Stop! You're Making Me Blush

Hello

A bit of a quirky title today, non? Well if you couldn't guess today I am talking about blush and how to find the best one for you. Are you a pink or a nude kinda girl? Matte or shimmer? Cream or powder? Gel or Mousse? 

I'm basically going to talk about the variety of blush products I own and their pros and cons for different skin types. So if that sounds good to you, read on!

Let's start with with the basic of basics; just a powder matte blush. I have a bunch of these. My favourites include Sleek Flamingo and Life's A Peach and No7 Honey. If you've read any of the numerous posts in which I've talked about my Honey blush you will know just how much I love it and that I have majorly hit pan and need to repurchase!

Powder blushes are good for women with normal to oily skin types because they do a good job of absorbing oil and so wont slip around your face therefore turning you into a lop-sided clown. Nobody wants that. The benefits of powder blushes are that they give a more natural look - a subtle tint shall we say - and they are easy to apply to the skin so you are a lot less likely to go over board and again end up looking like a clown (no offence to the clowns of this world).

Cons, however, are that the colour doesn't last as long as say, a cream or liquid formula and if it does last, it may change slightly depending on the oiliness of your skin. 

You can pretty much get hold of most colour blushes but the main shades are pinky/peachy/rosy colours and a good all round palette for those with a budget I find, is the Body Collection Dusy Pink blush set (see below). I really like this and I picked it up in Scotland for less than £5 - bargain. 

You can also pick up shimmery powder compacts such as my MUA blush in shade 5. 

(on my nails I am wearing Bourjois gel polish in beige distinction with a London cosmetics clear glitter top coat)

If you are going to wear a shimmer on your cheeks it is best if you do not have oily skin or else you will just highlight the oiliness and it, uh, wont look good to say the least. Each to their own however and if you think you can pull it off then go for it. 

Next up is one of the most popular blush types these days and that is acream formula, for this I only have the one product which is Romancefrom No7. I'll admit that I am fairly new to creamy products and I haven't used this too much but I really do like the application and how easily you can blend. So far so good. 

A cream blush is best for women with normal to dry skin due to its hydrating qualities and it will also stick better to a non-oily skin type. 

Benefits are of course the hydration, the easiness of blending, long lasting and the pretty glowing finish. 

The disadvantage is that it is slightly less easy to apply subtly. 

Now lets combine the two and discuss Bourjois's cream to powder blush.  

I really like the packaging of this and the shades are super cute. The product itself is just like a cream blush in the container but once it's on the skin it is a lot more powdery and therefore carries the qualities of a powder. My only advice for this product is be accurate with your application because once it's on it is hard to blend out. All in all, though, this is a very good product which would suit normal/combination skin.

With only two remaining categories (for me anyhow since I have no experience with liquid tints or cheek stains) I would like to talk about my favourite. The mousse blush. I am a big fan of the Maybelline DreamMousse range, particularly their blush and foundation. I do, however, currently only own the blush which is fantastic. 

A mousse blush is similar to a cream but a lot lighter and very easy to blend. You definitely do not need a lot of product on your brush or finger to get noticeable coverage. I would recommend this to women with normal/dry skin because on an oily surface this would melt away and look terrible. 

Pros are definitely blending, lightness and lasting power but cons are that it is too easy to go OTT and it doesn't work for oily skin. 

I forgot to take this one on my little trip to the outdoors for photographing. Oops!

Anndddd finally we have the gel formula. Everything seems to have a gel version these days; eye liner, foundation, eye shadow, blush, lip products. The whole darn lot. I guess it must be pretty good, eh? 

Well I think so anyway. 

I do love my gel blush from coty (which I cannot seem to find anywhere on the internet or in town so where did my auntie find this for me?!) in shade 01 Highlighter. Most gel blushers come in little tubes where you just squirt some onto your hand and blend onto the skin using your finger. It looks radiant and glowing. Beautiful! It is off course suitable for normal and dry skin but I think it could work on oily skin too so long as your skin is not overly oily. 

The pros are that is looks good and is easy to apply and the only con I can think of is that it may not work well on oily skin types. 

So which blush is for you? Which is your favourite? I hope this helped you decide. 

Until next time
xx