Beauty Bucket List: oasis

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

My Top 5 | Blushes

I'm a blush girl, I love how a different blush can completely change up your look. It can be subtle and compliment your makeup or it can be bold and give the makeup a new dimension. I decided to share with you my favourite five blushes that I wear a lot. Apart from one limited edition blush, all the others are still available. Four of them are matte and one is shimmer.

1. Sleek Squash
Sleek Squash is the bright pink blush in the Sleek Blush by 3 Palette in Pumpkin which I reviewed here. It's a bright pink matte powder blush. As you can see by the swatch, this is the brightest blush and it is possibly the brightest powder blush I own. I love wearing this in summer as it gives a lovely pop of colour on the cheeks. You can layer this for an intense look, or only use a bit and blend it into the skin for a more subtle look. I love that I can achieve two different looks with this blush depending on how I apply it. This is slightly harder to work with than the other blushes (which are all high end) but the pigmentation is one of the best, and it lasts for ages too.

2. Illamasqua Katie
I already reviewed this blush here, I love this blush and would say it is possibly the favourite blush I own. I can already feel a bit dent in it, and am worried I will run out soon :(. It's a pale pink which really compliments my pale skin and adds a very subtle glow to my cheeks. I'd say it has the best formula of the bunch, it is incredible soft and very easy to apply and blend into the cheeks. It isn't powdery at all and lasts all day.

3. Nars Oasis
I've already reviewed this blush in more detail here. This is the only shimmer blush pictured. I actually prefer how shimmery blushes look, but as I often wear shimmery eyeshadows, it would be a bit overkill to wear shimmer on the cheeks. This is the darkest blush out of the five, it is described as a 'sparkling pink champagne'. It leans more brown than pink on my skin as I'm fair. This is less subtle on my skin as it is quite a bit darker, but it blends it well and I love wearing this on a night out. As with all Nars blushes, the pigmentation is great and the wear time is superb.

4. MAC Immortal Flower
This is the only limited edition blush of the collection. I didn't want to include it as it was limited edition, but as I wear this one so much, I figured it'd be silly not to include it. This is a peachy-orangey shade. It is a pale shade, and if you have tanned skin you won't be able to wear this. In fact, without lots of layering I would only recommend this to people with light-light medium skin. I love the way this blush compliments my bronzer and gives me more colour in summer. The formula is really nice and easy to blend into the skin.

5. Stila Convertible Colour in Gerbera
I already reviewed this here. Although I have dry skin, I tend to prefer powder blushes than cream blushes as I find they last longer. However, this blush is the exception. It stays on my skin for ages and blends into it seamlessly. As it's a cream formula it's not powdery or cakey at all. It is also very easy to apply and you can apply with your fingers or a brush. I love the colour of this, it's noticeable without being too in-your-face.

Those are my top five blushes in my collection that I wear regularly. Are any of these your favourite blushes too? What your top 5 blushes? Let me know in the comments!

Sunday, 29 September 2013

Nars Powder Blush in Oasis | Review and Swatch

Shade:
Nars has a huge range available for their powder blushes. They also have a good range of shades available in their cream blusher formulation too, although not as extensive. They often release new colours with their collections and have a number of blushes available in Duos. With 28 powder blush shades currently available on their website, there is a lot to choose from.

The colour I have is called Oasis and it's described as a 'Sparkling Pink Champagne'. On me, I'd say it leans more brown than pink, but I am very fair, so on a more tanned skin tone the blush may lean more pink. There is subtle gold shimmer in the blush but this isn't noticeable on the cheek, you can also tap the shimmer off of your brush if you wish. The shimmer on the cheeks simply adds a radiant glow, it is not like the chunky glitter you see in some blushes. I'd say this blush is good for all skintones, I like how it looks on my skin even though I'm very fair, and I think it would look just as good as somebody with a darker skintone.

Application and Pigmentation:
Nars blushes are very pigmented and you don't need a lot on your brush to go a long way. The application is easy, the blush does not look powdery or cakey at all and is easy to blend into the skin. Nars blushes are also very long lasting, this lasts all day on me without any touch ups needed..

Packaging:
Most people have a love-hate relationship with Nars packaging. Whilst it looks sleek and is very easy to carry about, it is also prone to getting marks from other makeup on it or smudges from fingerprints making it look dirty. I personally like the Nars packaging, it's very easy to put into your makeup bag, knowing that it won't get crushed and product won't break or fall out which has happened with other brand blushes before.

Pricing & Availability:
Nars blushes are certainly one of the more expensive on the market at £21.50 but their high end price tag is worth it due to their pigmentation and consistency. You can buy Oasis and browse the rest of the collection at Nars Cosmetics.

So those are my thoughts on Nars' blush in Oasis, does anyone else own this blush, it seems to be a less talked about shade. I really want to try the Nars blushes in Angelika and Sin next.

Saturday, 20 July 2013

Fashion Wish List | July