Peach + Coral Favourites

About a year ago, I went through a phase of wearing only peach and coral toned products. As a result, I have quite a healthy collection of coral and peachy blushes, lipsticks and glosses. These are some of my absolute favourites!

Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine

Hard Candy Honeymoon

Guerlain 02 Brunettes 

Tarte Tipsy

NARS Gilda

LORAC Peach

Revlon Just Enough Buff

Rimmel Nude Delight

MAC Freckletone (a very melted version)

YSL Peach Passion #13

Dior Lip Polish 001

CHANEL Glossimer #148

Revlon Coral Me Wild

I hope you had a great weekend!

x Elise

Life's a peach so swipe on some blush and enjoy it!

Happy Valentine's Day girls! I'm having so much fun posting these blush-overview-type posts. It really forces me to dig deep and find the blushes that I haven't used in a while. 

If I'm ever in a pinch (which reminds me I want MAC's Pinch O' Peach) and only have a few minutes to get ready, I usually like to apply a peachy shade of blush. I find they're the most natural looking on my extremely warm (okay fine, extremely yellow) skin. That isn't the only time I use these blushes, but I find they're always a safe choice. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few, but I think I managed to get the bulk of my peach/coral blushes into the photo. 

1. Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in P Peach 47

2. NARS Gilda 

3. Lorac Blush in Peach

4. elf Peachy Keen

5. NARS Torrid

6. Benefit Sugarbomb 

7. elf Candid Coral

8. Anna Sui Face Color Accent in 300 

9. MAC blush in Melba

10. MAC mineralize blush in Utterly Game (LE)

11. Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine 

Because I find the above photos a bit of a jumbled mess, I decided to show you which are my most and least used peachy/coral blushes. 

Least Used:

7. elf Candid Coral

4. elf Peachy Keen

5. NARS Torrid

6. Benefit Sugarbomb

Most Used:

1. Shu Uemura P Peach 47

8. Anna Sui 300

10. MAC Utterly Game

3. Lorac Peach*

11. Laura Mercier Lush Nectarine 

*this one requires the most blending though so I don't use it if I'm in a hurry

I feel it's worth mentioning that even if your skin tone is on the cooler side, don't be afraid of the peaches. My skin is as yellow as they come and I still love to wear bright bubblegum and cool-toned pink blushes.

If you have a similar skin tone to me or are just a bit darker, I highly recommend the Anna Sui blush in the shade 300. Love, love, love it. It's sheer but pigmented enough. This blush is such a joy to apply. I usually like to buff and blend my blush until my arm is tired, but this blush just gives the most beautiful flush without all of the buffing and blending. The colour is very buildable so no need to worry about the fact that it's slightly sheer. It also has a light rose scent. It isn't a strong scent so I can't see it being a problem for those of you who prefer unscented products. I have only been using this blush for a few weeks so my opinion could change (and if it does, I'll be sure to update you) but for now I'm incredibly pleased and impressed with this blush. 

Are you a fan of peach/coral blushes? Any favourites? 

Peace, love & lots of chocolate covered kisses

Elise x

Comparison: NARS Madly & Douceur

In all photos: NARS Madly is on the left, NARS Douceur is on the right

Sorry about the post overload from me, but I've been impatiently waiting for the Superbowl to begin so I've been in a blogging mood.

I was at a NARS counter the other day and they were still selling Douceur (a limited edition blush from the Fall 2010 collection). I know there are still people wondering about the difference between Madly and Douceur so I thought I would attempt to take a few photos that would clearly illustrate the fact that Douceur isn't just a matte version of Madly. 

They are both neutral blushes, but they actually aren't that similar. On me, Madly is more of a tawny-beige with a subtle shimmer. It is very highly pigmented and blends easily. If you swirl your finger in a MAC sheertone blush, that is what Madly feels like. Douceur is a dusty neutral rose shade. It isn't nearly as pigmented as Madly (although I do find that in the beginning the colour payoff was minimal but now that I've had it for a while, my brush can pick up a lot more product). If you are familiar with what a MAC sheertone shimmer blush feels, that's more or less the texture of Douceur.

Are they both must haves? I think you can probably get away with just one or the other. I would probably suggest NARS Madly. I feel it has the ability to work for a greater number of people since Douceur isn't as pigmented. When I first got Douceur, I thought it was a great shade. Now that I've had them both for quite some time, I feel Madly is the slightly more flattering and unique shade. 

I hope that was helpful!

Elise x

My Least Used Blushes

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I have got an intense week ahead of me and I already know it's going to be filled with sleepless nights and a whole lot of "where-did-the-time-go?" moments. When I don't sleep, I tend to go a little crazy and turn into a bit of a moody mcgee. I try not to stress too much because I've done that in the past and nothing will ever get done if I'm on the floor sobbing. 

While procrastinating (I'm more of an eleventh hour kind of gal anyway), I was trying to think of all the things that make me happy. If I'm stressed I always make sure I take several breaks to do the things that make me happy. Even if I'm swamped, I make time. Blush rarely fails me so I think this upcoming week will be "Blush Week" here at Blush is the New Black. 

As I said, blush rarely fails me, but there are a few in my collection that I either dislike or just never seem to reach for. If any of these are one of your favourites, colour me jealous. 

• Guerlain Blush 4 Eclats Lueur d'autommne 03 - Gorgeous packaging but I just can't make this blush work. The shade is way too dark for me and isn't flattering at all. It doesn't matter how lightly I apply it or what kind of brush I use. The result and my reaction is always the same: "oh wow, that's definitely not attractive." I'm going to wait until the summer to give it one last try but if it still doesn't work, then I'll have to say goodbye to it. 
• Clinique Precious Posey - Honestly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this shade. It's actually a pretty pink. The price is very affordable and the packaging isn't too shabby. Why don't I use it? I don't know. I just never reach for it. I'm always trying to convince myself to use it, but right before applying it I'll change my mind. Something about it just prevents me from liking or using it. It's a mystery. I actually considered using it the other day after reading that it will be included in the Milly for Clinique Pretty in Prints compact (but I didn't).
• Benefit Sugarbomb - When I swatch Sugarbomb on my hand, it's beautiful. It looks a blush that has the ability to make my cheeks glow. I've tried this blush on numerous occasions but have never actually left the house wearing it. In fact, just a few days ago I applied it but had to wash my face and redo my makeup. I was horrified at what I looked like. More on this later. I'll do an entire post on this haha.
• ELF Blushes - My poor ELF blushes must feel so neglected. I actually think they are extremely good quality and very comparable to many high end brands. Somehow they always end up at the back of my blush drawer though. 
• Benefit Posie Tint - I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm just not the hugest fan of Benefit cheek products. I'm pretty sure Posie Tint is supposed to be a no-fuss blush but when I try using it, it turns into a whole ordeal. I dot it on and try to blend it out but before I can get to the blending part, the dots have set into my skin and I end up looking like a dark haired Pippi Longstocking (sans gravity-defying pigtails). As it turns out, pink freckles aren't the best look on me. 
• MAC Prism - I can really only use Prism in the summer because it's a little too dark for me. It's also matte and in general I prefer a bit of shimmer in my blushes. 

I am shocked that there aren't more blushes on this list. While going through my collection, I realized that I actually do a decent job of rotating my blush. Of course I always favour certain ones over others, but for the most part, there aren't too many that I don't use. Sorry, I know this post wasn't exactly helpful but hopefully you enjoyed it nonetheless :). 

Are there any blushes that seem to always get pushed to the back of your drawer? 

What's your least favourite blush?

xx

Elise

Collective Haul: Cargo, Tarina Tarantino, Benefit, etc.

bareMinerals Get Started Complexion Enhancers set includes:

- 0.02oz Well-Rested for eyes

- 0.02oz Feather Light Mineral Veil

- 0.02oz Pure Radiance All-Over Face Color

- 0.02oz Faux Tan All-Over Face Color

- Feather Light Brush

- Angled Face Brush

- Light Stroke Brush

- Instructional Brochure

- How-To DVD

I wanted to try Well Rested, but Sephora was/is always sold out. The girl helping me was kind enough to suggest the Complexion Enhancers instead. I'm so glad I got this set because I didn't end up liking Well Rested as much as I thought I would but have really been enjoying the Feather Light Mineral Veil and Pure Radiance All-Over Face Color. I use Pure Radiance as a highlight. Faux Tan is a little too dark for me right now but I'm sure it'll be perfect once I have a tan. I have heard many girls complain about the poor quality of Bare Escentuals brushes and say that they're too scratchy to use. I'm not sure if they've changed the brushes, but the three brushes included in the set are really soft and are the perfect size to throw in my little makeup bag. 

Oh by the way, the fact that I didn't like Well Rested wasn't because it didn't work. In fact, it worked too well. It's so brightening that my eyes looked smaller. Isn't that crazy? 

Cargo Blush in Tonga (8.9g) - Tonga is a beautiful muted/neutral matte pink. It's perfect for everyday use. My photo and swatches definitely do not do it justice. At first, I thought maybe it would be similar to NARS Douceur or Madly, but it's definitely more pink than both of the NARS blushes. Similar to NARS blushes, Tonga is incredibly pigmented so the best way  to apply it is by layering it little by little (I prefer using a large fluffy blush brush or a duo fiber brush rather than a smaller brush). As with many matte blushes, be gentle when swirling or tapping your brush in the pan, because it can turn into a powdery mess if you're too rough.

Much to my dismay, Sephora stopped selling Cargo products a while ago and I've noticed The Bay (a Canadian department store) offers a smaller and smaller selection of Cargo products every time I visit the counter. I'm happy to report that starting January 17th, consumers will be able to order from the Cargo website! If you sign up to be a "Cargo Insider," you'll receive 20% off your first order. I wasn't able to find anything about shipping costs on their website so I think I'm going to email their customer service and find out if it's affordable or not (I hate paying ridiculous shipping costs!)

Tarina Tarantino Dollskin Cheek Blush in Feather (0.2oz / 6g) - this blush is the  darker, less coral relative of NARS Deep Throat blush. It's a peachy pink shade with shimmer. When I first bought it, I thought the packaging was a little bit tacky but it has really grown on me! 

Benefit Sugarbomb (0.42oz / 12.0g) - I LOVE the smell of this blush! It gives a nice glow but is fairly sheer, so if you have a medium/dark skin tone, this will probably be more of a highligher than a blush. When I use it, I try to avoid the peach (I have enough "peachy pink" blushes). It still ends up looking a little orange on my skin, so perhaps it will work better in the summer. 

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 & Scented Lip Balm #1 in Mango, Coconut, Cranberry, Vanilla - I went a little Kiehl's crazy. Originally, I purchased the Original for myself and bought the scented ones for family and friends, but I forgot to include them in people's gifts, so I'm going to keep a few for myself and save some for a future giveaway. 

Almay Bright Eyes Eye Base + Concealer - I'm not going to lie; I fully bought this concealer because of the name. Any concealer with the word 'bright' in the name will always catch my attention. I've read very good reviews on this concealer but I was a little disappointed when I tried it myself. The texture is very nice because it's lightweight, doesn't crease and blends easily. 

If you have very dark circles under your eyes, this probably won't provide enough coverage. When I use this concealer, I pair it with another concealer that has better coverage. Almay claims that the concealer "visually depuffs the eye area" but that definitely wasn't the case for me (in all fairness though, my puffy eyes are genetic and nothing helps). The packaging isn't the greatest. It's really difficult to squeeze the right amount for just one application. There are three shades: light, light/medium and medium. 

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse - I was so excited when I saw this in Shoppers because for the longest time, this product wasn't available in Canada. I picked up the shade 200 Creamy Natural. So far, I've really enjoyed using this foundation. Amazingly smooth texture and it has really great coverage. If you have dry or dry/dehydrated skin, I highly suggest trying the Dream Smooth Mousse if you haven't already. 

L'occitane Shea Essentials includes:

     - 0.1oz / 30ml Shea Hand Cream 

     - o.1oz / 30ml Shea Foot Cream

     - 3.5oz / 100g Shea Butter Milk Soap 

My cousins gave me this Shea Essentials set as part of my Christmas present. It smells incredible. When I shop, I rarely think of purchasing body/bath products, but I love receiving them as gifts for that exact reason.

Quo Individual Lashes - I'm not really one to wear a full set of lashes on a regular basis, so I thought I would try individual lashes. They're relatively easy to apply and they're so lightweight that I can't even feel them when they're on. They're also easy to remove. I remove my eye makeup with baby oil and the individual lashes just come right off with my mascara. They are very natural looking so I could probably get away with using them on an everyday basis, but for some reason I can't bring myself to add an extra step. I take joy in applying blush, but fussing with my lashes is probably my least favourite step. 

All of these products were purchased back in December. I'm going to try to avoid buying makeup this month. I hadn't even realized that I added 3 more blushes to my already too huge blush collection. I'm going to try to make January my skincare month. I ordered the Clarisonic Mia and a few Sibu products to try from the Shopping Channel last night. I just ran out of my Philosophy Hope in a Jar moisturizer so I guess I'll be needing a new moisturizer too. 

Can anyone suggest a good moisturizer for dry/dehydrated skin?

Is there a moisturizer you cannot live without? 

xx

Elise

FOTD using Chanel Tweed Fuchsia

Hi girls!

As promised, here is a FOTD using the Chanel Tweed Fuchsia! 

[face]

Laura Mercier mineral powder in Natural Beige

MAC Studio Finish concealer in NC20

[cheeks]

Chanel Tweed Fuchsia

Lorac Perfectly Lit powder in Spotlight

Dior Shimmer Powder in Amber Diamond

[eyes]

Dior waterproof eyeliner in Trinidad Black

L'Oreal Voluminous mascara in Carbon Black

Buxom Lash mascara in Blackest Black

[lips]

Chanel Rouge Allure lip gloss in Imaginaire

As you may have noticed, I use two highlighters. It's getting colder and I've got dry dehydrated skin so I need all the help I can get! I apply Lorac Spotlight all over my cheeks and then apply Dior Amber Diamond a bit more sparingly to the tops of my cheeks. 

When I first saw the photo below from the Giambattista Valli F10 show, I completely fell in love with it. Lately, I've been trying to copy it as best as I can and have been teasing my hair and putting it in a low bun.  My hair was a little neater than usual today though because I had work all day. 

Photo: Peter Stigter, elle.com

My work appropriate take on the above photo: 

xx
Elise

FOTD feat. Burberry Blush

[face]

 Laura Mercier mineral powder in Natural Beige

MAC Studio Finish concealer in NC20

Cargo bronzer in Matte Medium
[cheeks]

Burberry blush in Cameo
Lorac Perfectly Lit powder in Spotlight
[eyes]

L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara 

Buxom Lash Mascara in Blackest Black

Annabelle kohl eyeliner in Black
[lips]

Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner Definer in Pure 

Burberry Blush in Cameo

Lately, I've been using my Burberry blush in Cameo quite a bit. I bought it in the summer but was sure I had wasted the $50. I couldn't get it to blend nicely and the colour just looked bad.

I'm not sure what has changed but I'm really enjoying it now. It's really pigmented, smells amazing, has nice packaging, and has more product than most of my blushes (it's .24 oz whereas MAC blushes are .21 oz, and NARS blushes are .16 oz).
 

For a product that has "light glow" in the name, it applies darker than expected but I just use a light hand and keep building it. It definitely gives off a nice 'glow' or sheen as opposed to having shimmer in it.

If you don't want to spend the $50, try the e.l.f. blush in Mellow Mauve. For $3, you can get a very similar colour. They aren't exactly the same, but I think if the e.l.f. blush didn't have any shimmer, they would be even closer. 

I've read some reviews on Mellow Mauve and some say it's matte and not pigmented enough. Perhaps a downside to this blush is it's inconsistency, because mine is very pigmented and has a slight bluish shimmer to it (but don't worry, when applied it isn't a shimmer bomb). You'll probably want to set the e.l.f. blush with a finishing powder though, because I don't find it lasts all day. 

Burberry Cameo on the left, e.l.f. Mellow Mauve on the right

Click here for a Face of the Day using the Burberry blush!

Let me know if you've tried anything from Burberry! I want the lipstick in Cameo Pink but it's just an easy to wear soft pink...I'm sure I can find a drugstore option.

Any suggestions for natural looking pink lipsticks? What's your favourite? 


xx
Elise