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Category Archives: Cheeks
Makeup for Pale Skin: Dainty Doll Blusher in 001 and 003
I promised a while back to show you some more of the products I was sent from the Dainty Doll by Nicola Roberts line, so today here are the two blushers I received: well, better late than never!
I was sent these in 001 (Hippy Shake) and 003 (Money Talks):
As you can see, the 001 shade is a very pale pink, while 003 is a light brown, with a hint of shimmer:
I have to confess that neither of these shades are ones I would have picked myself – one is too pink, the other too brown – so this in’t really a “review” as such, because I’ve only worn them to try the colours. I can’t really even call this a swatch post either, because both colours are so pale that it proved almost impossible to photograph them on my skin!
If you look veeeery closely, you can just about see them!
This, however, is by no means a criticism of these blushers, because, of course, the whole point of this line is that it’s intended to be worn on pale skin, and the very pale, sheer coverage is a good thing in that respect, as many of us pale-skinned girls really struggle to find products that aren’t too bold, or heavy. These, by comparison, are very light, and I was particularly keen on ‘Money Talks’ (003), which is the perfect pale-girl “bronzing” shade:
I wouldn’t wear it on the apples of my cheeks, but it’s a good colour for shading and contouring, and a quick swipe over the forehead and cheekbones will also help give you a bit of a glow. Unlike conventional bronzers, it’s not too dark, or too orange, and I’ll be doing a bit more experimenting with it in the summer, I think.
The pink colour, meanwhile, is very, very pink:
This doesn’t look good on me – it’s actually too pale, which is something I’m really not used to being able to say! I have quite a few freckles, however, which make my face a bit darker than it would be otherwise, and if I use this shade on my cheeks, it makes me look paler than I really am, and a bit ill! If you have one of those perfect, porcelain complexions I so envy, however – a true “doll face” – I think this could look gorgeous!
In this photo, you can’t really see the blusher at all: I’m wearing 001 on the apples of my cheeks, and 003 in the hollows under the cheekbones. The main issue I have with 001 shade is that because it’s so pale it sits on top of my freckles, and, in real life, looks quite “obvious”. As I said, though, on a very white complexion, I think it could give a lovely flushed look!
These cost £13.50 each, and are available at Harrods and Boots.
Benefit ChaChaTint mango tinted lip & cheek stain
I’m a huge fan of Benefit’s High Beam Iluminator, which has definitely earned its place on my Holy Grail product list, and at first glance, I assumed the new ChaChaTint was another version of that. On closer inspection, however, this turns out to be lip and cheek stain in the same vein as the best-selling Benetint, and that’s just fine by me too, because although Benetint lost its Holy Grail Status as soon as I discovered NARS Orgasm, it’s still a product I return to ever now and again, and it’s still as good as I remember it.
ChaCha Tint, then, is the Benetint for those with darker complexions, who’re after a “sunkissed” look, according to the blurb on the Benefit website. I was a little alarmed by the reference to mangos, imagining some kind of orange stain on the lips and cheeks, but I’m going to trust Benefit to know what they’re doing here, and to have created something less like a mango and more like…. well, the colour in this image.
Anyone tried this yet? It’s $29 and you can click here to buy it direct from Benefit.
Benefit launch Bella Bamba brightening pink face powder
Having discovered NARS Orgasm a few years ago, I’ve been pretty much stuck in a blusher rut ever since: well, once you’ve found your perfect match, there doesn’t seem to be much point in looking at anything else, does there? This means that I’ve been merrily bypassing the blusher display any time I go shopping for new makeup… and probably missing out on a lot of great products in the process.
The latest blush I’ll probably miss out on unless someone’s prepared to pry my NARS Orgasm from my cold, dead hands, is Benefit’s latest release, Bella Bamba. This is a watermelon pink with gold undertones, which looks very pretty in the product shots, and comes packaged in Benefit’s signature cardboard box.
I will make a mental note to stop and check this out next time I pass the Benefit counter in my local department store. You, meanwhile, can click here to buy it for $28.
Cargo Cheek Activator: instantly smoother, plumper cheeks!
I’m sure most of you have probably heard of Cargo’s best-selling Lash Activator - well, now here’s the version for your cheeks!
Now, if the idea of “activating” your cheeks seems a bit unusual to you, hear me out: as well as giving you a healthy, natural looking flush, this also promises to tighten the skin instantly, smooth out wrinkles and basically lift and sculpt the cheeks to give you a more youthful look. If it actually DOES all of that, you can colour me amazed, and you can also sign me up for at least a few tubes of the stuff.
Cheek-sculpting aside, this is also essentially a cream blusher that you can customise by rubbing – the more you rub onto your cheeks, the more intense it gets. (This actually worries me slightly. What if I forget I’m wearing it and rub my face for some reason? Will I end up with bizarre, red cheeks?) It comes in two shades – Rose Flush and Coral Flush – and is £18 at Boots. One to add to the “Most Try” list, I think!
Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Blush
Make Up Forever is one of the brands currently sitting right at the very top of my Things To Buy In Sephora This Year List. (It is available in the UK, but nowhere near me stocks it, and I’d rather see the colours in person before buying them online.) I had thought it was mostly the foundation I was interested in from this brand, but nope, it turns out that I’d actually quite like some of this High Definition Blush, too, thanks very much.
“High definition” has been one of those beauty terms that’s been floating around for a while now, and basically refers to products that create a flawless finish that will look good in extreme close-up, or “high definition”. Most of these contain light-reflecting particles for that soft-focus effect, and this one also contains mattifying powders, so it won’t look too shiny on.
As you can see from the image, it comes in a pump dispenser, and has a creamy texture. I’ve been using powder blush almost exclusively for the past couple of years, but I do like creamier products too, which I find can be easier to blend, and look more natural on. This comes in 14 different shades, so is definitely one I’ll want to see in person before ordering: if you can’t wait, however, it’s available at Sephora, where it’s $25.
Bobbi Brown ‘Eyes & Cheeks To Go’ set
The Korres Lip Scrub I featured earlier today may be easy enough to use “on the go”, but eye shadow? Not really something I’d ever want to apply while I was out and about to be honest: I much prefer to apply that kind of thing in the safety of my own own, where it’s easily washed off if I make a mess (which I almost always do), but the fact that I wouldn’t necessarily use this palette “on the go” doesn’t stop me wanting it, and nor does the fact that I’m not generally a fan of palettes.
This one, though, looks like it contains some really useful colours, and ones that most people would probably get a lot of use out of: there are all of the classic “smoky eye” shadow colours, some lovely nudes and browns, plus Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rogue, which is a creamy stain for the cheeks and lips. (So maybe this should have been called the “Eyes, Cheeks and Lips to Go” set, even although that’s not quite as snappy?) As I said, some very useful products there, and this would be perfect if you were travelling and wanted to have a lot of choice, without having to cart around a whole lot of makeup.
Bobbi Brown Eyes and Cheeks to Go Set, $60< Nordstrom
Body Shop Hot Brights Lip Shine/Cheek Stain
So many brands seem to be doing the whole “dual purpose lip/cheek stain” thing at the moment, and they all seem to be going about it in much the same way, with a double-ended tube containing a stain on one side and a gloss on the other. I’m not complaining about this, of course: pale cheeks and lips are my mortal enemies, and anything that helps me win the battle against them while I’m out in public has to be a good thing as far as I’m concerned.
The latest aboard the lip/cheek stain bandwagon is The Body Shop, with their ‘Hot Brights’ dual purpose stick. It comes in the same double-ended container described above, but while most brands seem to go with a clear gloss, this one uses your choice of either a pink or bronze gloss, which contains Vitamin E and Community Trade marula oil. There’s a cheek stain on the other end (of course!) and the whole thing will set you back $9 at The Body Shop.
Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint
Aww, look at these, all standing there like a row of brave little soldiers, ready to protect us all from the scourge of pale cheeks! Bless!
Yes, it's another little handy cheek tint, in a twist-up tube that will make it easy to use when you're out and about and encounter a Paleface Emergency. (Happens to me all the time, you have no idea.) This is by Bobbi Brown, and the colour is a translucent one, so it should look fairly natural.
There are six shades to choose from, and each one will cost you $22,
Smashbox Untamed High Lights Cheek Luminizer
These days, a cheek product just isn't anything unless it can claim to be perfect for "all" complexions. Well, hey, it works for NARS Orgasm, so why not for this one too?
This is Smashbox's Untamed High Lights Cheek Luminizer ($25 from www.sephora.com) and it's not a blusher, but a highlighter, which is designed to be used to give your cheekbones that naturally high, sculpted look. If it can do that to me, it'll be worth much more than the $25 they're asking for it, but there's no denying it looks like a pretty, pink colour, with just a hint of a shimmer.
As I'm sure fans of Benefit's High Beam will confirm, shimmery cheekbones can really lift your whole look, so I think this could be worth a try.
Dollface Reviews: Poppy Tint for cheeks and lips by MEMEME
MEMEME's 'Poppy Tint' is the brand's latest lip and cheek tint, and let's be honest: it's basically a budget version of Benefit's Posie Tint, isn't it?
I've only ever tried Posie Tint very briefly, at a Benefit counter, and I couldn't really see it on my cheeks at all, so I wasn't really expecting too much from Poppy Tint – especially given that it's quite a fluorescent shade of pink when it comes out of the bottle.
Actually, though, I really like this. As you can (possibly) tell from the photo above, this is a fairly subtle pink, but it still creates a natural looking pink flush, and I can see myself using it quite a lot, especially in the summer, when I tend to gravitate towards a more "natural" makeup look.
This is just £4.99 and is available from Superdrug, although I couldn't find it on their website, so you'll need to have a look in-store if you want to try it.
