Category Archives: Blush (Cream)

Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint – Review & Swatches

Becca Dragonfruit Beach Tint

As part of my Sephora Friends & Family order (I was lucky to get a code from a friend), I bought Becca’s Dragonfruit Beach Tint – my first Becca product! Beach tints are described as a “blendable crème stain,” and they can be used on both lips and eyes. Dragonfruit is, according to Sephora, a “poppy pink” – though I would describe it as more of a reddened pink.

Becca’s Beach Tints are packaged in a small tube with a nozzle. It’s definitely the right packaging choice for the consistency of the product – it’s easy to squeeze out exactly the right amount. The tube is small (.24oz / 7ml), but given how little you need, it’s plenty to last a long time. The only complaint I have is that the Beach Tints do not say the shade name anywhere on the package. The colored stripe is different for each, but if you have several similar shades, it might be difficult to use that to determine the shade.

Dragonfruit Beach Tint – heavy & blended swatches

As mentioned above, I would describe Dragonfruit’s color as a reddened pink. The lovely Drivel About Frivol has some comparison swatches here; she also has a photo of completely unblended Beach Tint, so you can see the consistency – which I would describe as a creamy gel. Dragonfruit is very pigmented, but easily blendable. It’s totally weightless on my cheeks, but slightly drying on my lips. On my cheeks, it started to fade after about four hours, but lasted 6-7 hours. On my lips, it was gone after two hours and a snack – but I did wear lip balm over it; it might have lasted longer if I hadn’t. Do note that it has an artificial fruit scent; I dislike the scent, but it disappears quite quickly.

In the following photo, I’m wearing Dragonfruit on my cheeks and lips:

Dragonfruit Beach tint – cheeks & lips

And a lip close-up; you can see that it adds color to my lips, but doesn’t change the texture of them at all.

Becca products are newly available at Sephora.com, and some, but not all, Sephora stores.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend Dragonfruit. I like the consistency, especially for cheeks, and I like the versatility of using it on both cheeks and lips. I do wish it wore a bit longer on me, and I wish it was unscented!

ELF Superstar and Showstopper HD Blush Review, Swatches, Comparison

Superstar; Showstopper

E.L.F. recently released a new HD Blush as part of their studio line. A few days after it showed up online, they had a “50% off Studio” sale, and I decided to make a purchase – two of the new blushes and several other items (see everything I bought ). There are five shades of the HD blush available, and I had a hard time narrowing my choices down to two. They were inexpensive enough for me to buy all five, but given my hit and miss experience with ELF, I wanted to make sure I liked them before buying several. So, I ended up with Superstar, which I expected to be coral (but is more pink/coral), and Showstopper, which I expected to be berry, and is a purple-toned berry.

This review is two parts; first, I’m going to compare the ELF blushes to the very similar MUFE blushes. Second, I’m going to evaluate the MUFE blushes on their own merits.

MUFE vs ELF: the same packaging

So, how similar are they? The packaging is virtually identical; the only difference I noticed, besides the branding, was that the MUFE has a glossy lid and the ELF has a matte lid. The pump mechanism seems identical to me (very functional, but you have to be careful not to pump out too much product.)

However, the texture of each brand’s blush is different. Below, I have extremely heavy swatches of MUFE #6 Quickie and ELF Superstar.

MUFE HD blush vs. ELF HD blush

Of course, the colors are different, but the reason I swatched them so heavily was so that you could see the texture. The MUFE blush is creamy, with an opaque base, while the ELF blush is more watery, with a translucent base. The MUFE blush is thicker and takes slightly longer to dry down; the ELF blush is thinner and significantly more pigmented. The MUFE blush is a little easier to work with because it’s not so pigmented and you have more time to blend. However, if you prefer a very pigmented blush, and especially if you have darker skin, the ELF is going to be your best bet.

And of course, the MUFE blush is $26, while the ELF blush is $3, or as low as $1.50 on sale. Both are labeled as 10ml (.33oz); however, the ELF arrived full, while my MUFE blush did not – and Sephora.com says that the MUFE blush is .2oz, so perhaps they have adjusted the label to adjust for the quantity you actually receive.

And now, my evaluation of each blush:

ELF HD Blush: Superstar

(The darkness on my arm is from a leftover eyeshadow swatch that I failed to remove completely
– sorry about that! I didn’t realize it would show up so clearly in the photo.)

Superstar is a very pigmented pink-coral. It sets very quickly; you’ll definitely want to apply/blend one cheek at a time. I had the best luck if I put a little bit of blush on the back of my hand, dabbed some on to a fingertip, then applied/blended with my fingers, working quickly. I was able to achieve a subtle result with this method, as seen below:

ELF Superstar, applied

I’m also wearing Superstar on my lips in the photo, mixed with gloss – but I wouldn’t recommend that, as it really settled in to my lip lines. Also, I don’t know if it’s lip safe. And here’s a slightly heavier application so you can see the color better:

Next, Showstopper – this one is gorgeous, but was much harder to work with. It is very, very pigmented, and also sets quite quickly. The heavy swatch stained my arm (by the way – straight up oil is awesome at removing swatches and stains from swatching).

ELF HD Blush: Showstopper

This is a purple toned berry; a really beautiful color. I think it would work particularly well on deeper skintones, where a more intense color would look natural.

I had a hard time making this work for me. Even with well-moisturized skin, the color was just too intense. So, I ended up mixing a little bit with some moisturizer (primer would work even better, due to the texture), and using my fingers to apply the mixture. This worked very well; I wouldn’t call the result natural, but it’s wearable.

ELF Showstopper, applied

Here, I’m wearing Showstopper on my lips. This worked really well – it had a nice finish. Again, no idea if it’s lip safe.

Overall, these are fantastic products at a bargain basement price. They require some work to use – I won’t be reaching for them unless I have time to play with my makeup, and time to correct mistakes (i.e. overapplication) if needed. But, on days that I have the time, they are a really great option. Because they are so pigmented and you need so little, they look just like skin – they basically have no texture at all once applied. I am glad I bought them!

MAC Casual Color in Keep It Casual Review, Swatches, Photos

MAC Keep It Casual lip & cheek color

When I first saw swatches of MAC’s new Casual Color collection, I was intrigued but wary. I’m generally skeptical of combination lip and cheek products, and some of the swatches make the product look too dewy for my taste. So, I decided to wait until I could test these in-store to decide whether to buy. I finally made my way over to MAC store, and after some playing around with Keep It Casual, I am absolutely thrilled with this purchase!

First off – the only negative is that I don’t like things packaged in pots, because I feel like it’s less sanitary to just put my fingers in things – especially if it’s something that goes on my lips and not just my cheeks. So, I’m not thrilled with this packaging, though given the consistency I’m really not sure what packaging choice would have worked better. I actually decided to scoop out some product – actually, it’s not soft enough to scoop, so more like scrape off – with a mini cosmetic spatula, and store it in a little clear jar. I have enough for probably 5-10 applications in the little jar, and I can apply that with my fingers without concern about the whole pot. Note that this is VERY pigmented, so you only need a about a grain of rice sized amount for your lips or both cheeks; it’s hard to imagine anyone actually using up the whole Casual Color pot! In fact, I would have preferred a smaller product for a slightly cheaper price – but that’s just me.

MAC Keep It Casual

As you can see, Keep It Casual is a really lovely reddish berry color. I have a few powder blushes that are similar, but my two other cream blushes are both coral. I found that as a blush, it’s very important to apply this to well-moisturized skin; it’s pigmented enough that even though it blends nicely, it really needs the extra slip to be easier to use. This is not a foolproof cheek product, so I don’t see myself using it often on my cheeks, though it’s nice to have the option.

What I really love about this product is using it on my lips. I love the color – it’s very flattering on me, and I think it’s the type of color that will look good on most. And, the texture is fantastic as a lip product. It has a very natural looking finish (not glossy or matte) and and a completely weightless feel. It lasts well, and fades evenly.

I had been planning to just buy this one color – it was the only one that really drew me in when I swatched them – but I like this texture so much that I am considering purchasing a couple more. I think I will go for either Have a Lovely Day or Keep it Loose; both look like possibilities for a soft nude lip. I also love the look of Out for Fun, but my makeup collection is a bit oversaturated with corals and oranges at the moment, so I’m not sure about it.

Overall, I am totally smitten with the texture of this as a lip product, and if anyone know of anything else with a similar texture, I would love to hear about it!

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Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Review, Swatches, Photos

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream

A couple weeks ago, the always-fabulous Pink Sith beauty blog reviewed Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream. She made it sound so good that I immediately went to Ebay and ordered some for myself – my very first BB cream!

The BB cream arrived a couple days ago, and now that I’ve tested it out, I have my own review for you. First, note the awesomeness of the packaging – not only is this a tube of BB cream, the cap holds a small amount of peach-colored cream blush. So cute, right?

I really like the color of the blush – it’s very natural and flattering on me. It has a silicone-y texture, which makes it easy to blend.

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Cheek Color

The BB cream itself comes in two shades, 01 and 02. Apparently, 01 is quite light and good for the paler crowd; I bought 02 and is an excellent match for me. Below is a swatch (heavy and blended out; you can’t even see the blended out part because it matches my wrist so well).

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Shade 02

When I apply the BB cream to my face, it seems a little bit grey at first, and like it doesn’t quite match. After about 10 seconds, it seems to adjust to my face and becomes a good match.

Click the below photo to enlarge

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Applied

No makeup; BB Cream only; BB Cream, cheek color, lips and eyebrows

This BB cream lasts very well on me – when set with powder, it lasted 11 hours on my normal-to-dry skin. I was inside for most of the day, however; I haven’t tested it when outside in hot weather.

Overall, I’m really happy with Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream. The BB cream itself applies nicely, matches my skin, and lasts all day, and the cheek color is a really nice bonus!

What are your thoughts on BB cream?

MUFE HD Blush in #6 Quickie Review, Photos, Swatches

One of my favorite blushes is Make Up For Ever’s HD blush in Quickie. I have a weakness for coral blushes, and this one is particularly lovely. It is a pink-coral cream blush packaged in a pump container (more on that later), with a smooth texture that is very easy to blend – I usually use my fingers, though a brush works easily as well. It applies easily either on bare skin or over liquid foundation; I’ve never tried to apply it over powder, since I always apply liquid and cream products first and powder products second.

Barely blended swatch; blended swatch

The only problem I have is the pump mechanism: It dispenses WAY too much product unless you’re very, very careful to only pump it down a tiny little bit. Below, I’ve pumped out one pump on the top of my hand, and the amount I need to apply to both of my cheeks below. You can see that one pump is about eight times too much product for one application.

Here’s a quick look I did to showcase it – as you can see, it creates a very natural flush on me:

Clinique Black Honey on my lips

Quickie is available online at Sephora.com

Have you tried the MUFE HD blushes? Are you interested in them?

This post contains an affiliate link. For more information please see my disclosure policy.

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Illamasqua Rude: Reviews, Swatches, Photos

I recently purchased Illamasqua Rude, and after wearing it a few times I’m ready to review it!

Illamasqua Rude is a cream blush. The texture is slightly firmer than I expected; it’s not so soft that you accidentally pick up too much. Instead, it’s very easy to pick up the exact right amount of blush, whether with your fingers or a brush.

The color is a soft peachy orange coral. It’s lovely – very natural on me.

Illamasqua Rude

I’ve applied Rude with both my fingers and a brush. Because I have normal to dry skin, and my cheeks lean to the drier side, I have to be sure to moisturize before I use Rude. If I don’t, Rude can be a little bit difficult to blend out. If I do moisturize, Rude blends beautifully. It works well with either fingers or a brush (I use a Real Techniques stipple brush), but I think I prefer to use a brush).

The main downside is that the blush doesn’t last very long; I’d guess that it lasts about 4 hours on me with a sheer, light application (which is my preference for all blush). I’m sure it would last longer if I applied it more heavily, but I don’t like to wear heavy blush.

Rude lightly applied

I have really wanted this for a long time, and the main reason I hesitated to buy it for so long was that I though it would be very similar to MUFE HD Blush in #6 – Quickie. But, it turns out that they actually are not that similar.

rude on the left; quickie on the right

As you can see, Rude is more orange-peach-coral, while Quickie is more pink-coral. The packaging is also totally different, as is the texture of the products. Rude is in a compact, and is extremely easy to use – you simply pick up the color with your fingers or a brush, and blend in on to your cheeks. However, the downside is that it is less sanitary, and I can imagine that it will eventually dry out. Quickie, in contrast, is packaged in a pump container, which is more difficult to use – especially since one pump is at least 5x more product than one application, so I have to be careful to only compress the pump a tiny bit. However, it’s very sanitary, and prevents the product from drying out.

I love both colors, and I’m happy that I own both of these! I can see myself using Rude more on lazy days, but I’ll continue to use Quickie when I want something a little more pink, or something a little more long-lasting.

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