Review: [Stila] Portrait of a Perfect Blush Palette + [theBalm] Instain Long-Wearing Powder Blush Set

My blushes have finally come! As promised today I will review theBalm Instain Long-Wearing 3-pc. Powder Blush Set (can only be bought at Kohl's) and Stila Portrait of a Perfect Blush palette (for traveling).

Let's start with the Stila blush palette which is a part of 2013 Holiday limited edition, retailed for $16 and I'm sure you can still find it at Sephora. This palette has 5 colors: Golden, Illume, Pretty Pink, Precious Pink and Rose. Golden is the darkest and can be a bronzer; Illume has glitters and can be used as a highlighter on medium-dark skin tone; Precious Pink is the lightest. The cardboard packaging is cute, sturdy but smaller then I expected (look at the picture to see how it's compared to the size of my Real Techniques blush brush).

Left to right: Golden, Illume, Pretty Pink, Precious Pink and Rose

Top to bottom: Golden, Illume, Pretty Pink, Precious Pink and Rose

Rating:  /5

Although the palette is small, it has the perfect size to carry on travel as my original plan. All 5 colors are pretty and wearable but they're a little hard to work with. Pigmentation is average but buildable. Due to the size of each blush my giant big blush brush can hardly pick up any product, making me have to use a highlighting brush.  Use a small blush/highlight/contour brush, sweep back and forth to get the product on both sides and you can build up the color on your cheeks. Bottom line, I gave this palette a little higher rating than for the blushes themselves because of its convenience (all in 1), wearable shades, cute packaging and unbeatable price. 

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Next are theBalm blushes. Just to remind in case you didn't read my preview post, the theBalm Instain Long-Wearing 3-pc. Powder Blush Set is only sold at Kohl's for $34 and includes 3 full-sized blushes in Argyle (Petal Pink), Toile (Strawberry) and Houndstooth (Mauve). Other colors available to buy separately are Lace (Bright Pink), Swiss Dot (Peach) and Pinstripe (Plump). Each blush costs $22 for 6.5g/0.23oz.

Argyle (Petal Pink)

Toile (Strawberry)

Houndstooth (Mauve)

Rating:  /5

Packaging is adorable!!! Each blush looks like a magazine and includes a mirror. You might already notice that the names actually follow the pattern inside each blush. These blushes are very pigmented and soft; I haven't seen any fallout. A little goes a long way: using a blush brush to pick up product only 1 time is enough to create a natural just-pinched look. Love!!! In terms of the staining effect, I tested the lightest shade Argyle and it did stay on my cheeks all day.

I definitely have to also get Lace, Swiss Dot and Pinstripe. However, since I've heard theBalm will have 50% discount in a few weeks, I will have to wait! Actually, I'm having my eyes on the Nude 'Tude palette as well. Be patient ... be patient ...!

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Preview: [Clinique] Cheek Pop Blushes & [Stila] Portrait of a Perfect Blush

After using the Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara (review here) and love it, I've been very curious about the brand b/c the mascara is the very first Clinique product I own. Then I saw their new blush just introduced for Spring 2014 - Clinique Cheek Pop Blushes and the packaging really caught my eyes. The blush comes in 4 shades: Ginger Pop, Peach Pop, Plum Pop and Berry Pop. Let's have a look!




They look gorgeous right? Honestly, I want to get them all! ;)

Description: An effortless, natural cheek color that looks virtually powderless. This silky smooth, stay-true formula comes in a shade for every season for an effortless, natural blush of just-pinched pop.

Hmm ... does "natural" mean "not very pigmented"? Some reviews say this powder blush feels buttery like a cream (like a dream?) and there's very minimal fall out, yet it is pigmented. I'm considering buying the Ginger Pop since I've never had that color before and I think it would be great for everyday use at work. However, the $21 price tag at Sephora makes me think a lot...

Ok, move on to Stila Portrait of a Perfect Blush! I don't see many reviews for this blush palette but I got it anyway for traveling 'cause it seems to be a nice combination of shades. I will review this palette soon and update this post with the link.

Have you tried the Clinique Cheek Pop? If you have, please let me know your experiences; that will help me a lot.