First Impressions: Milani's Powder Blush in Romantic Rose and Bella Eyes in Bella Champagne

Milani has made its way into the hearts of many people over the years. Not only are these products reasonably affordable, the quality is stellar. Though, as with all companies, there will be some misses. However, with every item I have purchased from Milani, I have not been disappointed. I was and still am a big fan of their Liquid Eye pencil and am also a fan of their lipsticks, so I did not hesitate to get these two items.

After being a limited edition item, the Milani Powder Blushes are now part of the permanent collection. I remember when I first saw these among the blogging community, they were selling like hotcakes and very quickly, sold out. So for those of you who couldn't get your hands on these beautiful blushes before, you can easily get them now! The blushes retail for $7.99 for 17g of product. I know it will be a while before I even make a dent in this powder, however I still can't help but be a little sad when the rose embellishment fades away.

This is a matte blush, which means no shimmer and can be for many people too flat for their complexion. However I think this would be great for photos as it won't make a person look too glowy or dewy. It would also be ideal for those with problematic skin such as acne scars. Due to its lack of shimmer or glitter, this blush would not enhance or bring attention to these problem areas. Romantic Rose would be perfect for light to medium skin tones, deeper complexions may find this too ashy. When I swatched this with my fingers on the back of my hand, it was patchy, but I do not have that problem when applying with a brush. I think the color is beautiful and great for everyday. Thumbs up for me!

The Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadow I'm kind of on the fence about. Bella Champagne not as buttery or opaque as I would hoped it would be. However, I did pick up the Shimmer finish (there are a total of three finishes: Shimmer, Satin Matte, and Metallic). Overall it's a lovely shadow, but I will need to put a primer over my lids and perhaps a base color in order for this particular shade to shine. Surprisingly enough, this is the only shadow missing on the website itself, I wonder if it's out of stock or discontinued. While this shade didn't fully impress me, I am still interested in trying out other shades and finishes from the collection.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think? Happy Hump day!

First Impression: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

When Hourglass announced they would release a line of Ambient Lighting Blushes, I tried my best to ignore the ads and blog posts about it. I mean, I'm only kidding myself when I tell myself I need a blush. Alas, I failed and decided to purchase one of the Hourglass blushes when Sephora released it early for the VIB Rouge holders. Fail whale.

There are six shades total, each color is intertwined with their ever so popular Ambient Lightning Powder to create a "seamless, soft-focus and multidimensional color." According to Hourglass, they are offering a different approach to powder blush, which can look flat on the face. With these blushes they claim you can achieve that glow from within.

Out of the six shades, I decided on Mood Exposure. It's described as a soft plum. When I received it and took a swatch it looked a little warm on me. I think depending on your skintone, the color will change from warm or more neutral/cool. The blush is mixed with Mood Light which on it's own is described as "a soft, sheer lavender pink that mimics the softest, most forgiving light and brightens the complexion."

I am absolutely in love with the texture of this blush. Like their Ambient powders, it's finely milled and applies flawlessly onto skin. It never looks caked on or too powdery, even with my dry skin. When applied, it gives me this beautiful glow without it being shimmery or glittery.

A single swipe, the top is natural light, bottom is with flash


This is quickly climbing the list of being on of my favorite blushes and I may, when it's released in stores take a gander at the other shades. If you missed out of the VIB Rouge sale, the blushes will be available in Sephora stores 2/21. Or if you can't wait for it to be in stores, the Hourglass website also has these available.

Review: MAC Sheertone Blush In Pink Swoon

This was my first blush from the MAC permanent line. It took me a while to finally purchase it even though every time I went to the MAC counter and looked at the blushes I would pick this blush up to test. I didn't even know that half the time it was Pink Swoon until I looked! When I did purchase it, I was very glad I did. The pink may scare some people away because it looks so bright but it's a sheertone blush. It means exactly what the name implies. It's very sheer and can be built up to the level of opaqueness that you want and desire.

On my hand I have three swatches of Pink Swoon. Starting from the left is three swipes of the blush, the middle is two, and the right is one swipe.

Since it is a sheertone blush, it will give you a nice glow. It's subtle enough to not be crazy pigmented but it's noticeable enough to give your face that extra oomph. There is no shimmer or glitter in this which is nice for those days I don't want to sparkle. As far as I know there is no exact dupe for this. According to some websites, there is a Shiseido Majolica Majorca blush (PK333) and a L'oreal blush (Freeze Frame Fuschia) that are similar but not an exact match.

Of course the price may deter some people from purchasing this blush. It's retailed at $18.50 USD but contains 6 grams/0.21 ounces. I don't know about you but 6 grams is plenty o' blush for me to last for a while. I've had this blush for about three months and I have barely made a dent in it.

Overall, I love this blush and do recommend it for those who love pink blushes and want a nice flush. If the price is an issue I'm sure there are other nice pinky blushes that will do the same.

Pros:
-Sheer
-Gives a great flush
-Can be built up
-Part of MAC's permanent line

Cons:
-Price

Would I Repurchase? Yes

Free Gifts Make Me Happy

Hautelook recently had a Rock & Republic beauty sale and I managed to snag some goodies for free! How? Do you ask? I had over a $35.00 credit sitting waiting for the right opportunity to be spent. After watching Pink's video on her favorite peach blushes I decided to snag Foreplay. I also got a taupe eyeshadow, Diffused because I love my everyday neutral colors. Gosh, how boring of me. 

So the UPS man just rang my doorbell about five minutes ago, and I was blessed with this little package. It seems that God has been smiling down on me today for various reasons. I was in a bit of a funk but this and the comfort from beau cheered me up. A review and swatches will be coming up soon. I hope the picture quality is up to par, I took them with my iPhone 4.

Foreplay and Diffused

Happy Thursday!

NYC Blushable Creme Sticks (Deal Alert!)

Here I present to you the limited edition N.Y.C. (New York Color) Blushable Creme Sticks. They run retail at drugstores for $3.99 USD and are a real steal especially if you a creme blush fanatic! I found these sticks way back in April and I think that there are still drugstores that are selling them, so snatch these up before they're gone! I went to N.Y.C.'s website and they're no longer listed there to buy so I'm guessing your only option if you want these is the drugstore.

These blushes have pretty good staying power considering that they are creme blushes. I have tried some and they seem to melt off my face, but these are pretty decent.  If you buy these blushes and find that the staying power isn't fantastic for you, you can always apply a powder blush on top to set it. Just like with foundations you can set your creme blush.  I also like the fact that these can be easily blended with your fingers to give you a nice flush. Also, a little goes a long way, or else you end up looking like a clown. For the price, there is a ton of product as well (0.28oz/8.0g.) Again, if you are a bargain hunter but still quality items I think this is definitely an item you should look into. I know that Stila creme blushes run for about $25.00 USD and Tarte's blush sticks are $30.00 USD. A big difference! If you aren't a bargain hunter but just like to experiment with makeup and don't want to dish out the dough I think this should be in your collection.

I swatched these in the order of the picture from above. I thought it was odd that Urban Spice was lighter than Berry New Yorker but yeh. 

My no flash pictures are horrible. I think it's because of my lighting in my living room. I think that is what gives off the yellowness, but I figured I post a picture of it as well.

My favorites would have to be Berry New Yorker and Plaza Pink. I think Plaza Pink would be a great highlighter for people who have darker complexions. Well, in actuality, I like all the colors I bought haha. 

Have you girls tried these? Let me know what you think of them!