Bourjois Cream Blush: 05 Pink Sunwear

Another gorgeous treat which is definitely making it's way into my holiday make up bag...the Bourjois Cream Blush in Pink Sunwear.  The Bourjois pot blush was the first ever blush that I ever bought; it was a constant repurchase through school, and it stayed in my inside blazer pocket for quick boosts of colour on my lunch break!  

The cream versions have been out a while now, but I've never managed to get round to trying them.  Pink Sunwear is an upcoming release from this years Summer collection, and what a beauty it is!

The packaging is a lot smaller than the powder pot blushes, maybe by about half, but it's a lot more compact so it's perfect for popping in your handbag, slotting into your already brimming make up bag, or if you're in school, hiding in your blazer pocket!  Unlike my original pot blush, this one has a magnetic close to make sure your cream blush stays nice and clean!

Matching the pot itself, the cream blush is unlike any other colour I own.  It looks quite an intense copper in the pan, but once blended onto the skin, it's a flawless wash of Summer glow with a hint of pink.  I always favour cream blush in the Summer, and last years holiday cream blush was a neon orange/hot pink duo from Topshop, which I'm sure will make an appearance again this year, but my main go to will definitely be this to help me look like a bronzed goddess...ha, I don't even know why I am saying that, because I have practically zero ability to tan!

I feel confident though that this shade will compliment, and enhance any colour I do get though!

The formulation itself is perfect.  A semi-matte finish with an almost gel like cream formula which doesn't feel sticky in the slightest; it's so light, and applies so easily.  I don't feel like I'm caked, and that's perfect for the Summer months; it's seamless and looks completely natural, like it's my own skin.  You can see below it's sheer enough to let my freckles come through, but it's really easy to build up a bolder colour if you wanted to!

I've been applying this  by buffing it in with my Real Techniques Contour Brush because it's small enough to fit into the pan, as well as work into the apples of my cheeks.  I don't own a flat top brush though, but would love to try application with one, so let me know your recommendations!  Wear time, like the bronzing highlighter duo, is amazing.  I have oily skin, but found that this was still giving me some colour after a full day at work!

Will you be trying the new Bourjois Cream Blushes?

NARS Orgasm Blush

NARS Orgasm.  Where, oh where to begin.  This is the first NARS blush I have ever owned, and only the second NARS cosmetic product I have!  (I've actually just this second reminded myself of a skincare set I got before Christmas that remains untouched and never used - how has that happened?!)

Shocking memory aside, I have been wearing Orgasm almost non-stop since I got it!  It is a gorgeous  warm peachy-pink with a golden shimmer running through it.  I was a bit concerned for the gold shimmer at first, because I'm not really a lover of sparkle, but I found it to be really flattering!  I don't go too heavy handed with my blushes, so I could slowly build up the colour to make sure that I didn't go overboard with the shimmer.

The gold shimmer is definitely there, but it's not a ridiculous amount of glitter - it's just nice!  Orgasm is really pigmented, so I haven't ever swirled my brush in the powder - I go for a light pat and then blend onto my cheeks, and build up as needed.

It's really finely milled, super smooth and blends effortlessly into my skin to give a really natural flush.  The added shimmer gives a boost of radiance and I really, really love it.  I think it will be perfect as my Summer blush, and I think it might even come with me to Spain because the gold shimmer could really enhance that Summer glow!  I think I may have found a new favourite blush brand...

What's your go-to Summer blush?  Have you tried NARS Orgasm?

Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop

Way back in January, I was wishing hard for the release of the new Clinique Cheek Pops; in fact, I wanted two - Peach Pop and Berry Pop.  The Cheek Pops were finally released last week, and at the weekend, I raced to Browns department store to spend the voucher I'd been saving since Christmas, and actually picked up two products, one of them being this beautiful blush!

I spent ages swatching in store, and comparing with Liam which one he thought was best.  The two that I originally wanted were so pretty, but also really bright - very Spring/Summer, but I wanted something that I could wear daily that was still pretty, but gave a natural glow.  Liam and I both thought that Peach Pop and Ginger Pop were near enough identical when swatching on the hands, but Ginger Pop had a touch of bronze to it, so gave a really healthy, natural glow when applied.

The Cheek Pop is like no other blush I own.  It's housed in clear packaging, with a beautiful embossed gerbera as the blush itself.  It is a kind of powder/cream blush hybrid, it's so creamy and perfect, but not a cream and not a powder either!  It's just really velvety, and looks really natural when it's applied.

The colour is really easily buildable.  Where as other blushes, I'd probably just stick to one or two swirls, this took quite a bit to get a real pop of colour onto the cheeks.  But your standard swirling would get you a really natural flush of colour.  I sound a little negative here, but I really, really love it.

I've never tried anything from Clinique before, but I'm so pleased with my first ever purchase.  I hope that these become a staple in their cosmetic collection, and that maybe they release a few more colours!  But for now, Ginger Pop will definitely be seeing me through the warmer months!  If you'd like one, they're available at all the Clinique counters now, or online here for a reasonable £16.50!

Have you tried the Cheek Pops?  What's your favourite shade?

Coming Soon: Tarte on QVC

This month we found out that Sephora now ships to the UK.  The only thing that I could possibly think that I needed to try were the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes.  I browsed the Sephora website, but couldn't bring myself to splash out £75 on things I might like to get a flat £10 delivery charge.  Luckily for us UK girls, QVC have answered our prayers and a selection of the Tarte range is making it's way to the UK on the 28th March!

Aside from my picks which I'll talk about in a second, there is a really good range to give us all a good taste of Tarte.  The packaging is amazing, the products are said to be perfection and I'm way too excited.  I've never bought anything from QVC before, or anything from the TV in fact, but I just can't bring myself to miss the opportunity to get my hands on some of the most coveted Tarte products!  The Tarte range is priced in the higher end of the scale, as you'd expect, but I think it's a fair price to pay.  There's also some real bargains in there - you can find a set of three Amazonian Butter lipsticks for £20, as well as the Sultry Sunset Amazonian Clay Eight Shadow Collectors Palette for £24!  I could put the entire QVC Tarte range in my basket, but I've narrowed it down to just three products...although one product appears four times - I know, what a cheater!

The Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Air Brush Foundation (£27.34) is "an airbrush foundation which delivers flawless, natural coverage that lasts, while invigorating tone and texture for youthful looking skin."  I've read lots of reviews on this, and it seems to be perfect for my oily skin.  The mineral powder makes this into a mattifying foundation, which is easily buildable on the coverage side.  It also comes with a really stubby, dense kabuki brush designed to really buff this into your skin for a flawless finish.  The only downside to ordering from QVC is that I don't know which shade would best match my skintone, so it'll be a risk that I'll just have to take!

I also picked the Amazonian Clay Waterproof Brow Mousse (£16.20).  I've not been blessed with huge brows, and the ones I've got are a bit patchy because I got carried away plucking them when I was younger.  I usually just use the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil to fill in any gaps, but I often find that my shade (dark brown) is way too warm and often comes out auburn compared to my actual brows.  Pencils can also be quite harsh and unnatural, so I'm looking forward to having the chance to try a different type of brow filler.  I've never used anything other than a pencil, so a brow mousse would be nice to try and hopefully would be ideal for making a natural brow.

Of course the Amazonian Clay Blushes (£26.50) would had to make an appearance.  If I ever go back to America, I always said I'd pick up two shades which would be Tipsy and Exposed.  However, recently I've spotted Natural Beauty which is a gorgeous red toned blush that I think would be a pretty close match to my natural flush and would be perfect for bringing some colour to cheeks in the colder months and Flush which is an amazing berry toned blush.  Tipsy, a beautiful coral shade is gorgeous for the warmer months and Exposed is an amazing natural toned blush, which whilst it looks pretty brown in the pan is ideal for no makeup makeup days or a natural contour.  

I doubt I will pick all four of these up, but it'l be a tough call to choose which ones make the cut!  Essie Button recently did an amazing post where she swatched all the Tarte blushes she had, and all of these shades are there if you wanted to investigate the shades for yourself!

Will you be picking up anything Tarte from QVC?  What's on your Tarte Wishlist?

Mystery Prize Package...from the USA!

As you all might know, I was taking part in a group spending ban.  You could all follow the groups progress using the #roseenospend.  Some girls were doing it for thirty days, like myself, and others are still doing a sixty day spending ban!  We were all paired up to spur each other on, and at the end of the swap, you got to send and receive a prize bundle from your partner!

I was paired with the lovely Hannah from Hannah's Beauty Blog and I received my prize box yesterday!  I photographed everything as soon as I opened it because I was dying to get in and try everything, and this whole unwritten blogger rule of no using it until it's been photographed was a killer.  Hannah is based in the USA, so I have been very lucky in the fact that I've been able to try some American beauty bits!  I'd love to tell you all what I popped in Hannah's box, but hers hasn't arrived yet!  Here is what was in mine...

First off, Hannah - thank you so much for sending me this!  I am so pleased with everything, and I love it all - I've tried almost all of it and everything is perfect!  The shades you've picked are gorgeous, and are ones that I'd have chosen myself - great minds must think alike!  I wish we had Wet n' Wild in the UK, and that candle....ohhhh it smells so good!

This is the Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works.  It smells absolutely gorgeous, and not remotely like leaves.  I can't remember what I thought it would smell like anymore, maybe crisp outdoors and maybe a bit of pine thrown in, but it's gorgeous spiced apple.  I love this so much that I've already tracked down a site that sells it in the UK so that I can get a larger version!

This blush is by Wet n Wild and is in the shade Heather Silk and Hannah has made the perfect choice!  She said she chose this as it's a perfect fall shade, and I have to agree!  I wore this today and it gives me that perfect flushed look.

Another Wet n Wild product that Hannah bought for me is this amazing eyeshadow palette.  I've seen a lot of reviews from other bloggers about these, and they're so distinctive with the embossed text for where to apply each colour.  I have the Comfort Zone palette and sometimes you have the odd shade in a palette that you might not touch but I can see me using every single one of these shades.  The left side is a perfect day look, and the right is a bit more dramatic!

EOS is another brand that I have heard of, so I was really excited to see this in my parcel!  I have the Pomegranate and Raspberry flavour and it is so nice, I love the packaging and they are so much better than I had expected them to be; far better than your standard lip balm.  I love this little sphere of goodness.  If anything it's made me want to try our UK equivalent, the Balmi to compare which formula is better!

Hannah also sent me a Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara.  Covergirl is another brand that I have heard of, mainly when I've been watching America's Next Top Model as they usually win a contract to represent Covergirl!  First thoughts are that I love being able to see the brush in the packaging, most of the mascaras I've bought always come with the wand ready in the tube, so this was an interesting change!  I've tried this today and it has been so nice to wear!

I also got sent a little packet of Extras chewing gum in the flavour Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake.  I've actually not tried this yet, but it was such a nice little extra to get in the box!  I've never had a sweet flavoured gum before so this could be interesting!

I'll be reviewing each of these products a little more in depth in the future, so keep an eye out!  And thank you so much Hannah for everything!  I can see you put a lot of thought into the box, and I'm very grateful!  I really hope you like yours, please let me know what you think and keep in touch!

Have you done a beauty swap before?  Have you tried any of these products?