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--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! 

Becca--Pressed Shimmer Powder--Gypsy

Did you know that pink is my favorite color?  If so, then it should not be a surprise that Gypsy is my favorite of the Pressed Shimmer Powders from Becca.  It was the last one of them that I bought, but is the one that I love the most.  Here's some swatches, first heavily applied, then buffed out.

On my pale (cool-toned) skin, it is the perfect soft pink glowy blush.  If you have a medium or dark skin tone, you probably would want to layer this over another pink blush to add some instant glow.  That is really the intended use of the product--more of a highlighter than a blush or bronzer.  I love the texture of these powders--very soft and finely milled without a hint of grit.  Even though they offer varying amounts of shimmer and glow there is no glitter in sight.  Here is a look at it in the pan, followed by a picture of all 8 of the Pressed Shimmer Powders.

These are some of the nicest highlighters that I've tried.  Next time, I'll show Hyawatha, which is entirely different from Gypsy.

Becca Soft Touch Blush--Malika and Sylph

For some reason, I only have two Becca Soft Touch Blushes--I'll have to work on that this year.  These are really lovely sheer powder blushes that come in 5 colors. Malika and Sylph are the only two that I own and I really love them both. My friend Lynn has a blog dedicated to Becca and may have more of their blushes (including the cream ones!), so check out Shades Of Becca for her awesome swatches.

Malika is a nude-peach color.  It's very wearable, especially for those with pale skin.   Becca calls there formulation "semi-matte", but they have some super fine shimmer bits that help add a glow to my cheeks.  They're not crazy shimmery or metallic/frosty at all.  They have decent pigmentation, but are more sheer than pigmented and the texture on these is smooth, not a bit gritty.

Sylph is a very soft neutral pink.  It isn't bubble gum pink or bright at all.  As you can see from the swatches it's pretty pale and doesn't overwhelm my cool, very fair skin.  Sylph is one of my favorite blushes--I'm such a sucker for pale, barely there, pinks.  If you want to enhance your look with a sheer wash of color that is easy to wear, then these blushes are for you.

It's good to be back!  I'll return tomorrow with Becca Pressed Shimmer Powders.  I know they're not blush exactly, but they're close enough and oh so pretty!

Week 6, Day 4. Rose Blush--Stila Rose

I hardly every talk about Stila blushes, is this my first?  I really love them, but I have a tendency to forget about them.  In my effort to improve on that, today's blush is Stila Rose.  In the pan, it looks pretty much exactly what I imagine a Rose blush should look like.

On the skin, it's still rosy, but more of a brownish-rose with a touch of warmth to it.  It's a beautiful natural color that works great for the workplace or as an everyday blush.  There is a teensy bit of shimmer, but it isn't obvious at all and just lends a bit of a glow.

It has nice pigmentation and the powder is pretty smooth.  Stila Rose applies evenly and looks gorgeous and very natural.  If you collect blushes, like me, you'll appreciate the palette system for storing the blushes.  It's great to organize color families and they pop out into the little compacts for carrying in a purse or for travel.

Tomorrow, is Shu M Rose 19 a pretty pinky rose color and it might be my favorite of the week!  Let me know what themes you'd like to see here in the future.  Have a great weekend, Everyone!

Week 5, Day 7. Chanel Blush--Tempting Beige JC

Awww, I'm sad that today is my last day of talking about Chanel blushes.  But, look at all the pretty sparkly bits in today's blush--Tempting Beige!!  Yay!  This is one of my favorite blushes to look at in the pan.  It is a creamy milk chocolate brown with specks of shimmer--what's not to like?

This really is a lovely color.  On my skin, it is a very wearable nude--a warm toasted rosy-brown color.  Very pretty, but probably more suited for warmer and darker skinned ladies.  The shimmery bits barely show up on the skin, unless you use a ton of it.  But, please don't use a ton, Tempting Beige is one of the more pigmented JCs that I have.

Besides being VERY pigmented, the texture is so nice and beautiful.  The powder is lightly rose scented, and very soft and silky since it is the US version.  Here's one last look at this weeks Chanel lineup.

I hope you've enjoyed the week of Chanel JC blushes, it was fun for me because they are among my very faves.  I love the special glow they give and the subtle rose scent.  Next week, I'll be moving from the Rose scent of Chanel to Rose blushes.  It'll be Seven Days of Rose Blush. =)

Week 5, Day 5. Chanel Blush--Orchid Rose JC

Orchid Rose is today's beauty--and boy is it beautiful!  This is one of those lovely Chanel JCs that works for a variety of people and most seem to love. 

 

Day 5 of Chanel Blush week brings us to Orchid Rose.  From the name, I would think it would be a bright purply-pink, but it is very different from that.  The color is a complex peachy-brown rose color with a moderate amount of shimmer.  The color varies quite a bit depending on the skin tone of the person wearing it.  It can lean more tawny, peach, or pink.

The shimmer is very fine and gives a lovely glow--it shouldn't be too much for anyone.  Obviously it has the rose scent and the smooth powder consistency of all the US Chanel JCs.

Orchid Rose is a lovely blush and I think everyone should at least give it a try to see how it looks on their own cheeks.  Tomorrow is day 6 and time for a DC'd blush--Caprice. 

Week 4, Day 1. Shimmery Blush--Duwop Watermelon Blushbooster

To start off Shimmery Blush week, I picked an Illuminating Blush, as Duwop calls their Blushboosters.  These come in 4 colors (I'll be talking about Mango later in the week).  This beauty is the Watermelon shade of Blushbooster.  It's a glowy highlighter/blush in one.  It is a very pretty peachy pink which makes for gorgeous glowy cheeks.

The swatch looks much peachier on my skin than it is in real life.  It is really a pretty soft pink with slightly more than a hint of peach.  There is no scent and these are quite smooth--not gritty at all.  There is no visible glitter chunks, just a slightly metallic sheen.  They're also not super pigmented, nor are they intended to be.  But, they have a lot more color than a highlighter would. 

On the shimmer scale, where 0 is matte, 5 is glowy, and 10 is glitterbomb, I would give Duwop's Watermelon Blushbooster a 7.  It's wearable for almost everyone.  I don't own any other Duwop makeup, but these glowy blushes are really wonderful.  They cost $22 and are available at Sephora or the Duwop website.

Tomorrow is Dior Rose Diamond Shimmer Star.  One of the prettier blush/highlighters I have. What's your favorite shimmery blush?

Week 3, Day 5. Peach Blush--Cargo Blu_Ray Peach

Cargo Blu_Ray Blush in the Peach color is the peach blush that I wear the most.  It's subtle and very easy to wear.  I love Cargo's blushes, both the ones in the tin and the 2 square Blu-Ray version compacts. This is a beautiful, true neutral peach blush.  It is very finely milled with a touch of shimmer.

I really don't notice the shimmer when I use it, it's just enough to add a bit of a glow, but there are definite little sparkles if you look at it really, really close!  It is adequately pigmented, so it is easy to use--you don't have to worry about it going on too strong. 

It's #5 in the group shot and the swatch shot.  It's the middle of the range, not too pink, too brown, or too orange.  It's very smooth and blendable.  I think the Cargo Blu_Ray peach is a great basic that everyone needs in their collection.

For another gorgeous peach, come back tomorrow and see the beauty that is Shu Uemura M Peach 44.  Let me know what your favorite peach blush is!

Week 3, Day 1. Peach Blush--Shu Uemura P Peach 47

Kicking off Peach Blush Week with a gorgeous shimmery peach, Shu Uemura's P Peach 47.  The P in the name, refers to the finish-Pearly, but this one seems more shimmery than most.  It is a darker peach that leans more orange than pink.  I really love the texture and finish of Shu blushes.  Even though I said this was shimmery, it is still subtle and wearable by all.  I've never encountered a Shu blush with visible glitter, they just give the nicest, freshest glow.  They go on smooth and they're nicely pigmented.

It's gorgeous, right???  I know.  This week may change my mind about Peaches.  I can feel my mood shifting already from Pink to Peach.  Yay, it'll be fun!
Here's what's going on this week.

Below are the swatches.  As you can see, P 47 is on the left, perhaps the most orangy of the batch. Not so dark to be overpowering on my NW10ish skin.  I could see this working on almost everyone because of how easy Shu blushes blend. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow for Chantecaille Delight.  It's a beauty too!

Week 2, Day 1. DC'd and LE Blush--Giorgio Armani #12

To start off Seven Days of Discontinued and Limited Edition Blush, I chose Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #12.  It was part of  GA's Fall 2009 collection and is a very soft lilac pink color.  Like all of the GA Blushes, it is more sheer than heavily pigmented.  However, using a GA blush is like heaven, they are silky smooth and blend beautifully, they are never chalky or gritty.  Here's what #12 looks like up close:

As you can see from the swatch (it's the one on the left!), it is a delicate, soft cool-pink with a hint of lilac.  There is a tiny bit of shimmer, but it doesn't look shimmery on the cheek, just a bit glowy. 

It probably wouldn't show up on those with darker skintones, but for fair to medium-light girls, it should give a lovely, soft pink, glow.  Here's the blushes for the week--tomorrow is #2--Chanel Narcisse Joues Contraste, US version.

Week 1, Day 7. Bright Pink Blush--Chanel Turbulent

Sigh.  I think today's blush is perfection.  The only problem is that it is nearly impossible to find.  It is Chanel Turbulent Joues Contraste.  It is a gorgeous blue-pink blush that gives a natural flush.  Yes, even though it is so scary and bright in the pan, with a light hand, it can look beautifully natural.

As you can see in the swatch (#7), there is the teensiest bit of shimmer, only enough to give the glowy finish that Chanel's JCs are known for.  Comparing it to this weeks blushes, it rivals R&R Kinky (#1) and BB Pale Pink (#4) as the coolest.  It is paler than Kinky and a tad bit more blue. This is definitely one for the cool-toned gals.

I hope you've enjoyed this week of Bright Pink Blush.  Here's one last look at them all.

1. R&R Kinky

2. Nars Angelika

3. Chantecaille Ecstasy

4. Bobbi Brown Pale Pink

5. Nars Desire

6. Shu P Wine 25

7. Chanel Turbulent

 I'm sad to be at the end of it, because they are my favorite kinds of blush.  But next week, I'll be showing you Seven days of Limited Edition and Discontinued Blushes.  Let me know what you want to see!

Week 1, Day 6. Bright Pink Blush--Shu Uemura P Wine 25

Ah, one of my favorites today.  This is Shu P Wine 25.  Not what I think of as wine at all.  but a beautiful, vivid, bright pink.  Except for the formula and the finish, it is an almost exact dupe of Nars Mata Hari.  Shu blushes are some of my favorite, they are amazing quality, silky smooth, nice pigmentation, and give an amazing glow.  Here's a picture of today's beauty.

I love it so much.  It's really cool, but not quite as cool as R&R Kinky.  It has more red in it than most of the others, but not as much as Chantecaille Ecstasy.  The pearl finish is subtle, just a nice, beautiful glow, nothing shimmery or over the top.

That is day 6 of Seven days of Bright Pink Blush.  Tomorrow will be the hardest to get your hands on, but my all time favorite, Chanel Turbulent JC.  What is your favorite brand of blush?  Answer the poll or leave a comment!  :-)