Currently Loving | The Glowy Blush Edit

I have a thing for blush. I love how it instantly brightens my whole face. It is a step in my daily makeup routine that I never miss. Ever. If I did, I'd feel like I had forgotten to put my knickers on.

Having spent the last few months experimenting with contouring and highlighting, and using three different products on my cheeks, I was recently inspired to pair it back to one product... a glowing blush. One sweep, one product, glowing cheeks. Yes please.

I have managed to edit my favourites down to a mere eight ( only eight Lou? ), and thought I would share some swatches with you today. They all have some degree of sheen or shimmer, without being glittery. I have a fairly even mix of both affordable and high end options. Most of these shades have enough depth to also add a little dimension to your cheekbones, and enough glow to negate the need for a separate highlighter. 

A bowl full of blush... heavenly.

Milani Baked Powder Blush   Berry Amore

Swatches from Left - SAVVY by DB Silky Pink,  Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose,
 Milani Luminoso,  Milani Berry Amore,
Benefit Rockateur,  Nude By Nature Virgin Blush,  NARS Lovejoy,  HOURGLASS Mood Exposure.

Swatches from Left - SAVVY by DB Silky Pink,  Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose,
 MILANI Luminoso,  MILANI Berry Amore,
Benefit Rockateur,  Nude By Nature Virgin Blush,  NARS Lovejoy,  HOURGLASS Mood Exposure.

SAVVY by DB, available nationally in Priceline Pharmacies, make some really lovely affordable blushes. Silky Pink is a beautiful mauve toned pink, with a subtle gold sheen. Very pigmented and very soft, definitely tap off your brush with this one. Love.

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Rose is a true pink, with a lovely sheen. I can't really comment on the mood boosting claims, all of the blushes in this post boost my mood! This one screams Spring to me. So pretty and youthful! 

MILANI BAKED BLUSH in Luminoso receives accolades from Beauty bloggers and vloggers across the globe. It really is the perfect, glowy peach toned blush. If you don't have it...you need it.

MILANI BAKED BLUSH in Berry Amore is probably in my top five all time favourite blushes. To me, it is a beautiful rosy, warm neutral blush, that has the loveliest finish on the skin. Again, if you don't have it... you need it!

BENEFIT Rockateur is the only Benefit boxed blush that I own. I purchased mine from Adore Beauty last year, and immediately fell in blush-love. The formula is incredibly smooth and silky, it just glides onto the skin, and has very pretty pink reflect. It is in fact, very similar in tone to Milani's Berry Amore, just a touch lighter. I have put each of the shades on my cheeks, and could see very little difference at all... just sayin'...

NUDE BY NATURE Mineral Blush in Virgin Blush is also similar to Benefit Rockateur and Milani Berry Amore, just a touch less pink I feel. Equally as gorgeous, and Aussie to boot. Have a swatch next time you are in Priceline or Target... she is just lovely.

NARS Lovejoy is such a stunning blush that I have previously dedicated an entire post to her. Not one of the NARS blushes that you hear a lot of people talking about, but beautiful none the less. You can see how she differs from the other neutrals to the left, I think with more of an earthy, terracotta undertone, but still rosy, with a beautiful gold reflect. Don't be worried by the rather strong and intimidating heavy swatch, this blush has a sheer, but buildable formula. If you are in the market for a high end blush, I cannot recommend this one enough!

HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Blush Mood Exposure is probably best captured in the last of my swatch photographs. The perfect neutral, glowy blush. Do forgive me for using a much overused term, but the glow from this blush truly makes your cheeks look "lit from within". Absolutely worth the splurge! I purchased mine from Mecca Maxima last year, and I am itching to add more shades to my collection. If you like neutral blush shades, this is an absolute must have!

What are your favourite go-to blushes? Do you prefer a matte finish, or do you like a little bit of glow like me? Do leave a comment below if you would like to!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings!

Lou xo

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Savvy by DB - Blushes on a Budget

I have some lovely affordable blushes to share with you today. Another offering from SAVVY by DB, there are three shades in their Classic Blush range which will set you back a tidy $4.99 each. Often on special at Priceline pharmacy, you may even be able to pick them up for less. Bargain!

Classic Blush 'Silky Pink'

My most recent of the three shades, this is one of those lovely natural blushes that will go with any look. A very versatile soft dusty pink. It does have shimmer, but when blended on the cheeks just gives a lovely glow/sheen to the cheeks.

Classic Blush 'Rose'

Perhaps not the most appropriate name for this peachy pink blush, it is a warm pink, again with shimmer, a gorgeous flush of colour for your cheeks. The brush marks might be a give away that I have had this shade for a while! It really is so pretty.

Classic Blush 'Nude'

A warm toned bronze tan shade, perfect to dust over the high points of your face for a lovely sun-kissed glow. This shade is perfect for a no fuss makeup look, so skip the highlighting and contouring, and dust this lovely on your cheeks instead!

L-R      'Nude'         'Rose'       'Silky Pink'
Swatched in natural light.

As you can see from the swatches above all of the three shades have shimmer in them. Don't be scared! Once blended into the skin you are left with lovely sheen. I don't feel the need for a separate highlighter when I use these blushes.

All three shade are highly pigmented, and will give excellent colour pay off. They are a little powdery when you put your brush into them, so be sure to tap off any excess. In my opinion the texture is smooth and easy to blend, not at all chalky.

If you prefer a matte finish blush then you probably wouldn't like these, but I like to have a bit of glow to help my tired old face look a little more alive!

I would love to hear what you favourite blushes are? What brands do you love? I would really love to try the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes...unfortunately very hard to get hold of in Australia :(

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Lou xo

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Lips on The Vine - SAVVY by DB Long Lasting Matte Lipsticks

Good Morning!

Giving a bit of lip today beauties! I wanted to share some love for a brand that is exclusive to Priceline pharmacies in Australia, SAVVY by DB. An affordable 'drugstore' brand that offers a great selection of face,eye and lip cosmetics as well as some knockout nail polish shades.

A recent sale in Priceline offered 'buy 1 get 1 free' on all SAVVY by DB lip products, and I had been eyeing off this particular formula for a while.

Today I have two shades of the Long Lasting Matte Lipstick to share with you. Be on the lookout for my next post which will be looking at their Classic Blushes. 

Many of the lighter, more neutral and pink shades were sold out at my local Priceline, however I did manage to pick up these two beauties! Love the packaging too!

Left - 'Bali'       Right - 'Vegas' 

'Bali'

'Vegas'

Top 'Bali'  Bottom 'Vegas' swatched in natural light.

Moi in 'Vegas' !

My Thoughts: 

As these are a recent purchase I can only really share my first impressions, which thus far are positive! 

'Vegas' is a stunning red which leans slightly to the cooler side, and is quite a creamy formula for a matte lipstick. On the lips it is not completely 'flat' as some true matte formulas can be, which I don't mind. In my opinion, it makes it a little more comfortable, and less drying on the lips. I am yet to fully test the long lasting claim, however this shade seemed to wear quite well, and certainly left a stain on both my lips and my arm when I swatched it!! This shade is my favourite of the two so far!

'Bali' is a beautiful deep, vampy berry/wine shade. Definitely a true matte lipstick in application and finish, you will need to exfoliate and apply some lip balm before this one! Personally I would reach for this one for a night out, however the beauty of such shades is that you can make them quite 'wearable' by using them as a stain. I will apply the lipstick as normal, blot, and then use a cotton bud to remove some of the pigment, at the same time as working it into the lips evenly...this is a great way to get some more use out of deeper shades that you might otherwise shy away from! I also enjoy adding a gloss over the top of the stain, another way to change up both the look and colour, and add some moisture!

The Long Lasting Matte Lipsticks retail for $6.99 each from Priceline stores nationally and online.

You can find the website here 

Have you tried any of the SAVVY by DB cosmetics? What is your favourite matte lipstick? 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Blessings,

Lou xo

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