Since becoming a beauty blogger all those years ago (6 years ago if you check...) one of the biggest changes to my makeup routine was the addition of blush - yes I was one of those people who loved makeup but didn't wear blush. I've seen the light since, especially since I became more serious about perfecting my base with higher coverage products and then having the need to bring the life and colour back to my artificially perfect but nonetheless pale skin!
There are a few shades of blush that I gravitate towards more often, and as the weather moves through autumn and into winter, dusty pink tones feel more appropriate than the warmer corals I love in spring and summer. I don't think there are too many posts out there talking about dusty pink blush so hopefully this will be interesting for other paler skinned types like me!
There are four cruelty-free options I have on rotation and I reach for all of these blushes quite regularly because they are so fuss-free, natural looking and they consistently last all day without fading. They also pair well with the cooler nude, plums and berry red lip colours I like to wear as the cold weather closes in.
Clockwise from left these are:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Mood Exposure)
It may look subdued in the pan but don't be fooled. This luxe blush is marbled with ambient lighting powder in Mood Light so the soft plum provides a luminous rose glow on my cheeks. The other plus: these Hourglass blushes are so finely milled that a little goes a long way. I barely need to touch my blush brush into the pan - my favourite brush to use is the Real Techniques blush brush because it is so soft - and it picks up enough colour to liven my cheeks.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Exposed)
This famous matte shade is described by Tarte as a nude pink and when you compare my swatches below you can see it's ever so slightly warmer and more nude than Mood Exposure. It's that perfect neutral shade that works with everything so I get why it's such a go-to. It's the blush I wear when I don't know what blush to wear or when I don't want to think about what blush to wear. I've just convinced myself this is the only blush I need to pack for my next trip, whenever and wherever that is...
Illamasqua Powder Blusher (Naked Rose)
Illamasqua calls Naked Rose a neutral beige pink and yes it's pretty subdued when I consider it on its own but in this dusty lineup it practically pops as a cool pink and to be honest I wear this shade from autumn through to spring! This blush is another matte and looks beautiful on paler skin giving a hint of pink flush. I love pairing it with cooler neutral eye shadow looks.
Natio Blusher (Rosewood)
This blush from Australian brand Natio is almost a dupe for Tarte Exposed, perhaps just leaning a hint more toward peach territory - this is probably more of a dusty peach if there is such a shade. In any case it wears as a neutral, very natural looking blush on me. Rosewood is another quite pigmented powder blush so a light tap of the brush into the pan picks up enough to dust onto my cheeks. The colour seems to meld with my skin somehow too so it looks like my own healthy cheeks rather than makeup sitting atop them.
And now for some heavy swatches on my arm...
L -R:
Mood Exposure, Exposed, Naked Rose, Rosewood
To think I never cared about blush! I've certainly made up for it now and I have a drawer full - well, maybe half full...
What blush shades do you wear in the cooler months?
(All products purchased by me)
There are four cruelty-free options I have on rotation and I reach for all of these blushes quite regularly because they are so fuss-free, natural looking and they consistently last all day without fading. They also pair well with the cooler nude, plums and berry red lip colours I like to wear as the cold weather closes in.
Clockwise from left these are:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush (Mood Exposure)
It may look subdued in the pan but don't be fooled. This luxe blush is marbled with ambient lighting powder in Mood Light so the soft plum provides a luminous rose glow on my cheeks. The other plus: these Hourglass blushes are so finely milled that a little goes a long way. I barely need to touch my blush brush into the pan - my favourite brush to use is the Real Techniques blush brush because it is so soft - and it picks up enough colour to liven my cheeks.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush (Exposed)
This famous matte shade is described by Tarte as a nude pink and when you compare my swatches below you can see it's ever so slightly warmer and more nude than Mood Exposure. It's that perfect neutral shade that works with everything so I get why it's such a go-to. It's the blush I wear when I don't know what blush to wear or when I don't want to think about what blush to wear. I've just convinced myself this is the only blush I need to pack for my next trip, whenever and wherever that is...
Illamasqua Powder Blusher (Naked Rose)
Illamasqua calls Naked Rose a neutral beige pink and yes it's pretty subdued when I consider it on its own but in this dusty lineup it practically pops as a cool pink and to be honest I wear this shade from autumn through to spring! This blush is another matte and looks beautiful on paler skin giving a hint of pink flush. I love pairing it with cooler neutral eye shadow looks.
Natio Blusher (Rosewood)
This blush from Australian brand Natio is almost a dupe for Tarte Exposed, perhaps just leaning a hint more toward peach territory - this is probably more of a dusty peach if there is such a shade. In any case it wears as a neutral, very natural looking blush on me. Rosewood is another quite pigmented powder blush so a light tap of the brush into the pan picks up enough to dust onto my cheeks. The colour seems to meld with my skin somehow too so it looks like my own healthy cheeks rather than makeup sitting atop them.
And now for some heavy swatches on my arm...
L -R:
Mood Exposure, Exposed, Naked Rose, Rosewood
To think I never cared about blush! I've certainly made up for it now and I have a drawer full - well, maybe half full...
What blush shades do you wear in the cooler months?
(All products purchased by me)
