Take three- favorite drugstore blushes

Here we go again. I have recently rediscovered these products that i CANNOT believe i stopped using. They're so versatile and lovely! what was i thinking sending them away in the cold care of my bathroom makeup box (sort of a makeup orphanage)??

The babies are:
- Rimmel Soft Colour Blush in Madeira (131)
- L'Oreal Blush Caresse in Rhum (109)
- H&M Celebration Makeup Set (1 and 2. Yes very ingenious blush shade names, i know)


Rimmel



I like to believe it resembles a red apple, both in the pan and on the cheeks. It's a neutral reddish...red, i don't know how to describe it. In flash photography it looks a tad different, with strawberry-reddish undertones and a hint of copper. However, on the skin it's really realistic. When Rimmel chose the name of the shade they weren't wrong...i don't really know what Madeira wine is supposed to look like, but i surely think of a creole Spanish lill' lady with ripe cheeks.

L'Oreal








This one is trickier. It looks like a faint plummy pink in the pan but i love that it's more on the neutral side. It's basically an ashy toned pink with pink undertones. It's funny because every time i check it out it seems to look different. It's perfect for contouring, and when i fancy a paler skintone of the day, this is the thing to go for. I have hit pan a long time ago but i can't part ways with it because it's a discontinued shade (i have it in the old L'Oreal packaging)

H&M





Another cute blush from H&M. I like that one of the pans works more like a highlighter, a pearly iridescent pink with ashier undertones, and that it also has a strip of dark brown which i use as an eyeshadow as well. The other pan is made of peaches, pinks and a tad of bronze. I guess there are millions of eyeshadows in this category, which is why i think this was a smart choice- hey, it's cheap and perfect as a starter if i want to go farther in the pearly pink blush department. Flaw- a tad less pigmented so i've got to rub the pan a little for a fuller effect; discontinued (but the pans are going to last me forever, been using these for more than a year and they look brand new).

As i said...i like going through old makeup stashes, bringing out old school faves, not judging by the brand name and getting what i like regardless of my snobbier side.

H&M blush- take two

Part two of the 'My Cheapos' collection, i couldn't ignore this one.

It's actually a small kit from Hello Kitty by H&M (yes, that H&M) that contains both eyeshadows and blushes (namely two, Peach and Strawberry). The colors are delicious and the pigmentation is awesome. Really, am i the ONLY one who has ever adventured into the land of H&M makeup? (i mean me and my friends...) Or are the makeup products by clothing lines (see Lollipop's great video on Topshop cosmetics) different from country to country, quality-wise? I have no idea but it seems that NOBODY else uses H&M :) which is really funny.

Getting back at these two blushes (my bad, i should've mentioned there were two), they're spectacular. I haven't seen these colors anywhere else; not even at the MAC counter. I'm not suggesting they are superior in quality to the MAC blushes, by all means NO. My point is that the most important thing about a blush, in my opinion, is the COLOR. Then comes the texture, then the pigmentation (i seriously don't want to go through the hassle of having to be light-handed because otherwise...bleh), then the finish (matte or shimmery), etc. I don't really care about blushes, to be honest. Because 90% of my favorite blushes were always low-end brands; i spotted wonderful colors at H&M, at the pick-me-up shops on the streets while traveling, in my friend's old makeup collections, at the Saturday Chinese flea market etc. I'm not a snob when it comes to blushes and lip glosses (as long as they don't stink).

Okay, so meet Peach and Strawberry:
-with flash


-no flash


-swatches




-with flash


The peachy one is shimmery (no glitter though) and has a nice sheen to its finish. It's just so natural and gorgeous! the only complaint i have is that it's a little bit dusty, i have to be careful when i swirl the brush on the pan or i get more blush than i need; another small 'thing' is the fact that H&M usually comes up with this type of kits every two months or even more often; it's hard to find the same item again and there are no names of the kits or the shades. I personally have taken the liberty to call the colors strawberry and peach; they are no names, poor tittle things :(
I do think i did these two blushes justice by blogging about them; maybe one day someone will stumble upon this post and take a closer look- they are really adorable.

Blushes blushes everywhere

I reaaaaaaly want to blog a bit about something that's been...well not bothering me in the proper sense, but however, something in the family.
I have a number of blogs i zealously follow and all the ladies (and gents) are gorgeous, talented and very very witty with their pen and paper (actually keyboards). However.

Most beauty bloggers, except for a couple of professional makeup artists, tend to remain 'stuck' in a certain manner, about product brands. I like to read about MAC, Nars (this is how i discovered several favorites) and i also know there are many blogs especially dedicated to budget makeup. Nevertheless, i kinda get the irritating feeling that today's beauty blogs are more about...not necessarily boasting, but band-wagoning. Most blog posts haven't gotten out the Mac mineralized skinfinishes/ eyeshadows and Nars blushes phase for months. Therefore i figured i might blog a little about several blushes i own, not high end at all, with gorgeous colors (i personally think so, hehe), high versatility, which cost a fraction of the price one must pay for a high end item. I don't know if these blushes might qualify as dupes because i don't own any of the super acclaimed blushes of all times- Stereo Rose, Orgasm, etc. I just feel very well with these several fellows and thought they deserve a public holla.

1. Avon- Rose Lustre



This is a gorgeously pigmented, satin finish blush that has unfortunately started to seriously run out...i have hit pan maaany months ago. I think it's a youthful color that gives a great flushing of the apples of the cheek and it contains minuscule glitter particles. It has a matte finish with a bit of spark, but no discoball effect whatsoever. I wear it almost every day, by itself on in combos, and it fits my skintone more than perfectly. It is soft and pigmented (i already said that before) and you don't have to use a special technique or brush to get the best of it. I do believe it's a great lower-end blush that goes well with every complexion undertone.

2. H&M- Summer Night



Three 'stripes' of product, a daring, bright raspberry, a sweet, bubblegum-coral-pink with golden sheen and a smaller angle of a bit of brownie 'bronzer'. I love this blush because the pan is big enough to allow for picking only one of the colors, two, because the mix looks great and three, the colors are so vivid, youthful, pigmented yet discreet and natural. I will keep purchasing this for as long as they make it and i am also going to take the peachy version of this one. It costs a tiny 4 euros (or even less) and makes a great difference.

3. Max Factor- 14 Soft Pink



Creamy blush i rarely use on the cheeks but on the lips most of the time. Think Paris Hilton-meets-Lady Gaga's lipstick. A beautiful pink. I heart it.

4. Deborah- Teracotta Stardust







This blush is so old the name on the lid has faded off a long time ago. It still has its original dome shape because a little goes a long way, and it's very pigmented. I love the color veins- brown, silver, golden, fuchsia pink on the light-yet-bright carnation pink. It's just so lovely i cannot live without it. When i'm tanned it tends to reveal more of the pink sides but applied on my natural tone, it gives a beautiful, healthy pink flush with glowy iridescence.

5. Deborah- number 5


I don't remember the name of the blush but it's a gorgeous, soft peachy pink i managed to break :( (It goes with everything; INSANELY pigmented!



6. Bourjois- Rose d'Or



Many complaints about the lack of pigmentation. It's a little harder and you have to literally scratch a tiny bit off the top of the dome and then it works like a charm. I cannot diss this color just because it's not 'pigmented' enough, i'd rather rub my brush in and get beautiful Carrie Bradshaw cheeks. Instead of paying a TON for Nars...i already have this beauty.

7. ...basically no brand- came with 'Glamour' magazine.



I love the bright raspberry of this cute little pan (it has a transparent lid with 'Glamour' written on it, haha!). It's so youthful and lovely! Very pigmented but not dusty at all, it's a real pleasure to wear it.

Yes i would like to try the 'cult' blushes one day, but i like to be realistic and get myself trips & clothes instead of investing in high-class...powders :P
If you're a makeup collector and feel offended, please don't. MANY people think just like me and i'm not judging anyone who decides to spend. It's just my take on the issue.

Happy blushing everyone!