Obsessed with Blush!

If it's not clear to you already, dear readers, I am very prone to flights of fancy. When I first started blogging and getting into makeup, it was all about lip products...couldn't get enough of glosses, stains, lip sticks, you name it, I was drooling over it :P  Then, I transitioned to eye pencils, mascaras, etc. Well, my obsession of late has been getting fresh, glowing skin. Since I have already found my go-to concealer (MAC Select Moisturecover), the next logical step was to enter the blush arena, *sigh* and I just can't get enough! Back in the day, I used to think blush was so clownish and not something I'd ever be interested in trying...how wrong was I? It gives your face a healthy, vibrant, glow...brightens you up while remaining subtle, how can you not love that?! 


Here are the three blushes I've picked up over the past two months which I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with!

MAC Love Joy

1) MAC Mineralize Blush in Love Joy (~$24)
This is a beautiful rosy brown shade with gold shimmer. The shimmer isn't over the top (OTT), though! The SA at MAC told me that this color really suits darker skin tones and I have to agree :) It is extremely pigmented, so it's to start with a tiny bit of product and build it up from there if necessary. I have been applying it with my Eco Tools Bamboo Blush Brush by just touching it to the product and swiping it upwards over the apples of my cheeks.

NARS Penny Lane

2) NARS Cream Blush Cheek Color in Penny Lane ($25)
Let me start off by saying I have been dying to try NARS for the longest time. People keep raving about it on Youtube, but I was a little hesitant about the price. On my last Sephora visit, I went with the specific intent of finding a cream blush. I have dry skin and the idea of applying a creamy product instead of a powdery one during the harsh winter months really appealed to me. In the pan, it looks a very brownish/pale pink, nude color, but on my cheeks it appears as a natural, soft peach. As the Sephora SA described it: It gives you that just came from outside "Oooh, I'm cold!" look :P It has a touch of shimmer, but again, not OTT. The formula is cream to powder finish, which keeps your cheeks looking dewy but not greasy, always a plus! Like the MAC blush, a little goes a long way, so I had no problem paying as much as I did because it will last!!

TBS 01

3) The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain 01 ($14)

This color looks extremely intimidating in the tube and even upon first swipe on your cheeks, but once you rub it in, it gives the most beautiful, matte, rosy look! The product has a gel consistency and is easy to blend into to the apples of your cheek, one small swipe of the applicator is just the right amount. It is fast drying, so definitely work one cheek at a time! Also, this is one of those products to be extra careful with as it is a stain...so be sure to start off with a small amount of product and really take your time applying it to the right areas lest you end up looking a little overdone! FYI: It comes off with soap/water and makeup remover, but otherwise doesn't budge! 

I really find swatches helpful, so I tried doing some to show what these colors look like on my skin. Let me know if these are helpful and I'll continue doing these in the future:

So here are my current loves! I am still in the process of learning how to apply blush...haha the first day I wore blush to class, my friend asked me if I had a rash on my face :( LOL!! Practice makes perfect, right? Since then, I have received some compliments, believe it or not. I think I'm finally getting the hang of things...just can't be afraid to make mistakes!! I think that's a philosophy I'm trying to apply to life in general. 

Any good blush recommendations? I have heard good things about the Stila cream blush in Rose and NYX Desert Rose...let me know!! I am just dying to try more :)