Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 9

Tarte Cheekstain Mini in Dollface

I've posted on Tarte cheekstains before, but since it wasn't part of the challenge, it's fair game to include here. For the purposes of this conversation, I won't talk about the details of the formula again.

Tarte Cheekstain in Dollface is a bright pink in the tube, but goes on very sheer, almost unnoticable. I find that it's stickier than most of the other Tarte cheekstains that I have tried; perhaps that is a function of the pigments in it.

Dollface is one shade that borders on being unusable for us brown girls, because it's just simply too faint. The yellow-green undertones of my skin are just too much for this cool-toned blush. Initially after I apply, it's visible - but fifteen minutes or less later, nothing.

On the plus side, it has a lovely fruity smell, and I'm certain it would work for paler girls than I. Tarte cheekstains are a great way to "blush and run" due to the ease of their stick format. Dollface will, however, require a light blotting of translucent powder to cancel out the stickiness.

As for me, I'm just glad I have a mini and not the full size.

$28 @ Sephora

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 8

NARS Blush in Crazed

I love NARS blushes. I would marry them, if I could. I kid you not, sometimes I swirl these onto my cheeks and swoon because I'm so in love. And the honeymoon is far from over, folks..

Crazed is one of the more than two dozen powder blush shades in the NARS line. It's a pale magenta with barely perceptible gold shimmer - pretty unique as far as blushes go. Crazed is one of a few deep maroons, raspberries, and purple-reds that exist in the the NARS family; however, each shade has an entirely unique personality.

Crazed leans more towards being an everyday sort of blush for women with medium olive skin. Applied correctly, it contours and provides definition to even the most nonexistent of cheekbones, and it gives me a happy, mellow flush.

The powder formula is finely milled, with intensely pigmented particles. But despite being so pigmented, these blushes blend like a dream.

The thing that sets NARS apart from all of the competition is that their blushes have some serious lasting power. They do not slide off your face, even if you're a bit oily like I am, or touch your face often, as I do. I can go an entire day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. without having to retouch.

The only thing you have to be careful about is getting too much product on your brush. Apply with a *very* light hand, or risk giving yourself the dreaded 'clown cheeks' of doom.

With so many colors, I'm certain there's a NARS shade for everyone out there, and I truly believe that this is one product that should be in every woman's makeup kit. It puts all other blushes to shame.

$25 @ Sephora

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 7

I know, I know, I'm behind on my blusher posts again - but the past week was simply crazy! Rest assured that I am being really good about sticking to a schedule of actually using the blushes, I'm just behind on writing about them. Without further ado, I present:

Almay Smart Shade Blusher in Berry 030

This blush caught my eye at the drugstore because it's part of Almay's new line of "adjust to your skintone" cosmetics. I was skeptical, but since this was a whole lot cheaper than Smashbox O-Glow, I decided to give it a shot.

First off, the Almay Smart Shade Blusher and Smashbox O-Glow couldn't be any more different from each other. While both profess to adjust to your skintone to give you a natural looking flush, O-Glow is one-color-fits-all while the Almay Smart Shade makeup comes in three different shades -- pink, berry, & natural -- for you to choose from.

Now, I'm not sure why Almay Smart Shade blusher needs to have 3 available shades if it's going to adjust anyway, but I can overlook that. What I can't overlook is that it just doesn't work.

The product out of the tube is a pale purple paste with flecks of what appears to be a berry tint. I applied it with my fingers to the apples of my cheeks. At first glance, things look good as I see a soft berry flush appear on my skin . But within minutes, and a tad bit more rubbing, it disappears almost entirely. Applying more didn't appear to have an effect, so the color isn't really buildable in any way. Whatever color did stick around fades away within an hour or two.

I can see this perhaps working for someone with paler skin, but since I've give this a half-dozen tries, I don't think it's going to stick around taking up room in my stash. It's a pity too, because I thought it was a really neat concept. Maybe one day, I'll get around to trying O-Glow instead.

$8.99 @ Drugstore.com

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 6

Cargo powder blush in Tonga

Excuse the cluster of Quarter Life Challenge posts, I'm trying hard to catch up from my deficit. Almost there, though - only two more before I'm up to date!

Blush is one of the core offerings of Cargo Cosmetics, a Canada-based beauty company known for their unique packaging. It's also regarded as one of their best.

I'm personally a big fan of Cargo, having liked nearly every product that I've tried from them. I have been using their lipglosses and lipstick for years. Something about their minimalist aesthetic really appeals to me.

I got this blush in the Cargo Holiday 2007 set, and I have to admit it languished in my makeup drawer for a while, prior to my discovery of the wonders of blush. Cargo Tonga is a dusty rose sort of color, most uninterestimg in the pan. But when brushed onto cheeks, it's a wonderfully soft feminine hue - just barely there.

The formula is wonderfully soft and smooth and the color payoff excellent. My gripe comes in with the packaging. While it's deliciously industrial in the round coaster-shaped tin, it's also unfortunately a bit too large and unwieldy to carry around in your bag. The metal also has the tendency to get dinged, and start to oxidize after time. I'm not sure if they've resolved these issues, as my blush is too new to tell, and I've only bought one tin from them for that very reason. And there's no mirror - kind of a pain.

Bottom line, Cargo - I adore your products, and I adore your packaging.. but only for my dressing table.

$24 @ Sephora

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 5

NYX Powder Blush in Desert Rose

The next blush on the docket is from a little-known brand, NYX. Had I not read about it on MakeupAlley, I probably would not have come across it on my own. It's available in so few stores, and the store finder on NYXcosmetics.com is not helpful at all. (For ladies in NYC, NXY cosmetics are *not* available at Essentials, contrary to what they say on the site).

I actually stumbled upon this brand, after searching in vain, in a small beauty supply store right by Penn Station. Since I had heard such good things -- many people have said that the quality is comparable to MAC -- I picked up a few items, and naturally a blush was among them.

The NYX powder blush comes in a small fliptop container that is similar a MAC eye shadow compact, only square-ish. There is a clear window on the lid so you can see the color inside, and the surface of the powder has a raised grid design embossed onto the surface.

Desert Rose is a deep brick-red with magenta undertones, and no shimmer. This type of color is perfect for creating the illusion of cheekbones when brushed into the hollows of the cheeks.* Since there is no shimmer, this looks more like a deep flush than a glow.

*Mini-tutorial: make a fish face by sucking in your cheeks. Sweep the blush lightly from your hairline down into the hollows. Voila, instant cheekbones!

The formula blush is pretty smooth, with excellent color payoff. As with many lower-priced brands, I don't get a perfect full day's wear out of it - you will need a reapplication before going out for the evening.  And I do have to say that it doesn't blend as easily as I want it to.  But this line has an amazing range of colors to choose from, and for that reason I would definitely turn to it over and over again. Plus, it's extremely inexpensive for what you get.

I've never been a MAC girl, so I can't compare the brands, but I've loved most everything I've tried from NYX. It's available at Ulta (but no longer Ulta.com), and definitely look at beauty supply stores - you might get lucky!

$6.00 @ NYX Cosmetics

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 4

Revlon Golden Affair Sculpting Blush - Merlot At Midnight

I picked this blush up on a whim one day in Duane Reade while waiting for my train. What can I say? It was 50% off and pretty - a deadly combination.

Now, Revlon is one cosmetics giant that has been on the outs with consumers for the past few years. Its market share has fallen drastically as competitors have evolved their product lines, while Revlon still reminds me of the lipsticks in my mother's makeup bag. Classic? Yes. Always appealing? Not so much.

To that effect, they've been releasing Limited Editions of cosmetics for the past few seasons, in an effort to appeal to a younger and hipper demographic. The Golden Affair Sculpting Blush was a part of the Winter LE collection.

This blush in the compact is just plain gorgeous. It is embossed with a golden curlicue star-burst that is brushed with golden shimmer. Extremely eye-catching, and I couldn't help but pick it up.

You have to be careful with the first few applications of this blush, because the golden design is just an overlay of shimmer, and it can all come off in one quick swipe when you dip your brush into it. That's a little disappointing, because the blush underneath is not quite as shimmery on its own. To balance this, the 5 circles on the tip of the curlicue design are pure gold blush all the way through - although not as shimmery as the overlay.

The blush itself is pretty smooth and pigmented - a surprise from a mass-market brand like Revlon. The color, Merlot at Midnight, is what you would expect from a blush called Merlot - it's a deep and wine-ey.

I like the way this blush applies; there is definitely a "sculpting" effect there, although that might be more of a testament to the darker colors they chose for the collection, rather than the amount of shimmer that is included. It's difficult to to isolate the shimmery color, as each circle is only about the size of a pencil eraser - hardly enough to apply independently of the blush. But swirled together, I do like the effect.

Golden Affair blush is reasonably long-wearing. Definitely not a 8-hour kind of blush, but close. Under optimal weather conditions (read: no humidity or sweating) you can get a full day's wear out of it.

All in all, I like this as a good dependable blush, although maybe not an everyday staple due to the shimmer.

$12.80 @ Drugstore.com

NOTE: Many drugstores have been clearing out the winter LE stock, so go out and grab one now if you can. It originally retailed for $12.99, but I've seen it in many places from 50-75% off. I also grabbed another color -- Berry Darling -- from discount retailer Big Lots, where they were selling for $2.00.

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 3

The Body Shop Shimmer Waves in Bronze

Yes, I know what you're thinking - that's not a blush, that's a bronzer! So I'm cheating just a tad bit, but I love this stuff so much that I had to include it in this series.

Now, The Body Shop is not really known for their cosmetics. But they do have a great products that perform as well, if not better, than mainstream luxury brands. This is not to say that they're cheap because, well, they're not. The Body Shop cosmetics are priced on par with brands such as Clinique and MAC.

I should probably also mention that I only picked this up because I really wanted the gift with purchase that The Body Shop was offering that week - but it turned out to be a great decision!

Shimmer Waves is essentially a collection of 5 different colors of blush, bronzer and highlighters that range from the deepest brown to a shimmery cream color. When swirled together and brushed on to your cheeks, they create this amazing sheen. It's not a color per se, but it's almost as if you're radiating with a golden glow.

Given that I am indeed a brown girl, why on earth would I need a bronzer? Well, the Shimmer Waves are unique in the sense that they're not adding a brown cast to the skin, but rather a sun-kissed one. A light dusting on my cheeks, the tip of my nose, and my forehead (everywhere the sun would hit naturally) gives me the look of having spent the day at the beach. To paraphrase something I heard recently on a Bare Escentuals infomercial, it's not just the look of having been in the sun, it's the look of 'maybe a little too much sun'. Trust me on this one, it's a good look. Very glam.

The great thing about the striated appearance of this blush/bronzer is that you can easily tailor it to your needs. If you swipe more of the brown and copper shades, you can definitely amp up the brown in your skin by a shade or two. If you focus on the sheer cream and pink shades, it makes a great highlighter for your cheekbones. I've read that the stripes can individually be used as eyeshadows - but I haven't tried it myself.

My one gripe about the product is that it could come in a nicer compact - I'm a sucker for nice packaging. Right now it just comes in a clear plastic compact, and the lack of mirror can occasionally be a pain in the butt.

If you're not ready to commit to a full-on bronzer, The Body Shop's Shimmer Waves are definitely a good baby step into the pool.

$22 @ The Body Shop

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 2

Jane Blushing Cheeks in Blushing Plum

So I've been a bit busy with the NY heat and life in general, but I haven't forgotten the blusher challenge! Blush number two takes down the aisles of the drugstore to a brand that doesn't always get the credit it deserves -- Jane.

Jane used to be owned by Estee Lauder, but was sold in 2004. Since then, the number of drugstores you see it at has definitely gone down, but they have a solid, dependable base of products.


When it came to blush, I never thought a drugstore brand could stand the test; after all, the quality of a blush is heavily dependent upon the pigments in it, and pigment is expensive! But the positive reviews at MakeupAlley convinced me to give it a shot. And besides, at less than four bucks a pop, it actually costs less than a latte. What did I have to lose? (Not to mention it was BOGOF - I love drugstore sales~! But that's a story for another time.)

Jane Blushing Cheeks is a standard powder formula brush that comes in a small screwtop container about the size of a half-dollar. It's pretty soft, and dipping a brush into the pot will yield a fair amount of product for application. It applies smoothly, and doesn't deposit a ton of color at first pass. (This is not a bad thing. Some blushes are so vibrant that you have to be super careful to avoid looking clownish.) This one has sheer, buildable color that's tough to over-apply.

The color 'Blushing Plum' is very pink in the pan, with a faint, barely perceptible shimmer. But on skin, it gives a you a very healthy-looking dollface. It's not too bold; just a simple everyday kind of look, good for work or running errands.

My only problem with Jane blushes is that their lasting power on my somewhat oily, combination skin, is lacking. I definitely can't get through a whole day without reapplication. Around the 3p.m. slump, I usually notice that it has faded into nothingness.

But for the price, I can forgive that. And the container is small enough to toss into your makeup bag for touchups in the afternoon. Another thing to note - the range of colors isn't extensive -- 6 in total -- and darker women may have trouble finding one that shows up.

While it's not a 'going out' kind of blush, I can definitely see it having a spot in my everyday routine.

$3.79 @ Walgreen's

Quarter Life Challenge - Blush 1

Stila Convertible Lip & Cheek Color in Lillium

The first blush I chose for this challenge is amongst my top three favorite blushes, ever. The Stila Convertible Colors are cream formula blushes that can be applied with your fingers or a foundation brush (i.e. flat with synthetic bristles). I prefer my fingers for applying these, but either works. Because these are creams, they can also do double-duty as a lip color.

Today's color, Lillium, is a scary looking bubblegum-pink in the pan. But don't be afraid! When blended well, the blush brings out a lovely pinky glow on my medium-olive complexion. The look is very reminiscent of the 'Bollywood starlet flush' - the red-carpet look such as Kareena's below:

The great thing about these is that they are extremely smooth, very pigmented, and blend easily. And they have really good staying power for a cream - I love that this doesn't slide off my face halfway through the day. But touchups are also super easy, because you can use your fingers!

Lillium is one of the more opaque CC's, but each color is great in its own way. Unfortunately, this one doesn't work that well as a lipcolor (it looks majorly retro!), but I'm totally happy with it as a blush. And one of the things I love most about this product is the gorgeous embossed compact, which is color-coded to match the shade inside. Genius!

For the most part, Stila CC's all have great blendability, and with 13 colors there's a shade to suit every skintone!

$24 @ Stila

25 Blushes Until My Quarter Life Crisis

So this weekend I realized that my birthday is just about 2 months away. I'll be 25 - just ripe for a quarter-life crisis. There are a lot of life changes heading my way, and my birthday is around the time that they'll all converge.

In celebration, I've decided to review 25 of my favorite blushes. Yes, I know that sounds like a lot, but I really do own that many.

I present to you.. the QUARTER LIFE CHALLENGE!

The rules:

• I will wear a new blush every 2 days between now and my birthday. Two days will allow me to really give it a decent test run, and switching it up will allow me to use more of my collection.
• I will post a review of each blush at the end of my 2-day run.
• I'll try to switch it up between different types of formulas -- powder, cream, and gel -- and get a good mix of brands in there for variety.

So that's it, my project for the summer. Requests are welcome, and I'll be posting my first review of the first blush today!