Blush favorites - part two

First of all, ladies...

I haven't been updating as I have been so swamped with work and thesis. I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last updated! I'll try to update more regularly now. Anyway here's part two of the Blush Shades for the Morena.

1) MAC Peachykeen
- This is one of my favorite MAC blushers. It's quite pigmented, so make sure you just swipe a dollop onto your cheeks.

2) NARS Crazed
- This plum shade is really pigmented too so use a light hand when applying this.

3) NARS Lovejoy
- This blush is a mixture of rose, bronze and peach. It has a slight golden shimmer and looks very natural on the cheeks.

4)NARS Gilda
- I was a bridesmaid at a wedding once and the makeup artist used this on me. I love it!

5) L'Oreal Front Page Peach
- This blusher is a perfect shade of peachy-coral, which I imagine can suit most skin tones, morena and mestiza. It has a slight shimmer and it lasts a pretty long time. Last time I heard, L'Oreal was phasing this blush but if not, better grab this one while supplies last!

6) MAC Sunbasque
- This is another favorite of mine among the MAC Sheertone Blush line. It has a slight shimmer but not the overpowering kind.

7) Maybelline Soft Plum
- This blush is part of the Dream Mousse line so it's a bit trickier to apply than powder blushers. It looks pretty dark in the pan too, but like with most blushers, the color transforms on your cheeks. I really like the color it gives but it doesn't stay put unlike NARS and MAC blushers, which have great staying power.

Other blushers to check out are MAC Pinch O Peach, Peachtwist, NARS Exhibit A, NARS Desire, E.L.F Blush in Glow and The Body Shop Sweetnut Blush. In general, us with darker skin tones need more color than our mestiza counterparts. When looking for a blush, opt for dark peaches, apricots, plums, red oranges and deep bronzes. If you want to use bronzers along with your blushers, blend the bronzer on the spots where the sun hits most often. These are your forehead, the bridge of your nose and the top of your cheekbones. Use the blusher along the apples of your cheeks.

So there, these are the blush shades that I think will suit those of us with darker skin tones. The trick is to not be afraid of trying out new shades. Most of my favorite blushers, such as NARS Cactus Flower, looks scary in the pan, but then they actually look really nice when you apply them onto your cheeks.

Blush favorites

Based on countless product testing, here are some blushes I think would suit morena skin tones well. This is just part one, because there are so many. Part two, coming very soon!

Anyway, you might want to check these out:

1. L'Oreal Blush Delice in Pink Grapefruit
- A pink powder blush with light shimmer. One of my HG blushes and one of my favorites in the Blush Delice line. In general, I don't like using the brushes that come with L'oreal's Blush Delice because it's scratchy and it tends to streak, so I just use my regular blush brush.

2. MAC Dollymix
- A MAC blush bestseller, this shade practically suits all skin tones. It looks kind of scary in the pan, but when you put it on, it looks really good on your skin. MAC blushes are really pigmented so go easy on the application.

3. NARS Orgasm
- One of my most used blushes. Ever.

4. Body Shop Blush in Golden Pink
- This blush esembles NARS Orgasm and MAC Springsheen but it's definitely more affordable.

5. Awake Stardom Pure Blush in Burnished Honey
- I stumbled onto this while I was checking out their eyeshadow palettes. At first the color didn't seem striking enough for me to try it, but the saleslady at the counter told me to check it out so okay, I did. I'm all for checking new stuff out anyway. I'm glad I did, because like so many other blushes, the color transforms on your cheeks. Pick this up if you're going for a neutral shade.

6. L'Oreal Blush in Fresh Papaya
- Another favorite Blush Delice product, this blush is an apricot shade with light shimmer. Love love love. Gives the most natural sheen which is really perfect especially if you have a nice golden tan or if you've just come back from the beach.

7. NARS Cactus Flower
- like MAC Dollymix, it looks scary in the pan, but when you put it on, it fades onto your skin very nicely. It's a cream blush so it's perfect especially if you have dry skin. Use your fingers to blend it in.

8. Shu Uemura P Orange 58 D
- My favorite among the Shu Uemura blushes. It looks dark-orangey in the pan but gives you just the right pop of color when you apply it on your cheeks.

Cheeky Pop

When it comes to blushes, I rely on just two or three brands. They are L'oreal, MAC and NARS. I know, I may be missing out on a lot of good things out there (I heard Smashbox O-glow is fantastic!) but so far, these three are my favorites when it comes to staying power and colors that suit my morena skin tone. I think choosing the right blush shade is pretty tricky, trickier than choosing eyeshadow colors even. I think it's just same level as choosing the right foundation.

For this entry, I'll feature two NARS blushes that I have. They are NARS Orgasm and NARS Mata Hari. I'm sure you've heard of the super famous Orgasm already but I included it here just for comparison.

Left to Right: NARS Orgasm and NARS Matahari

For morenas, I think blushes that come in coral, deep orange, terracotta, rose and warmer shades of peach work best. I go by one rule only really: Avoid candy, bubble gum pink at all cost. I understand the need to look yummy, but wearing cottoncandy pink doesn't look yummy; it just looks scary. Also, just choose shades that will make you look naturally rosy, not naturally muddy. One tip in choosing the right shade for you is to bend your body, touch your toes, and stay there for a minute or so. When you come up, look at your cheeks. The blush that most resembles the color of your cheeks then is the right shade for you. Still, don't be afraid to experiment. Some colors look too peeenk in the pot, but when you apply it, it actually looks quite nice.

Be careful not to put too much color too. I use a nice stippling brush ( the MAC 187 is an example). Then, I run it over the blush pot, tap it, smile and dust it all over the fleshy part of my cheek. I start from my ears all the way to the apples of my cheeks. Some prefer brushing from cheeks to hairline or ears. I prefer to do the opposite. Again, don't forget to tap the brush. Stippling brushes pick up a lot of pigment already so if you just blush directly onto your face, you might get more color than you want. When that happens, I just get another brush and powder my face evenly to tone down the color.

NARS Orgasm NARS Mata Hari

I know, I should've taken a pic of the whole face. But I wanted to show how it looks on the side, so we'll have a better idea. I used the same procedure for both cheeks but Mata Hari looks so much pinker and darker than Orgasm. Orgasm looks more natural. I think the Mata Hari is too pink so if ever, the pic of me wearing the NARS Mata Hari is an example of the WRONG blush or how NOT to apply a blush.

I promise I will get a model!!!! Hopefully I'll be able to bribe one of my prettier morena friends, haha so it won't be my mole-y face that's plastered on this blog. I'm really uber shy, but I figured it won't make so much sense to talk about blushes when you can't really see them in person. So, in the meantime, bear with me!!! Also, if you have tips or you want to suggest your favorite blushes, post away!

Another NARS color that I like that I think will suit the morena skin tone very well is the NARS Gilda. Makeup artist extraordinaire Toto Bagamasmad used this on me when I was attending a wedding once and it looked really nice. Of course I asked what shade it was and he promptly referred me to that shade. I'm itching to check out NARS Lovejoy, NARS Sin, NARS Torrid as well as NARS Cactus Flower. Heck, I'm itching to check out the whole NARS counter once again! I shall write about it once I get my paws on them. For MAC, I trust my MAC Sheertone Shimmerblush in Peachykeen. Other shades I just want to see would be MAC Peaches, Pinch O'Peach and Melba. I think it would be good for me to broaden my horizons a bit, so I'll go check out that Avon Rosy Cheeks Blush as well. I'm a recent AVON convert and I hope their blushes are just as good as their lipsticks.