Mission to Finish & Beat the Expiration Beauty Clock #1

I’ve got a game plan.  I may deviate a bit depending on my skin condition, but these are the first round of products I am focused on using up because they are nearly finished or they are in danger of expiring. 

Origins Stay Tuned Balancing Face Makeup in Warm Beige, $23.00

This is a really good foundation for oily skin.  What’s impressive about this foundation is that despite it being one of my OLDEST foundations it doesn’t appear to be in any danger of expiring.  However, it IS one of my oldest foundations and it’s almost used up.  I figure less than two more weeks of continued use and this will be done.  One thing I did not like about this foundation is that it can appear rather flat/matte on skin, especially under Shiseido Sunscreens.  I solve this by mixing in a luminizer.  This is best on oily, or well moisturized skin. 

MAC Cosmetics Blushcreme in Lilicent (DISCONTINUED)

This cream blush is one of my favorite shades.  It was discontinued, but there are dupes out there, not with the same finish though.  I have already hit pan on this.  This is not one of my oldest MAC blushes.  I believe I purchased this right before they discontinued it.  YAY for me!  I am not exclusively using this.  I have become rather attached to the very powdery matte blushes from Prestige Cosmetics.  I can’t always use a cream blush, but if I can, this is the cream blush I am using until it is completely used up.

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheers in Golden Beige, Apricot (not shown), Golden Bronze(OLD FORMULA)

I really did go overboard buying these.  Both bottles are almost used up.  But these are very pigmented highlighters and it does not take a lot to get the desired effect.  I try to use these every day.  The travel size bottle can no longer be used with the pump, so I pour it out into my hand which is a good sign it is nearly used up.  The regular size bottle is almost at the pour into hand stage.  Still, it may take several weeks of use to use these up.  I will show more restraint with liquid highlighters.  They do take forever to use up. 

Inglot AMC Cream Foundation in MW 100, $22.00

It’s awful that I haven’t even posted this yet from my next foundation round up.  What’s the hold up?  Laziness.  I have the pictures, the swatches, thoughts – just can’t seem to write it.  Well, I guess this is a preview.   This is an interesting light-medium olive shade that is not commonly featured in foundations in the U.S.  Someone in a youtube video described it as gray.  No, it is not gray, but I can understand the confusion, since it does not have any strong yellow, pink, beige or orange undertones.  While I liked the shade, this was not a good foundation.  This is supposedly for all skintypes, ESPECIALLY DRY, but I found that you needed to lube up your face with moisture otherwise it highlighted dryness and flakiness.  Even when I did lube up, I still had issues with this foundation.   And, yeah, it is going bad way too soon!

Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 55, $35.00 (OLD FORMULA)

The current packaging for this sunscreen now says SPF 50 due to FDA regulation regarding listing SPF’s higher than 50 on sunscreens – you can’t.  This hasn’t gone bad, but it’s almost done.  I can’t squeeze anything out of it now, so I had to cut it in half to get the rest of the product.  I figure about a week’s left usage is in there.  Makes me happy.  Woohoo.

FrankenBalm

FrankenBalm primarily contains my Decleor Ylang Ylang and Rose D’Orient Essential Night Balms, a bit of the Darphin Aromatic Purifying Balm, with a few extra add-ons.  The Decleor balms are more than a few years old, while the Darphin balm is about a year and a half.  I have to be careful with how many balms I collect.  They take a REALLY long time to use up. 

I will be so excited when I start chucking these bottles left and right!

MAC Cosmetics Pro Powder Blush

1. MAC Cosmetics Pro Powder Blush in Full Fucshia for $17.00

MAC Cosmetics is well known.  It is the gateway cosmetic brand for someone making the jump from drugstore to department store.  It is cool, colorful, fairly priced, and just too much freaking fun.  You can easily develop a cosmetic addiction off of MAC Cosmetics alone.    There isn’t much to say about this powder blush purchase.  I love blushes, in general.  This Pro Powder Blush is designed to fit in a palette, which I love.  There is nothing more awesome than opening a palette and just seeing circles of color and dab, dab, dabbing your brush in there like a painter.  It makes me feel oh so creative and skilled – except I am not that skilled, or talented, on the creative front.  Boooo.  But I can oh so pretend to my heart’s content. 

Anyways, this is Full Fuchsia and you can see it is a hair more purple and deeper than the fucshia shade I have from Kevyn Aucoin’s The Creamy Glow in Liquifucshia.  Liquifucshia has this vibrancy that I love.  Full Fuchsia can be used to tone down the vibrancy of Liquifuchsia, but also impart a richer, multi-dimensional fuchsia flush.  It can also anchor the color so that the cream blush doesn’t fade away or migrate on oily skin.   I likes.  Hate to say it, but it NEVER occurred to me to actually layer blushes, especially powders over creams, until I started this blog.  #FACEPALM. #FAIL.

Here are the swatches.

Jouer Cosmetics Tints

1. Jouer Cosmetics Tints in Amaryllis, Dahlia, and Petal, $20.00

Jouer Cosmetics, despite it’s “newish” status among blogs has actually been around for a bit.  I can’t exactly remember how long, but it’s definitely been more than just a couple of years.  It used to be carried by Sephora before it was removed.  I know this because I actually played with this in a Sephora store.  The weird thing is that I am pretty sure this either used to come in a white box, or white plastic container, but I am not 100% sure.  It’s weird that I have this nagging memory of playing with this brand in Sephora, but not 100% certainty.  Jouer is a pretty distinctive name and the interlocking casing mechanism is unique.

I first heard about Jouer Cosmetics as a small beauty blurb mention in a beauty magazine, probably Allure.  As always, I was intrigued and curious to try the line.  But a quick check of the ingredients turned me off,  as it appeared to have oil in it ath the time.  At this point, I was avoiding products with oil in it, as well as, any creamy textured products because of my oily, acne-prone skin.  I have since become a more informed beauty consumer and I am the better for it.  Not all oils are evil on my acne-prone skin.

I picked up Jouer Tints because of its multi-purpose nature.  A lip and a cheek product that is creamy and blendable on the skin? Awesome!  I tried to pick up an assortment of shades that I didn’t really have.  This can be hard to do since most brands try to provide the same core blush shades, but I was hoping for a different varitation of what I already have.  Plus, even if it was the same, I don’t have too many dual purpose products.  Plus, the packaging is COOL!

I picked up three shade; Petal, Dahlia, and Amayllis, but I actually wanted a fourth, too, called Bare, but it seemed like it might be similar to Kevyn Aucoin’s The Creamy Glow in Nuelle (which was discontinued years ago, but I still have the shade).  Well, after having tried these, I wish I had picked up Bare and Peony!  While I love the blendable tints on my cheeks – that would be flattering on just about any skintone –  I loved them even more on my lips!

I have difficulty finding lipstick textures that I like on my lips, as well as more casual, wearable shades that don’t make me look all washed out and sallow.  This is why I prefer bright, almost neon shades for lips, like NEON oranges and VIBRANT pinks.  But these are not CASUAL colors and they are definitely NOT low maintenance.   I want casual, low maintenance, and flattering!  These are it!

Petal is a described as a soft rose pink.  Amaryllis is described as a creamy soft red, while Dahlia is described as a sheer ripe berry.  I found Petal to be a warm, light pink.  Not really rosy at all.  Amaryllis reminds me of a juicy strawberry smoothie, a bright reddish pink.  Dahlia is a medium berry color.  The coverage is adjustable.  You can go for a stained effect with sufficient blotting.  You can layer and blot, blot, blot for a subtle matte effect.  Or coat with heavy layers for a fuller lipstick effect (I am not a fan of this since I hate feeling a thick layer of lipstick, but it is a good way to build volume if you have thinner lips.)  Best of all, all three shades are easily mixable to create your own custom shade.  I decided to layer all three and blend, blend, blend, and came up with the PERFECT, spring medium warm pink for my skintone.

However, I was not a fan of the inconsistent formula in the pan.  There were random larger lumps that were NOT thoroughly blended.  This could be a quality control issue, or it may be a storage environment issue.  I am not sure.  It does not effect the texture of the cream once blended on the lip, but it does not feel as “luxurious” with those lumps in the pan.  However,  I absolutely love the interlocking form factor to create your own palette.  I did not think this would matter to me but I actually do like locking these together.  Kind of brilliant, actually.

Ingredients: Ricinus Communis (Castor Seed) Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Petrolatum, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Paraffin, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearoxymethicone Dimethicone Copolymer, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Ozokerite, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Cera) Wax, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Isostearyl Behenate, Polyethylene, Kaolin, Biotite, BHT, Propylparaben, May also contain:, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77894), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410) (CI 45410:1), Carmine (CI 75470) (CI 75470)

Becca Cosmetics Creme Blushes

1. Becca Cosmetics Creme Blushes in Byzantine and Turkish Rose, 0.1 for $30.00

Becca’s powder blushes are amazingly blendable and creamy, while Becca’s Creme Blushes are dewy flushes on the cheeks.  This is a rather late blog for the Creme Blushes.  I had actually misplaced my first Becca Creme Blush in Turkish Rose for a while, so I decided to hold off until I found it…behind some books in my bookcase! Even though these are called Creme Blushes, these are actually dual purpose pots of color.  You can blend this on to your lips for a shot of color.  I haven’t tried it like this, but hope to eventually.  Texture, pigmentation, and shade wise these remind me A LOT of Edward Bess’s Compact Rouge for Lips and Cheeks.  The only difference is that Edward Bess’ Compact Rouge feels thinner and more slippery compared to Becca’s Creme Blushes which feel a bit creamier and tackier.  Both impart a dewy, melded to the skin flush of color, though.

Turkish Rose was my first choice, a while ago, and I then later picked up Byzantine.  Turkish Rose is described as a rosy nude shade. while Byzantine is described as a peachy gold shimmer.

Turkish Rose is a traditional blush color that I like to use after I have cleaned up at the gym.  It gives the same flush of color I would get during a workout.  No matter how hard I pushed myself, I always walk out of the gym with a healthy, post-exercise flush of natural color.

Byzantine, on the otherhand, is more of a shimmer/bronzing color.  I don’t have a problem using non-traditional shades on my cheeks.  On me, this shade looks like a burnished, suntanned metallic color.  I could imagine this as a shaping bronzer for lighter toned women and as a subtle accent of nude-muted bronzey shimmer on darker skintones.  This color is easily layerable with other shades to add more color depth and uniqueness.

Here are the swatches.

Infinitely pretty, layerable, and natural.  I hope that Becca Cosmetics comes out with additional shades that are just as nuanced.  I may have to give another look to a few shades I may have overlooked because of bad lighting. 

Another huge plus for this line is the incredibly sturdy packaging, that is reminscent of Nars Cosmetics rubber packaging.  However, I find the casing less dirt embedding and practically indestructable, easily pocketable and perfectly stowable.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), Kaolin, C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Tocopherol, Parfum (Fragrance) and may contain: [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Carmine CI 75470, Red 21 Lake CI 45380, Yellow 5 Lake CI 19140, Red 7 CI 15850, Ultramarines CI 77007, Red 40 CI 16035, Yellow 6 Lake CI 15985, Bismuth Oxychloride CI 77163, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Red 36 CI 12085, Ferric Ferrocyanide CI 77510, Mica].

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush (Crush, Crush, Crush)

When are colors deeper and richer than in the fall?  Fall is by far my most favorite season because of the weather shift: bright, crisp, and windy.  The autumnal shift is beautiful especially if you are around trees to see the turning of the leaves.  I went to high school in New England where the school was surrounded by some of the most beautiful lush trees.  Visually, it was incredibly beautiful.  A real autumn experience.   The city pales in comparison.  In the city, there just aren’t that many trees unless you go to the parks, but, fortunately, I do live in a front of a tree whose branches reach my window level.  Just a little taste of the visual beauty of autumn.  Forest greens, pumpkin oranges, jewel toned sapphire blues, rich burgandy.  Enter Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush.

1. Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush, 0.14 oz for $26.00

In the fall and winter, my preference for blushes always trend towards deeper flushes.  When else can you rock clownier cheeks than in the fall and winter when it is far more believable to imagine that the flush of red is the result of wind chapped cheeks!  Having been born with a naturally sallow-green complexion that seems to be getting sallower and greener as I get older, it means that my blush addiction was necessitated by need more than fancy.  I NEED rosy lively color on my face to combat my sallow color which does nothing to impart freshness.  I do not understand latinas who have similar tones, who DO NOT wear blush.  I feel like I need to put out a PSA or something.  Put down the lipliner and that horrid shade of pinky-brown! Put it AWAY! Grab some blush NOW!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Crush is the PERFECT shade for a deep and vibrant cold weather induced blush on the cheeks that looks flattering on ALL SKINTONES.  From the fairest to the deepest, whether cool-toned, neutral-toned, warm-toned, or the olive – this will look go anyone.  Sephora describes this shade as a deep raspberry red with a dewy finish, which I agree with.  The color is deep and rich, but it can be sheered out amazingly well for a very sheer flush of color that is not patchy, but very even throughout.

What I like about Illamasqua’s Cream Blushers is that despite being so pigmented, texturally they are quite thin and do not require a lot of product to deposit color.  Also, despite the cream formulation, it reminds me of a gel-powder in the way that it sets to the skin.  Even blending it out, you can feel a little bit of a powder gel formulation to it, without looking like a powder on the skin.  Once it is on the skin it does last a long time and does not migrate.  Having oily cheeks though, it does mean that my skin can eat color very well.  But this Cream Blusher does last a very long time on my skin.

Check out the swatch below. 

Surprisingly, I don’t have a single blush shade that is as deep as this one, exceptperhaps Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge in Chocolate Cherry.  I have simply taken an old swatch shot for comparison.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Kaolin, Tocopherol, Parfum (Fragrance) And May Contain: [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Red 7 CI 15850, Yellow 5 Lake CI 19140, Red 36 CI 12085, Red 21 Lake CI 45380, Carmine CI 75470, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Manganese Violet CI 77742, Mica]. May contain Carmine as a colour additive.

If surprised by the fact that I did not have a blusher this shade, I am still pleased because it means I am cutting down on buying the same colors over and over again.  This is a great shade and it is wearable on ALL skintones.  Why not listen to Paramore’s Crush, Crush, Crush song while blending this sucker on your cheeks for extra fun.  Sadly, I can’t remove that song from my head now. 

CRUSH, CRUSH, CRUSH!

 

By Terry Blush Veloute in Ginger Glaze + Rose De Rose Sheer Liquid Blush in Amber Rose

I have been preferring warm-tawny blush and highlighter shades over cooler and neutral tone ones.  These shades work better with my current yellow-green, platano-like color.  So, I have been snapping tawny shades whenever I see a distinct permutation that I don’t have.

1. By Terry Blush Veloute -Velvet Cream Bush in Ginger Glaze, $46.00

This shade is a no-brainer.  Ginger Glaze is a peachy-tawny shade that looks great in any season because it’s like bringing your own personal summer sun wherever you go.  I love this shade and it is up there with Becca’s Mineral Powder Blush in Wild Honey as one of my favorites. 

Application wise, this feels like velvet.  By Terry has gone out of the way to make sure that the textures of their cosmetic line feels as luxurious as their price tags.   I don’t think I have ever touched a cream blush that feels like velvet in the pot and on the skin, as you swipe it with your fingers.  This is due to it’s hybrid cream-powder formuation.  This product is a mix of both waxes and super micronized powders that allow the color to glide on, provide a matte look, while softly moisturizing the skin providing long term wear. 

Brand literature for this product mentions that this product can be used to sculpt the cheeks and soften the skin.  The shade is not sheer, and not necessarily very opaque.  There is good color coverage with this, but I do not suggest using it heavily, lest you look like a Miami Baby Jane. 

The other two shades in the line emphasize the neutral skintone effect with a sunkissed effect that I have been going for, for other skintones: Apple Glow and Peach Nude.  The only other shade that interests me is Peach Nude, but I will wait it awhile before I pick it up.  It is a tiny pot for a rather large price tag.

Ingredients: ISONONYL ISONONANOATE TALC SILICA CETEARYL ETHYLHEXANOATE POLYETHYLENE OCTYLDODECANOL BIS-DIGLYCERYL POLYACYLADIPATE-2 CERA ALBA/BEESWAX HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL CERA MICROCRISTALLINA/MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX LAURYL PCA PARFUM/FRAGRANCE, ALPHA-ISOMETHYL IONONE, BENZYL SALICYLATE, BUTYLPHENYL METHYLPROPIONAL, CITRONELLOL, COUMARIN, EUGENOL, GERANIOL, HEXYL CINNAMAL, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, HYDROXYISOHEXYL 3-CYCLOHEXENE CARBOXALDEHYDE, LIMONENE, LINALOOL PRUNUS CERASUS (BITTER CHERRY) SEED OIL PRUNUS DOMESTICA SEED EXTRACT RUBUS IDAEUS (RASPBERRY) SEED OIL BHT MICA CI 15850/RED 7 LAKE CI 17200/ACID RED 33 CI 19140/YELLOW 5 CI 75470/CARMINE CI 77491/IRON OXIDES CI 77492/IRON OXIDES CI 77499/IRON OXIDES CI 77891/TITANIUM DIOXIDE

2. By Terry Rose De Rose Sheer Liquid Blush in Amber Rose, $58.00

You know they call this a blush, but truly I purchased it as a highlight…which I will then use as a blush…heehee.  Felt like adding that.  Amber Rose was the only shade I was interested in and it is exactly has the name describes – amber rose, a muted shimmery rose shade with tons of amber, copper micropigments.  I used flash for the swatch below so the amber is coming through more than the rose element, but they are both there.  I will update with another pic when I have a chance. 

It is a unique, gorgeous shade that looks great on medium to darker skintones.  You can sheer it out on your upper cheekbones, while adding another complementary cream blush into the mix to pick up the super sheer microshimmer that is completely refined and not trashy, or tacky.  However, you can also layer it to get more color impact without looking cakey, or runny.  Just pat, pat, pat and blend out a little.   This is a lot product, and since I don’t require alot, I expect this bottle to last me YEARS!  Hopefully, this sucker won’t expire for a while.

Brand literature says this can be swiped across the eyelids for that glossy look that runway shows seem to prefer.  I imagine this is far easier to apply, and more comfortable to use on the skin, then vaseline mixed with loose powder.  I have not tried this look, but will update when I do.  It also mentions that this product contains rose extracts, like so many other By Terry products.  Specifically, “ROSAMINE, a natural carmine pigment derived from Rose petals, combines with matte and translucent micro-reflectors to enhance curved areas with a fresh and natural rosy sheen.  [Also, the] ROSALISS complex, bursting with White, Black and Pastel Rose extracts and pulverized perfecting prisms, smoothes the relief and illuminates the complexion with luscious radiance.”

Update: Just saw on BritishBeautyBlogger that By Terry will release a small holiday collection containing Or de Rose Blush Prestige, which is described as a amber-nude shade.  I wonder how close it is to the Amber Rose I have. 

By Terry, based on my limited stash, has been a wonderful experience in luxurious cosmetics.  Touch, scent, and sight – it is the best cosmetic brand I have dabbled in. It is also one of the most expensive ones for me.  Purchasing from this line will never be accidental for me, or on a whim, but very targeted to get the most bang for my buck based on products that I know I will use frequently.

Having said that – I am quite curious with their skincare line, their colored mascara line – specifically, burgandy (I love colored mascara!), and their Baume De Rose, which I got a sample of…and damnit, it REALLY IS THAT GOOD for people who have perpetual dry, chapped lips.

I do not know how long I can resist the Baume De Rose…so, surely it will end up on this blog.  🙂

Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow Blushes

I used to pass by the Kevyn Aucoin section of Sephora (when they carried it) all the time and wonder about all those little pots.  It was at a time when I was only wearing powder blushes, and my focus was finding sunscreens and facial washes for oily, acne-prone skin.  I finally picked up a little pot of blush when I saw it on sale because Sephora was no longer carrying the line.  I picked up Nuelle but I wish I had picked them all up.  These are keepers.

1. Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow in Pravella, Euphoria*, Tansoleil, Liquifucshia, Nuelle (d), o.13 oz for $24.00

Euphoria and Nuelle are in the older formulation but Nuelle is more opaque and creamier than Euphoria.  The other shades are current and come in a different formulation that is sheerer and less creamy.  Pravella, Tansoleil and Liquifucshia come in the revamped container, which is a larger fliptop mirrored compact, which I prefer.  Nuelle and Euphoria, in the older formulation, are creamy, opaque, and need to be vigorously blended into the skin (less Euporia, more so Nuelle).  The other three shades are sheerer and can be built up in opacity, but I wouldn’t suggest going too strong.  The new reformulated product is similar to Illamasqua’s Cream Blusher, but I think Illamasqua’s are a teeny bit more opaque.  The Creamy Glow has a silky, glide on texture that pickes up color quickly and deposits it as quickly on the cheek.  The color is vibrant but sheered out really easily for a stained look.  With colors this bright, that is a huge advantage convenience-wise.  However, I wish they had kept the older formulation because even though it is more difficult to work with, it provided a long lasting, natural-like blush on the cheeks.  There was something incredibly painterly about the old cream texture, which I absolutely loved. 

Nuelle gives the most neutral, skin perfect flush (on light-medium skintones).  It is a pink-nude I have reviewed before in a previous post.  Tansoleil is a vibrant tan-apricot color and Liquifuschia is a vibrant neon pink, which is actually very similar to Tom Ford’s Cheek Color in Narcissist, which sells for $55.00 for 0.28 oz.  The BeautyLook Book has it swatched and reviewed here.  Pravella is a cooler toned pink shade., which provides a very spring-like flush of color.  Do not be afraid of this shade if you are not very pale.  It works on warmer medium tones, too.  Euphoria a soft apricot-rose shade, which is very pretty and unique for a blush shade.  I do not think I see this shade too often.  Below are the swatches.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Trioctanoin, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Candelilla Wax, Microcrystalline Wax, Carnauba, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Ceresin, Grape Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Lauroyl Lysine, Propylparaben, Ethylcellulose, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Citric Acid. May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Carmine, Ultramarine Blue, Manganese Violet, Ferric Ferrocyanide, FD&C Yellow 5 AL Lake, D&C Red 30, FD&C Yellow 6 AL Lake, D&C Red 6, D&C Red 7 CA Lake, FD&C Blue 1 AL Lake.

Cream Blushes: Bobbi Brown Lips and Cheek Rouges

I like blushes.  There isn’t much to say.  I have tried Bobbi Brown foundations , concealers and lipsticks and they are not a good color match.  Bobbi Brown likes subdued and toned down neutral pinks, mauves and dusty roses.   These are the types of colors I avoid because they enhance my sallowness.  However, Bobbi Brown does have a few shades that I like. 

1. Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Creamy Color for Lips and Cheeks in Honeyed Tea and Pink Truffle, 0.24 oz for $20.00

Pink Truffle is a classic Bobbi Brown color she likes to reiterate to death – neutral pink rose – in eyeshadows, lips and cheeks.  Frankly, this was an accident and it is going back.  I don’t know why I picked this up.  Blah.

Honeyed Tea, on the otherhand, is a great muted sienna color that Sephora describes as a honeyed beige.  I like this color alot and it actually works well with my tan and I think it will work well when I lose my color in the winter. 

Overall, the formulation is easily sheered and you only need a tiny amount for color impact.  I like the little tubes and it makes it gym bag or cosmetic bag ready.

2. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Chocolate Cherry, 0.13 oz for $25.00

This color is a deep, reddish-brown plum shade.  It is a dark, super saturated color that needs to be sheered out.  I can see this easily applied as a heavy lip because of it’s saturated color.  You only need a tiny amount to blend across cheeks for a windburned look in the dead of winter.  I like it very sheered, otherwise it is too heavy.  This color has enough pigment in it to be used on darker skintones, like ebony shades.  I purchased this AGES AGO, which is why it is in the old packaging and not the new pot with fliptop mirror, which would have been nice.  I don’t think I will ever finish this sucker.  It’s a lot of product. 

I have not used either of these products on my lips so I can’t comment on how it feels. 

Here are some swatches.

Pink Truffle is a muted rose color compared to Chocolate Cherry, even though they look a little similar.  I had to REALLY sheer out the Chocolate Cherry to bring down the strong color, otherwise it would look like a lipstick.  There is a strong purple base to this shade that Pink Truffle does not have.

I compared Bobbi Brown’s Chocolate Cherry shade to Edward Bess’ Lip and Cheek Rouge in After Sunset.  Chocolate Cherry has a distinct purpley-red base, compared to Edward Bess’ After Sunset.

I haven’t seen Chocolate Cherry in a while, since it’s been stashed in a clear acrylic box with most of my other blushes in a drawer.  But I think I will have to bring it out for the fall.  Especially since this fall is all about the dark plummy (reddish-purple) lip.  I may even try it out as a lip stain.

Blushes: Revlon Cream Blushes

As I have said before, blushes were the start of my makeup fixation for many years.  You could always count on me to buy a blush wherever, whenever.  Then I had to check myself, like with so many things (Gabriel Byrnes movies…no, no, I had to stop…so hot….um, okay.)

1. Revlon Cream Blushes in Berry Flirtatious and Rosy Glow, 0.12 oz for SRP

Here are my Revlon Cream Blushes. (I have already reviewed and swatched Rosy Glow in an earlier post on nude-pink blushes, but it is included here, as well.  I want you to take note of how the swatch looks different near the raspberry blue tone swatch.)  I wish Revlon produced more colors for this particular line.  I know that Revlon recently released a new cream blush line called Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blushes, but I won’t buy them on principle.  Why?  They are almost $13.00 at a drugstore.  WTH?  If I am going to start paying near department store entry level prices, than they better do something about that blah packaging.  However, I read in a WWD article that the powers that be at Revlon were thinking about revamping their packaging, which they 100% should. 

What I like about these two blushes are that their price  are under $10.00 and the shades are universal.  The texture is gel-powdery, which is an interesting feel.  What I do not like is that you do have to use a lot of product for more color saturation, especially for the Rosy Glow.  These get used up very quickly.  Another plus, is the little pop out mirror it comes with.  It has been handy on those days I brought the blush with me and needed a mirror, while on a commute to work.

Now here are the swatches:

These are definite re-buys for me.  They are inexpensive and offer basic colors.  I just wished they offered more colors, and better color saturation and wear.  But I look at this as an introductory cream blush for beginners and a great stowable blush for travel or the gym, where you won’t be horrified if it melts, get’s stolen…yada  yada yada. 

Ingredients: Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Talc, Phenyltrimethicone, Polyethylene, Methylmethacrylate Crosspolymer, Boron Nitrate, HDI/Trimethol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Nylon 12, Alumina, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Centaurea Cyanus (Cornflower) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Root Extract, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Lecithin, Distearalkonium Hectorite, Barium Sulfate (CI 77120), Sorbitan Trioleate, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Laureth 12, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Triethyl Citrate, Dimethicone/Cyclomethicone Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sorbic Acid (A Preservative), Phenoxyethanol, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Butylparaben, BHT, May Contain (+/-):, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Ultramarines, Red 7 Lake, Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake, Red 6 Lake, Carmine (CI 75470)