Ze Blushes

I think of all the makeup types, blushes and eye liners are the least that I buy. I believe in hitting the pan first before buying another blush. But this thought proved to be frustrating several times in the past when I would do an eye look and couldn’t find the perfect shade of blush or when I do another person’s makeup.

So, last December I started to explore my horizons when it comes to blushes. Here, I will feature 3 blushes from affordable to high end.

Let’s go with the high end first:

As you can see, the compact is lovely. It stays closed too and is not hard to open.



Isn’t that gorgeous? I’m smitten when I see monochromatic makeup.  Here’s a swatch:

I exaggerated this a bit so that you can see the shade. This blush is awesome. I used this for C’s prom look. It has a very silky feel and the shimmers are subtle. Staying power is good. It lasts several hours, more if you spray on MAC Fix or Urban Decay All-Nighter.  This blush costs Php1,800. When I paid for this, I told Rose, the beauty specialist at EL Rustan’s Makati to just get my card and get it over with. I didn’t even go with her to the counter. I was extremely guilty of buying such an expensive blush. Now, I’m very happy that I did because after several uses, it still looks new. So sulit! And it makes my cheeks look so pretty too!

The next one is a mid-range makeup:

 

This is the Stila Custom Color Blush or more commonly known as the Ph blush. It adjusts to your skin’s Ph level, giving you the perfect shade of pink. Does it work? You betcha! I’ve tried this on me and other people and I can truly see the difference. In the picture it looks too washed out but in reality, the blush looks very pink. Don’t worry, it will still adjust to your skin.

Packaging is very cute and very functional:

 

It costs Php1,250 and is also available at Rustan’s like the Estee Lauder blush. Color lasts a long time on my cheeks.

Lastly, we go to something affordable:

The color is pretty for a natural everyday look but the pigmentation is terrible. I need to apply a lot to get even that faintest look on my hand. Staying power is also not great as I have to re-apply several times a day. I have two shades of this NYX grinding blush. I haven’t opened the other one. I plan to finish this first. I have no idea how much this costs as I forgot to ask when I bought it but it’s NYX so you can be sure that it’s affordable. I will not repurchase as I’m quite happy with the other 2 blushes above. Even my ELF blush has better staying power than this.I would go with ELF any day. I think the same goes true with their lipstick as I’ve read other bloggers review the lipstick and staying power is also a concern.  I don’t have oily skin and the blush still slides off easily. But, I must say that the packaging is fun and unique (oh, not unique as this was a rip off from Smashbox). But aside from being quirky, the cap doesn’t lock into place. Sometimes the cap is already off when I open my makeup kit. Luckily, the blush inside is solid and there’s a protective metal cover otherwise, the blush would be ruined and everything inside my kit will be covered in blush.

I think if you’re a MUA or an aspiring MUA, it’s best that you invest in high quality products. It’s good for you and impresses the clients. Or, if you want to spoil yourself, I recommend that you get high end makeup. You will really feel luxurious.  If price is of a concern but you still want quality, go with a brand that has both. For everyday use, you can stick with the most affordable brand that suits your skin type and skin needs. I, on the other hand, find the mid-range to expensive brands best for my everyday needs. I am very busy and I don’t like to spend a lot of time doing my makeup and retouching. I like my makeup to stay put and I want to forget about it and go on with more important things during the day. If you think about it, it’s actually much cheaper compared to the lower priced brands as I only need to apply 1-3x a day whereas the others, I’d have to re-apply at least 5x throughout the day. I’ve realized this when I started investing in higher priced brands. I am really saving money. (Separate post on this).

Do you invest in expensive makeup? Why?