blush Archives | Stephie Estie

KIKO Milano Rebel Bouncy Blush Review!

January 14, 2016

Hi readers! I have a review today on this blush I picked up awhile back so if you’re interested, keep reading. 🙂

KIKO Milano Rebel Bouncy Blush in Velvety Peach

Described as a “blush with a new sensory aspect and a satin matte finish.”

Pros

Budget friendly

Sturdy packaging and comes with a mirror

Excellent color payoff/pigmentation

Looks natural

Cons

Hard to apply at times

Not long-lasting

Overall: As soon as I swatched this shade in store, I knew I had to buy it. The color is such a gorgeous peach shade that has great pigmentation. It’s similar to the Colour Pop ones in that it has the same mousse-like consistency and is best applied with my fingertips to achieve a natural look. The two issues I have with this one is that a) the color does fade considerably after a few hours, especially when my skin is oily and b) sometimes it’s a bit hard to apply and blend out. Initially, the texture did feel bouncy when you applied it but now consistency has hardened a bit, which is what makes it difficult to apply sometimes in my opinion. However, once you blend it out it looks natural which is always a plus in my book. Definitely worth checking out. 🙂

A swatch of this lovely blush.

I hope you found this review helpful.

Have you tried any of their blushes? What was your experience with them?

Stephanie

Summer Must Have: Blushes!

July 21, 2015

Happy Tuesday everyone! Hope your weekend went well. 🙂

My ‘Summer Must Have’ series continues with a current obsession: blush!

Let’s dive right in.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Pretty Coral 31

Although I’m not sure why the word coral appears in the name of this blush-even the MUA was confused- this is such a nice pink color that goes perfectly over bronzer. Looks very natural on the skin and can be used as an everyday/work blush.

Burberry Beauty Light Glow Earthy Blush No. 07

A versatile product that can be used as a blush or contour shade. This taupe shade has an incredible smooth and buttery consistency and although there is no shimmer, it has a subtle ‘glowy’ look and is one of the products I reach for when I want the ‘no blush’ blush look.

Cargo Cosmetics Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in Los Cabos

A generous sample that I received in my May Birchbox, this is what coral looks like to me. I can’t attest to the water resistant claim but I can say it is long-lasting and nicely pigmented. Blending is easy, I think this would look great on multiple skin tones and if this shade doesn’t scream summer, I don’t know what will.

YSL Creme de Blush No. 4 Audacious Orange

Despite the bright orange color, once blended in, this leaves behind a nice flushed look. Only very little is needed because it’s highly pigmented, it’s easy to work with and holds up in the summer heat. You can’t beat that.

*Note: As I write this, I just noticed that this isn’t readily available anymore but if you can find, I highly recommend it. A great and inexpensive alternative is the Colour Pop Super Shock Cheek blushes and my favorite shade is Trickery. You can read my review here.

Bottom to Top: Pretty Coral, Earthy Blush, Los Cabos, Audacious Orange

What are your favorite blushes?

Stephanie

Real Techniques Blush Brush Review!

April 9, 2015

Hi readers! It’s almost Friday again. This week kind of flew by right?

A little over a month ago I asked you guys which blush brush (a bit of a tongue twister there) you recommended and Real Techniques received the majority of votes. So, I went out to purchase it and here are my thoughts.

Described as : “The final step is a perfect finish. Contour and define cheeks for flawlessly blended, high-definition results with this blush brush by Real Techniques; ultra-plush, synthetic taklon bristles are hand-cut and 100% cruelty-free; self-standing for easy storage; extended aluminum handle is light and easy to use.”

Pros

Affordable price $8.99

As of now, it hasn’t shed

Soft bristles

Self-standing

Works for blush, bronzer and powder

Blends most powder formulas easily

Cons

Takes a few passes to build up color

Sometimes matte formulas apply uneven/patchy

Not as travel friendly as my small MAC blush brush

Bottom Line: Aside from the few cons, I absolutely love this brush. It took me a while to get used to how light and fluffy the brush is compared to the denser bristles from my MAC one but I learned what works best for me. For bronzer and blush, I have to hold the base of the brush to get a better color concentration and for powder, gripping the top of the brush allows for a light dusting to set makeup. As long as the colors aren’t too matte, I find this brush blends powder formulas easily and doesn’t tug the skin. Storing it is also easy as it is not dependent on a brush holder; it can stand on top of a vanity, table, etc.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to tune in tomorrow for my weekly skin tip!

Best,

Stephanie