

Cargo Blush--Gotham

If you were looking at Cargo Gotham in the pan, you would probably just pass it by.  However, the brush applies so much better than the coolish rose it appears to be.  Even the swatch seems fairly unimpressive, but when the color is buffed into the skin, there is a lovely silvery-blue sheen that appears over the rosy pink base color.  It is a lovely effect and unique.  Here it is:

Sadly, Gotham has been discontinued and is rather hard to find.  It does show up now and then on ebay or on blog sales.  Here's how it compares to the rest of my Cargo:

And the swatch is below, it's the 5th from the left.

The texture is wonderful--I know I keep saying it, but Cargo really makes lovely blush.  Let me know what your favorite color is.  Thanks! 

Cargo Blush--Gold Coast

On the Cargo website, Gold Coast is described as a blend of "sheer coral, sunny bronze, and rosewood."  Although no longer available in stores, Gold Coast is still available occasionally on ebay and blog sales.  This is what Cargo called a Suede blush, which is a blend of colors meant to impart a natural flush.  Here is Gold Coast:

Gold Coast is probably a little warm for me, but swatches a pale corally-peach.  There is some shimmer in this one, so it gives a nice glow.  The swatch is the 4th from the left in the picture below:

It should show up well on light-medium skin, but probably not on the darkest skin tones.  There is virtually no scent and the texture is lovely, just like the rest of the Cargo blushes.

Thanks for reading--tomorrow is Gotham.  Have a great day! <3

Cargo Blush--Echo Beach

Echo Beach is a part of Cargo's Beach Blush collection.  These are named after different beaches and have a striped design.  I use the ones I have as a type of bronzer/blush combo.  I believe these are discontinued, but can still be found at some retailers (I saw it online at Apothica.com).  The retail price is $28.  Here is what Echo Beach looks like:

It's a rosy bronze color, so it works well as a blush or bronzer for medium skin without being orange.  Here are the swatches--Echo Beach is the third from the left.

To get the swatches, I just swirled all the colors together.  If you want more or less of one color, you can just add or avoid that stripe.  It doesn't seem to be as pigmented as the regular blushes and I think that helps it work better as a bronzer.  Here are the rest of my Cargo Blushes:

I don't see much shimmer in this and the texture is just as nice and smooth as the others from Cargo.  Thanks for your time--Gold Coast is up tomorrow! =)

Cargo Blush--Catalina

If you're looking for the perfect baby pink blush (and aren't we all?), then you need to take a look at Cargo Catalina.  It's a neutral pink, never overly bright or overpowering.  The texture is amazingly fine.  It glides on like a dream and blends beautifully.

The Cargo blushes are often overlooked because the packaging (a round tin) isn't luxe or glamorous, but they really are some of the best blushes in my collection.  Here's a picture of the ones that I own:

Here are the swatches--Catalina is second from the left:

It is matte and has excellent pigmentation.  Catalina would work to brighten up almost all complexions, except for perhaps the very darkest skin tones.  Check this out in a store if you have a chance, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  Have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday with Echo Beach, one of the striped beach blushes from Cargo.