A MUFE Orange Lip - The Red Lip Alternative

Today at work was a bright-lip type of day, so in order to pull off the perfect punch of an orange lip I needed my trusty trio of Make Up For Ever: Aqua Cream, Aqua Lip 17C, and Rouge Artist Lipstick 40. I bought this group of products a long time ago and have since worn this look many a time, but today was finally the day to put it in writing!

World, ORANGE IS THE BEST RED!

Makeup For Ever Aqua Cream Waterproof for Lips and Cheeks

First, after foundation, I mixed in a touch of this bright orange/golden shimmer Aqua Cream with what product remained on my hand and blended with my fingers onto the apples of my cheeks; the touch of similar color makes the lip a little less "Holy Smokes," I think.

e.l.f. All Over Color Stick in Golden Peach

$1.00 for approx. 0.3oz

I'm not a shimmer queen ...just making sure that is out there, on the table, before this review starts, so let's begin by acknowledging that shimmery products are far less appealing to me than matte and natural/dewy finish products. Now that that is out of the way, I'm a sucker for peaches, apricots, and corals; it was only natural that I would pick up e.l.f. Essentials All Over Color Stick in Golden Peach from the shelves of my neighborhood Target and dance home with high hopes! I had forgotten I basically already had it, whoops.

Golden Peach is one of the colors I have in the Shimmering Facial Whip formula, but compared to the other All Over Color Stick I have (Spotlight), Golden Peach seems a little less useful. The Whip formula is a little easier to work with because the thinner, fluid consistency means I don't have to rub to get pigment to show up. Golden Peach Stick is a sheer, shimmery version comparable to the Bobbi Brown Sheer Cheek Tint but not as moisture rich, hence the 'rubbing' in order to apply. Like Spotlight, I find this stick on the drier side of spreadable, and this characteristic may be partially to blame for its difficulty of use.

Perhaps it is because I have so much yellow (and pink from my natural flush) in my skin that Golden Peach Stick tends to have a hard time showing up (so much so that a face shot is worthless and after about 4 attempts, I've given up). Either way, I can't successfully layer enough on to have it show up and not be one breath away from smearing across my whole face. I'll have to endure just using this as a layer underneath powder blushes, which is fine because I have so many but sucks in terms of having a product that is relatively useless on its own. Tear... :*(

A previous review of a different color of e.l.f.'s All Over Color Stick: click here for Spotlight!
Beauty Newb Rating:✪✩✩✩✩
Available at Target and eyeslipsface.com

Aveda Petal Essence Face Accent in 181 Apricot Whisper

$24.00 for 0.3oz/8.5g

This blush from Aveda features three separate strips of powder that can be used separately or in unison. While apart the colors could be a highlighter (the golden yellow), a blush (the peach), and a contour (the rosy pink), I prefer the simple glow that comes from sweeping over all of the powder and blending along the cheekbones. "Whisper" was a  good addition to the name because, while there is very buildable coverage from this product, it goes on quite sheer at first. Knowing me though, you understand why this is a bonus. Control in color placement and depth is crucial for pale skin--when you over-do it even slightly, it is WAY over-done and extremely distracting to anyone trying to focus on what you are saying or doing.

Aveda Petal Essence Cheek Color in Apricot Whisper (left to right: contour, blush, and highlight)

The staying power of Petal Essence Apricot Whisper is on the higher end for such a sheer product, or application in my case, with mine usually lasting until mid afternoon (so 6-7 hours) before I notice that I am looking a little sallow and need a bit of color to wake my face back up. Sometimes I don't reapply this color in the afternoon and instead go for something a little rosier; however, now that I write about the product, I realize I could just focus the brush more on that darkest strip of color for a richer, afternoon pop on the cheeks. It's amazing what you think of when you just pause to think something through, duh!

NARS Douceur Blush--Totally Natural and Multi-Tasking

$27.00 USD for 0.16oz/4.8g

I was on the hunt a good while ago now for something special, something to give me a glow without the shimmer and shine of a "glowy-glow." Well, I found it inside a rather unsuspecting blush because Nars Douceur is a very versatile blusher. For me, it changes into a sort of bronzer sometimes that has a dustier quality without looking like I put brown/tan on my very fair skin. The pigment in it can pack a punch, so I think darker lovelies will find plenty to like while still being more natural and flattering.

NARS Douceur Blush

 The very finely milled powder, I find, does need to be worked a tiny bit with your brush to get it started on the pigment intensity I am usually looking for (then I blend the leftovers as 'bronze' at my temples, etc.). That is not to say that the compact is hard--just that the powder inside is very subtle and has a melt into your skin texture which can sometimes make it harder to tell where it's gone on without layering.

Douceur heavily swatched on left, blended on right

Kirkland Signature by Borghese Mineral Foundation, Blush, and Lip Shimmer

$15.99 for 0.32oz/9g of foundation, 0.10oz/3g of blush, 0.09oz/2.8g of lip gloss

Mineral Powder Foundation SPF 20 in Fair/Light may have sheer coverage at best, but if I want a finishing powder with sun protection, which I really do for quick summer-time application, I can think of no better product. It is a bit of a shame that I would have to build up a bit of summer color with a bronzer in order to not look extremely pale wearing only this foundation, but I still love the lightweight feel of the formula. Recently, when I've pulled out my BareMinerals, I've felt it went on a bit heavy, and even using a light hand, started to look cakey. So far, no indication that this Kirkland Mineral Foundation will do that, and I also feel like it is pulling less moisture from my skin over the course of the day while still controlling oil for about 5 hours (really the best any one product can do for me in the summer).

From left to right: Lip Shimmer in Simply Radiant, Blush in Simply Blushing, and Foundation in Fair/Light

Mineral Loose Blush in Simply Blushing is one of the most universal shades I've seen in a long time. It's a beauty cross between pink, peach, apricot, and a touch of plum, and as you can almost see from the photo, starts to melt into skin more naturally than the foundation. I'm just stunned at how flattering this is. The mineral sifter container keeps me on my toes about applying in super thin layers, but the color can go on extremely sheer or bold and poppin'!

Lotus Cream to Powder Blush in Plum

$20.00 for 5g/0.18 oz

Recently I've been all over blush like a fat kid on cake with buttercream frosting; no lie, I will push small children out of my path to get at a pretty blush, and whoo-boy, this is some pretty blush by Lotus! I'm generally scared of darker because my skin is basically white, so I need to emphasize that THIS IS A GOOD BLUSH FOR EVERYONE. Plum can go on sheer enough for my liking but could absolutely be applied thicker for a BAM of color. Honestly, I like this one in essence better than Apricot simply because it took me by surprise that I could absolutely use it.

Lotus Certified Organic Bio-Mineral Cream-to-Powder Blush in Apricot

Part Three for Build*A*Look #1: Backlit Beauty

$20.00 for 5g/0.18oz

I've been meaning to review at least one of the Lotus products I received since the second the box arrived on my porch, but alas time to do so has alluded me. Now, I'm proud to say I've tested it pretty thoroughly and this blush is DA-BOMB! I would also never say this lightly because I'm usually pretty picky, however, without prompt to review it, I've been reaching for this Apricot blush (or the Plum) every single day since I first tested it out.

Seen in the pic above is the e.l.f. Foundation Brush I use to apply it with. Since it is a cream-to-powder formula, I prefer using a brush meant for cream products so the blending is easier. If I used a powder blush brush for this, I'm sure it would look fine but be much harder to get the blending just right.

Lotus Bio-Mineral Cream-to-Powder Blush in Apricot

Upon first swirl through, the product comes up a bit more like very pressed powder, i.e. you need to sort of get the product started with a bit of work. Thus, more swirling and finally a flush of color could be seen at the tip of my brush. On the hairs, it looks like powder, and put to my cheek it feels like powder, but this glides in like nothing I've ever seen. It's just not quite cream or powder but yet both--glory, praise Makeup!

Glitz and Glamour and Fine Manners - e.l.f. Studio Blush in Fuchsia

e.l.f. Studio Blush in Fuchsia

In the most objective light, e.l.f. Fuchsia was both a shock and disappointment for me. I warn you now that this is for personal reasons, such as I am not a great fan of glitter and bright pinks are a bit out of my comfort zone. Yet I purchased this, why? I was trying to recreate the look of Chanel's Holiday 2010 look which had Tweed Fuchsia for cheeks. So e.l.f. Fuchsia seems like a great substitute for that $45 blush at $3, right?

Sure, and I still think it is a great find. The glitter threw me for a loop when I first saw it. "No way in hell I can actually wear this," was most likely the first thought to come to mind, but look at the swatches real quick:

e.l.f. Studio Blush in Fuchsia blended on left, unblended on right in daylight

Fuchsia is not that scary when blended. The glitter doesn't completely saturate the product, so if you apply it carefully, it should look more like an accent than your face--covered in glitter--

e.l.f. Studio Blush in Fuchsia blended on left, unblended on right with flash

e.l.f. Natural Radiance Blusher

e.l.f Natural Radiance Blusher in Flushed

I really look forward to getting more of these. This blush is better than my Chanel blush for the facts that it's not scented and powders up less when you're picking up product. In fact, the blush is dense in it's little case, so I need to work my brush around a bit to get the color I'm looking for. This blends flawlessly though. Effortlessly. For serious. And in the photo above I have used it many times without making a dent in the ridge-print, meaning there is clearly a lot more than meets the eye to work with. I think I like this blusher better than the Studio line ones because this type has a much subtler sheen (as opposed to glitter).

Blusher in Flushed blended on left, unblended on right

Shimmer Me Timbers- e.l.f.'s Shimmering Facial Whips are Super Versatile and only $1!

As a relative 'noob' to the cosmetic world, I have been struggling to find my place on the grand scale of how much shimmer I actually like on my face and skin. To be honest, big glitter and super shine are NOT my cup of tea, and drama make-up is a very rare occurrence outside of my front door (for me, but shh, I do it in secret...for practice...yes, practice only). Though I also have found a deep and passionate love for Chanel and Dior (Me <3 Dior and the Diva Points Program), I have to share my new favorite and go-to product for highlight, blush, definition (I'm also thinking bronze glow), and all-day care free one-time application: eight shades of pure creativity in these Shimmering Facial Whips from e.l.f.!

e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whips in Spotlight, Lilac Petal, Golden Peach, Citrus, and Pink Lemonade

First, the beauty of these is a great range that can be applied sheerly to quite opaque. I personally own and use five shades: (from left) Spotlight, Lilac Petal, Golden Peach, Citrus, Pink Lemonade; and there are three others: Camilia, Persimmon, Toasted. Their consistency is rich and creamy, which at first made me nervous for blending out the richer colors.

Mood Boost: MAC Play It Proper Beauty Powder

$22.00 for 0.35 oz

As far as I know, this is a limited edition product from MACs Stylishly Yours collection (which had a lot of eye and lip colors I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole). This was one of the only highlights of my day (no pun intended) and is possibly one of the only products I could every see myself being able to use as a highlighter, blush, and all over powder depending on the time of year or occasion. The powder is smooth and finely milled and doesn't dust up at the slightest stroke. This is gonna last me quite a while, so I'm really happy with the purchase and price. Play It Proper is a very pale pink in the pan with a frosty finish but swatches far more neutral nude (or pale beige) than pink. The under tone is there but it's quite subtle.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Cheek Tint in Sheer Lilac: My Valentine Blush?

 $22.00 for 0.13 oz/3.8g

Let's not beat around the bush: I am tight with my sheers and neutrals. That said, every once in a while a product stands out to me because of....something special. Now, this Bobbi Brown Sheer Cheek Tint is sheer and for me neutral/natural, but this is soooo easy to use and looks phenomenal! This just gives me the perfect pink glow, a gentle flush at the cheeks that has a dewy finish, not greasy (looking or feeling)

Will You Fall In Love With No.55? CHANEL 55 In Love Blush, That Is

($42.00 for 0.21 oz/6g)

I can't tiptoe around the fabulous quality of this blush, but I will try to give it a fair shake at a critical review. In Love is a warm coral with orange-yellow micro-shimmer. It contrasts beautifully on a warm toned face, and I think still neutral enough to flatter cool-toned gals like myself (the micro-shimmer helps). the powder is top quality and does not send clouds around with each brush stroke, so you get to use every speck of product. For the money, this blush is an investment I am happy with (beautiful color I want to wear often), but if you lean more towards lots of variety for less than a fortune, this is not for you.

Use A Light Hand with Rimmel London's Autumn Catwalk Blush and Highlighter

($4.99 for 0.15 oz/4.5g)

Rimmel's Autum Catwalk Blush and Highlighter is a tri-color compact with a light-medium shimmering pink, a semi-frost medium pink, and a matte hot pink that leans a little cool. The powder itself is finely milled and does blend smoothly, but getting too much product can make application a smidge chalky. Also, a lot of product comes loose with one sweep of the brush, dusting everything around it. Use a light hand, especially if you have fair/light skin and don't want a heavy cheek.

Compact Perfection: the e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

($3.00 for 0.28 oz./8g)

This is a fantastic buy, seriously. A super flattering shade of pinky-coral blush and a well-pigmented and blendable bronzer (so that's good for fair lasses, too)! For me it is oh-so-easy to overdo bronzer, and this product isn't so much an exception as it is a workable option where there are few.