UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: Illamasqua Blush Duo's

Good day!

Today marks my one month blog-a-versary... So a big thank you if you are a regular reader/supporter of my blog! I really appreciate your support. This blog is something that I've wanted to do for a very long time and I'm really enjoying it! I have a list of things to post about that is longer than the Great Wall of China so make sure you keep popping back to see what I get up to!

Now, with all the mushy-ness/formailities out the way... Lets get down to business!

Tonight's "Under the Microscope" are the Illamasqua Blush Duo's. These were officially released with their latest I'MPerfection collection, though one duo (Lover/Hussy) was out before Christmas (testing the waters maybe?).

There are three current Blush Duo combinations:

- Lover/Hussy (apricot/candy pink)

- Beg/Bronzarella (dusty rose/copper)

- Katie/Ambition (baby pink/dirty neutral pink)


Top Left - Beg/Bronzarella, Top Right - Lover/Hussy
Bottom Left - Katie, Bottom Right - Ambition



At this point I should note, I owned Katie before the Katie/Ambition duo came out... I have since bought Ambition, as I didn't feel the need to double up with the duo! At least this way you can see the size difference and still get the right swatches! :)

These blushes are matte (with the exception of Bronzarella and Ambition - which have some shimmer). I actually really like matte blushes. Sometimes I find if a blush is too shimmery, I feel like a barbie doll... Not desirable. Blush is supposed to mimic that natural flush you get, and even though you may not use natural colours, you don't sweat sparkles when you are all flushed! Therefore, mattes are a winner for me! (Of course, you can use a highlighter if you want a touch more glow.)

Now for the stats:

Weight: 2 x 2gms (4gms total)

(One single blush is 4.5gms)

Price: AUD$39

(One single blush is AUD$28)

Therefore, the single blush works out to be a better buy (more weight and less cost), but you only get one colour! If you like both colours in a duo and would use them both equally, the duo is still a good way to go! Otherwise, if you prefer one colour over the other, you can buy it individually instead! The only colour you can't get individually at the moment is Bronzarella, so if you really want it, you'd have to buy the duo! (but Beg will be good for winter so don't panic!). They MAY bring it out at a later date but I wouldn't have a clue whether that will happen!

Where to buy: In Australia, selected Myer counters stock Illamasqua, and you can also buy from the myer website (www.myer.com.au) or from the Illamasqua website (www.illamasqua.com) and they do ship internationally! Woohoo!

Now let's check out some swatches! (I apologise in advance for swatching on my hairy arm but my forearm and hand is stained from all the lippies I've been testing! My bad!)

 

L-R: Hussy, Lover, Beg, Bronzarella, Ambition, Katie
(they are grouped in their duo's)



L-R: Hussy, Lover, Beg, Bronzarella, Ambition, Katie
(they are grouped in their duo's)



I really like all of these colours (who am I kidding I pretty much love any blush as long as it's not really glittery!). I feel Lover/Hussy is more appropriate for summer, Beg/Bronzarella for winter and Katie/Ambition all year round. I would recommend Katie/Ambition if you want an everyday appropriate combo. They are also the more fool-proof of the bunch. While they are all very pigmented, Katie and Ambition are just that little bit lighter, making them not as easy to stuff up (the others you need to work with a VERY light hand). I would likely wear Katie/Ambition the most out of the three. (I'm glad I have them individually!) Bronzarella is also really silky and I feel it would make a great eyeshadow. Therefore, if you want a handy eyeshadow/blush combo, go for Beg/Bronzarella! Bronzarella could also be good for a sneaky little contour if you're feeling game! It's also good to note here, Beg is more red based than Ambition, which is more pink (and does have a slight gold shimmer - though it doesn't translate heavily on the cheek - you can see me wearing it in the selfie in here but it's not overly noticeable thanks to the goggles).

Illamasqua make some great products, and if you don't own any, blush is a good place to start!

Do you own any Illamasqua blushes? If so, which ones do you own?

Happy blushing!

Love,

Your PM x