GET IT BEAUTY Blind Test #2 Pink Blusher 2015

Top 3 Lovely Pink Blush

get it beauty is a korean beauty talk show where they invite experts from the relevant fields to share insights with beauty lovers. one of the things they do is the blind test, and it is what you think it is.

i read that they changed the format slightly this year. instead of pitting random products against each other, they now pit previous year's champion against new challengers.

let's take a look at the blusher ranking!

1. ETUDE HOUSE | LOVELY COOKIE BLUSHER | #11 | 8.5g | 6000 won

sebum controlling powder makes the colour stay true and fresh all day. also sweat resistant.

2. RMK | INGENIOUS POWDER CHEEKS | EX-07 SHINY ROSE | 2.6g | 39,000 won

#1 product chosen by professional MUA. pearly effect is reminiscent of the ethereal spring sun.

3. BOURJOIS | BLUSH | 34 ROSE D'OR | 2.5g | 23,000 won

2011 blind test #1. an oven baked blush that is rose scented. 

i may try out etude house's blusher one day to see if it's really that long lasting! for 6USD it's very affordable compared to the other two! i love my bourjois blush (read my review here) and have been thinking of getting another one :P

tried any of these before?

Nature Republic Shine Blossom Blusher 05 Shading Beige (Swatch and Review)

Nature Republic Shine Blossom Blusher 05 Shading Beige (Swatch and Review)

another item i picked from nature republic from my korean beauty haul. i chose this colour as i was looking for a shading/contour powder. the colour looked promising on their official website.. but.. i was mentally prepared for some slight differences between the website and the actual product.

nature republic is a lot like innisfree in my opinion, but they're packaging is a little more delicate and sweet. their price points are about the same, quality wise i can't compare much, but let's juts say the average korean cosmetic brand is already really good quality for the price i'm paying. each brand are about just as good as the their competitor.


the blush comes in a papaer box packaging (reminds me so much of the benefit blushers) and it comes with a big puff that doesn't feel too soft or fluffy. it feels like a stuffed toy to me.


i got it in 05, shading beige. they have 5 colours for this series. the rest are a series of pink and corals.


actual colour (left) compared to colour on official website (right).

from the pan, it looks like a light beige with a warm undertone (slight orange-y to me).



swatched on my hand: heavily swatched on the left and blended out on the right.


05 shading beige is a warm beige with pearly finish. the powder is very soft and smooth. blends out into the skin very well to give a slight hint of colour.


close up of swatch to show you its finish

the pearly finish is quite obvious, but not over bearing.

the product is strongly scented.

IMHO:
sadly, the colour is a little too light for my skintone to be used as a shading powder for me (unless i paint my face really fair before that, it won't work for me). i think this would be a really good item to fix any excessive whitening brought about by my foundation, but i can't depend on it to do some facial contouring normally.

i really like its texture though, the powder is extremely soft and smooth. running my brush over it will pick up a lot of product, so it'll be best to use a light hand when getting the product. the pigmentation level of this product is relatively low, i think it helps contribute to a natural look.

the fragrance is very lovely, it lingers for a while on my face before fading off.

i believe all the blusher from this line contains a pearly finish. i wish i got the other colours instead because i know i can get more use out of them. right now, i have to think of what to do with it because it's so similar to the essence sun club shimmery bronzing powder (which is also too light for me.. =_=), except this has no shimmery, just a pearlescent glow.

perhaps i can use this to create a very sunkissed look which i've attempted before!

other than that, i think this would be an amazing highlighting product for girls with darker skin tone as this won't give you that white cast that white based highlighter has.

i bought this for 6900 Korean Won.

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. soft and blendable powder
2. pearlescent finish
3. scented
4. low pigmentation level

MAKEUP LOOK:

i've used it to correct an overly fair face (due to overusing the cushion bb), as well as to use it as a blush.



applied on my forehead because i went a little too excited when applying the etude house any cushion. you can watch me turn into a ghost here.


used it as a blush and it actually resembles a bronzer! i look sun kissed :P

Canmake Glow Fleur Cheeks 04 Strawberry Fleur

Canmake Cream Cheek 05 (Swatch and Review)

this has taken over the cream cheeks as the new number 1 (as of 8 aug 2014) in the cosme ranking, beating big brands like nars and ysl! surprise? not really, since canmake is known to have really good cheek products, plus their price and package is so on the point this time. i think they copied anna sui's blusher.. :P makes this thing a joy to look at when i'm not using it.


canmake is a drugstore brand in japan, and for their petite price (japanese way of saying really affordable price), they offer really good quality products. they cost 800yen in japan and HKD$96 in hongkong. in singapore, it retails for SGD$20.90. moral of the story is to buy this in japan in you can.


apart from the lovely design, this blusher seeks to give you a translucent and long wearing colour on your cheeks. honestly speaking, i didn't buy this because of its skin loving qualities (such as containing a slew of moisturizing agents like rose flower oil, hyaluronic acid and rosehip oil etc, you can see the entire list on their official website). it's great that the product doesn't contain paraben and fragrance, may be something that a person with sensitive skin will look out for! it also claims to contain silica to absorb excess sebum! hmm!

what got me into this product? the colour, packaging, and the price. tick, tick and tick! it fit my needs! welcome to my cosmetic family!


the brush that come along with the blusher was white initially but it got stained into a lovely sakura colour. the brush is slightly dome shaped and tightly packed with hair (it's plastic fibres)



i got it in shade 04, strawberry fleur.
on the back of the packaging are simple instructions on how to use this product.
it says to swirl the brush about 2-3 times for application on the entire cheek, and then applying the glow powder on the highest part of your cheek.


top left: glow powder, the remaining 4 are a selection of peach and pinks.



swatched individually on my hand in different lighting.


going from left to right, clockwise direction, ending at the center:
the glow powder is a white colour (with a hint of pink) with a pearly finish, looks transparent on skin unless swatched heavily. it glows when flashed.
the 2nd shade (top right) is a light peach, also has a pearly/satin finish.
the 3rd shade (bottom right) is a blue base baby pink, pearly/satin finish.
the 4th shade (bottom left) is a darker peach with a pearly/satin finish.
the 5th shade (center) is a dark blue base pink, also has a pearly/satin finish.


swatched after i blended all the colours (except the glow powder)

after being blended together, it's a light blue based pink (almost like shade 3 above?). works really well for fair skinned peeps, not so well on darker skin sadly.

IMHO:
i can't stop raving over how pretty it looks. that aside, i must be more objective when it comes to sharing my opinion on this product.

the colour is lovely, it isn't as sheer as i thought (either that or i took too much products as suggested by the 2-3 swirls). the colour is a glowy translucent colour, perfect for the cheeks. it's a nifty little thing as it contains a highlighter shade, allowing you to carry one product for 2 needs - cheeks and highlighting.

i'm not sure if they formulated the highlighter differently from the single highlighter that i own from canmake as well, but this feels much more finely milled and subtle. 

the powder is finely milled and soft, thankfully, due to the lower pigmentation, you won't risk getting too much product in just one single swipe (you tend to pick up more product if the powders are soft). and because they're so finely milled, they adhere to my skin like a second skin, i couldn't feel it on my skin at all.

i can't say much about its longevity as most cheek products stay on my face pretty well throughout the day, so this is just like the rest. i also can't vouch for the moisturizing capabilities as my skin is already well moisturized to begin with, but i believe having those skin loving ingredients in the product won't do any harm. just don't expect it to turn a desert into an amazon forest filled with life and moisture.

and did i mention how much i love the brush that came along with it? it's soft and fluffy and so full! the dome shape helps to push the product into the skin better, and the buffing motion helps impart some extra glow to the skin.

LOVING IT.

i bought this for HKD$96.

IN A NUTSHELL:
1. soft translucent colours, colour can be built up without feeling heavy or cakey
2. finely milled
3. not scented
4. comes with highlighting shade
5. affordable (in japan)
6. lovely packaging and brush
7. long lasting on my face

MAKEUP LOOK:

i prefer to use the corner shades as a base first (applied it over my entire cheeks) before adding the center colour on my cheeks for a smoother gradient and a more natural flush of colour. i applied it pretty high up my cheeks (as i'm going for the harajuku look), but you can put it on the apples of your cheeks, or across your cheeks, whichever way you want it :D


applied lightly.


applied lightly.


applied heavily.

Canmake Cream Cheek 05 (Swatch and Review)

Canmake Cream Cheek 05 (Swatch and Review)


these blushers are constantly in the top 5 of the cosme ranking, and it has been that way since the year i bought it (back in 2010 OMG). it topped the chart in 2013, and now it's taking the number 3 spot. not bad huh!

canmake is a drugstore brand in japan, and for their petite price (japanese way of saying really affordable price), they offer really good quality products. these are sold in japan for a mere 580yen, of course it cost a lot more in hong kong (HKD$76) and singapore (~SGD$18), but it's still cheaper than many other brands.

in summary, these cream blushers are easy to blend, true to colour, and has buildable pigmentation. in fact, the colour is pretty strong, so you only need a tiny bit to give your face a healthy glow. the formula makes it a breeze to blend on my cheeks without any patchy-ness. it's super easy to work with even for beginners as you won't have to worry about leaving streaks or marks on your face if you don't work it in quick enough.


i got it in shade 05 sweet apricot. it's a coral shade.


please ignore the two tone differences, the product has aged so the colours appear darker on the untouched surface. the true colour is the well in the middle - a peachy coral shade.


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

when applied on my hand, it is a healthy glow of reddish orange colour. it comes with glitters, however they're quite invisible when viewed from afar. i feel like the product goes on matte, but it doesn't mattify the face. it feels like a super finely milled powder after blending out with my fingers.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.


IMHO:
i can totally understand why the japanese love this product so much - the formula is easy to work with and the colour is just amazing. application is smooth as breeze as there're no issues with patchy-ness or product not staying on the skin nicely. the effect is super natural, just what the japanese likes. it actually makes my skin looks as though it's glowing from within. the fact that it's a cream (slightly moussy) formula makes it blend into my skin that much better to give off that illusion.

the product is also really pigmented such that i only need to tap my finger lightly to get a little product for my two cheeks. a little goes a long way (i learnt this the hard way).

i like to dab and tap this in a circular motion until it's spread throughout my cheeks. it would be best to apply this prior to any powder products. if you must use a powder foundation, all the more you should tap (instead of rub) the product onto your skin to prevent caking.

i used this a lot more in the past as compared to of late, i think it's time i show it more love again.

i bought this for HKD$76.

MAKEUP LOOK:


applied lightly.


applied very lightly.

Essence Sun Club Shimmery Bronzing Powder 10 Sunkissed (Swatch and Review)

Essence Sun Club Shimmer Bronzing Powder 10 Sunkissed (Swatch and Review)

definitely an impulse buy. i was lusting over a bronzer for some reason a while ago (and i still am). i'm not one who tans, so i'm actually looking for a shading powder.. but.. i must have gotten them mixed up. i ended up with this shimmery bronzing powder - not only does it NOT shade my face appropriately (as my skin isn't thaaaaat fair), it's also loaded with shimmer so... shading? nope. not gonna happen.

essence is pretty new in singapore, however i've seen them online before. they originated from germany and it's aim is to provide affordable and trendy makeup. it's so affordable that.. this purchase was made entirely on impulse, and that happens very rarely to me because i usually think thrice before buying anything cosmetics. at SGD$5.50, i didn't see any reason to NOT give it a try. even if it doesn't work well as a shading powder for me, i'm sure i'd find some other use for it.


ooh-la-la, there's a sexy lady embossed onto the powder.


i got it in 10 sunkissed meant for people with fair skin.


in the pan it looks like a beige with a yellow undertone.


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

when swatched, it appears a little more orange-y on my skin. when swatched heavily, the colour is quite striking. however, it blends out to a subtle sunkissed glow. this product is pearly AND shimmery. however, the micro shimmer is really fine and isn't captured by the camera. the sparkles is quite subtle and really very very fine (when i rotate my hands, i can see tiny specks of light being reflected back, it's actually kinda pretty).

the powder is very smooth and soft to touch, a lot of product comes off by swirling my brush (and finger) over it!

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: this product is scented - smells like vanilla to me. i don't like it. but it wears off after a while. i don't enjoy my face product smelling so artificially sweet.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.


IMHO:
while this product is definitely not suitable to give me more defined cheekbones, it works as a blusher for me! that is if i used my brightening foundation prior to that to lighten my skin tone a little first. otherwise, it looks too close to my skin tone and i look a little washed out - but with shimmer.

maybe i can get it to work by going really strong handed when applying this along the hollows of my cheek? but.. i'd not risk that. i think this powder can be used on my body to give it that glow! i've yet to try that though.

now i wish i've gotten this a shade darker, perhaps it can give me the effect that i was looking for. still on the search for a shading powder.

i bought this for SGD$5.50.

Media Cheek Color A PK-1 (Swatch and Review)

Media Cheek Color A PK-1 (Swatch and Review)

i used to think that we only need one blusher, but i was wrong. i had a coral blusher prior to this, i thought i'd pick up a pink since i never tried pink. and i thought the japanese models carried baby pink on their face really nicely!

media is a brand under kanebo, it's a drugstore brand so it's price is really affordable. surprisingly, this is targeted at mature woman, so the finish of all of their product are very natural - colours are soft and diffused, not overly shimmery and glittery.

i feel that the quality of the product far exceeds the price of the blusher. i didn't want my blusher to be super pigmented as i feel that a sheer product gives me more control over the colour intensity. the powder is soft and is easily picked up. enriched with collagen as its moisturizing component, this blush claims to help with the moisture retention of your makeup. it contains micro pearl powder, giving it a very subtle and natural sheen to it when applied to my cheeks.


it comes with a brush (made of horse hair?), and i love using it! soft and very fluffy! for the price of HKD$49, you get 3.5g of product and a brush. why not?




in the pan, it looks like a beautiful reddish-pink. not too light like a pastel pink.


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

when applied on the hand, it appears lighter than in the pan (maybe because it is not constrasted against my skin).
the pink looks more cool toned on my skin, and that pearly sheen is more obvious in this colour than the OR-1. there are micro shimmers when viewed very closely, however they are almost invisible to naked eye when viewed from a normal distance.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.

IMHO:
this is a nifty little blush that i enjoy using a lot. the fact that it's pearly means i can skip highlighter on my cheeks. this gives me a very natural glow. it's not overly pearly so i don't shine like a disco ball! i can use this to create soft romantic looks, or cute looks depending on where i apply this blush.

what i like the most is the brush that came with it. sometimes i use it to apply highlighter as well because it's soft and fluffy enough to disperse the product well. it's amazingly soft, so it's really nice for blending things out.

the only thing i wished for is.. a nicer packaging :X well, the packaging has no ultility and does not affect the quality of the blush at all, but i just like to see pretty things..! and the packaging is too simple to me. no frills design - hence the no frills price too.

i bought this for HKD$49 in hongkong's aster.

MAKEUP LOOK:


soft romantic: applied across my cheek bones.


young and fun: applied on the apples of my cheek, close to my eyes.


japanese gyaru style: applied across my cheek, as well as near my eyes.


used as an eyeshadow (together with OR-1)!

Daiso Ellefar Nose Highlight Powder (Swatch and Review)

Daiso Ellefar Nose Highlight Powder (Swatch and Review)

i remember seeing this in hong kong a year ago, but i never got it and regretted not getting it. the next time i saw it in singapore's daiso, i picked it up. it's only SGD2! even if it doesn't work as a highlighter, i thought i have other uses for it.


the powder looks white, but it's actually off white. not so much of a "pink" though. however when i compared it to the other colour (white) they offer, this colour appears a little pinker than that. the other one is just whitish/silvery/ashy. it's a loose powder.


it comes with suggested usage instructions: T zong, brow bone, below the eyebrow, below the eyes, and the inner corner of the eyes.


ingredient list.


it says ellefar hanataka powder (high nose literally) B. it's a face powder, and in the colour pearl pink. i guess the rest of it says to use it on the cheeks and nose for added dimensions, and it's supposed to be used with a brush.


close up of the highlighter on my hand. it amazed me pretty much because it is really reflective!!! once it's on the skin you really can't detect a hint of pink, but who knows, perhaps the white one will appear ashy?


concentrated swatch on the left, blended out on the right.

the powder is smooth and very finely milled. if you get enough on your finger it can look like a mirror (exaggeration). but i did end up with a silver finger. there isn't much colour to it, i really can't tell the pink from it. it does give off a beautiful sheen.


seen from three different angles to show the sheen and finish.


IMHO:
i still remember the first time i swatced it after i got home.
"OMG THIS THING IS AMAZING!" and i got so excited at its pearliness! ok, it's not entirely pearly. it more metallic than pearly in my opinion. the powder are so fine, it feels like a mirror more than a metal, if you get what i mean.

it's just a wonderful product for the price i paid. the only downside is that it's a loose powder. perhaps i'm too used to using pressed powders, i need some time to get used to this form. also, it doesn't come up with any puff, make it very messy if you are to bring this thing out with you.

surprisingly, i haven't used this as my nose highlight yet. however, i used this on my eyelids (both the upper lid and inner half of my lower lid). it made my eyeball look 3D no joke, it was popping out of the mirror (exaggeration). on my lower lid it gave me cute aegyo sal. :P

i bought this for SGD$2.