Swatchfest: Bright Blushes

For the past few months I have been going through a bright blush obsession--peaches, roses, subtle berries need not apply. All I want to be wearing on my cheeks this winter is something bold, something that gives me a natural flush...otherwise known as the 'just came in from the cold look.' My desire to achieve this look through artificial makeup means might come from the fact that I don't tend to blush in real life--as in, the capillaries in my cheeks do not turn a different color when I am embarrassed. Or cold, for that matter. Even when I work out, my face coloration tends to stay the same. Pretty boring, if you ask me, which must be the reason I am on a mission for the perfect blush!

Clockwise from Top Left: NARS Cactus Flower, Illamasqua Tweak, Chanel Tweed Fuschia,
MAC Florida, MAC Bite of an Apple, Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon

I therefore humbly submit to you my modest collection of bright red and pink blushes. They range from MAC to Chanel, with three being powders and three being creams/liquids. Part of my motivation for this swatch post was to try to convince myself that I don't need more blushes within these color families (as I may or may not currently have two Rouge Bunny Rouge blushes, a Sleek blush, a Barry M blush and a Sue Devitt blush on their way to me). I'm not sure my experiment worked, as I am still craving some more Becca, Edward Bess, and Buxom blushes.

Anyways, without further ado, here is how they compare:

L to R: Becca Watermelon, NARS Cactus Flower, Illamasqua Tweak,
MAC Bite of an Apple, Chanel Tweed Fuschia, MAC Florida

Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon: This is an incredibly natural looking blush once you blend it into the skin. The product has a tendency to separate in the tube, so give it a squeeze before application. Rather than being a pure watermelon shade, this is a mix between a watermelon and an apple.

NARS Cactus Flower: I think this shade is hands down the most beautiful swatch of them all. It is an orangey red (don't let this scare you, it's not overly warm) with gold shimmer throughout. The lasting power isn't the best, but it applies gorgeously and is quite easy to either blend out or build up.

Illamasqua Tweak: This is my first, and until now only, Illamasqua blush and every time I go to use it, I am impressed with how pigmented it is. Definitely use a light hand on this one, even for those of you who might like a stronger blush look. It is a very pinky red color, and might just be the perfect winter flush shade.

MAC Bite of an Apple: It might have been a bit unfair to swatch this right after Illamasqua Tweak, which is so delightfully pigmented, as I was rather disappointed at the lack of pigmentation on this one. With that said, however, it is still a lovely and very popular shade. Like Tweak, it is also a pinky red, but I would say that it is a more dusty color than Tweak.

Chanel Tweed Fuschia: This shade definitely leaves the red behind, and heads firmly into cool pinky territory. In the pan it includes threads of what look like gold shimmer, but on the skin it has a bit of a sheen, but no glitter/obvious shimmer. This has been my go to blush over the past month--it works well with neutral eyes and a pinky lip. If you can track this limited edition product down, I highly recommend it (psst...try Izzys Beauty Shoppe).

MAC Florida: Last, but certainly not least, this MAC blush is a re-promote with their recent Shop/Cook line. I've seen it described in several places as being coral, but I can assure you that it is definitely not that! It is a strong, cool fuschia shade with lots of pigmentation. It pulled a bit purpley when I first applied it to my skin, but once blended out, it was a gorgeous cool pink. It is a bit cooler than the Chanel Tweed Fuschia, but within the same family (you might want to try this first if you are looking for a cream formula vs. a powder, or simply want a lower price point).

Whew, that's all for now....until my next set of blushes arrive!