Summer Blushin'

L-R: Topshop Cream Blush in Flush, Sleek blush in Life's a Peach, Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachykeen

Topshop Cream Blush in 'Flush'

                                                    

                                                                                          Sleek Blush in 'Life's a Peach'

       Mac Sheertone Shimmer Blush in 'Peachykeen'

There's nothing like a bright pop of colour on the cheeks to brighten up the dullest dud of a 'Summer's' day, and now that the UK is actually basking in sunshine for a change, a vibrant blush fits the bill more than ever before (well, at least this year).

I am very much a corals and peaches girl, and will use any excuse to crack them out when the warmer months begin to roll round. In fact, you'll often catch me trying to sneak them out in the cooler months too, especially in terms of blushes. I just find that they are so flattering, even on a paler skin tone, and really add a bit of extra oomph when I'm looking a bit washed out or lacklustre.

Today I thought I'd share with you my three most reached-for blushes for Summer 2013, and I can honestly say that since about March time, nothing but these beauties has graced my cheeks - that's how much I love them!

First up is the Topshop Cream Blush in Flush, which I reviewed within the last couple of weeks (for that post, click here). I think we all love a good cream blush at this time of year, and this one is no exception. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this bad boy is my favourite specimen of all time, and I have been loving the pinched effect I get by dotting this onto my cheeks and then blending it lightly with my Real Techniques stippling brush. In terms of the shade, it's absolute perfection - a bright coral pink that is highly pigmented but also buildable. I have been wearing and wearing this, and particularly love teaming it with Mac's Cremesheen lipstick in Coral Bliss. Love.

Next up is the newest addition to my blush collection (it finally arrived last week), a Sleek powder formulation in the shade Life's a  Peach. This is a really gorgeous peachy-apricot, and is a slightly different hue to the others I've got squirreled away in my arsenal of cheek products. My only gripe with it is that it's a little bit backwards in coming forward when it comes to swatching, but that said, it does seem to pick up reasonably well on a nice soft Eco Tools brush and blends out to give a lovely wash of colour that's bright without being too much. 

And last but by no means least is my Mac Sheertone Shimmer blush in Peachykeen (full review and swatch here). This is definitely a darker, dirtier peach, and contains a beautifully subtle hint of shimmer that I find provides a gorgeously luminous, healthy glow. While there is a hint of glitter in he pan if you look closely, it won't translate onto the cheeks, so no risk of the glitter ball effect here. I'd say that of the three, this is the best option for day to day, as it won't clash with any other bright makeup choices on the eyes or lips. When it comes to the other two, they really do do all the talking, and become the main feature of the look.

Are there any blushes you've found yourself reaching for over and over this season?

What are your favourite formulations for Summer?

xx

Review: Topshop Cream Blush in Flush

Yes, I've been naughty again and had a sneaky try of this before getting my camera out, but just look at it. It's just such a beautiful bright coral that I challenge anyone to resist dipping into it the second they get it home.

Now I do love a good cream blush, especially when spring and summer roll round, and Topshop's offerings are no exception. The lightweight cream to powder formula is a dream to work with, blending easily into the skin to give a luminous, radiant finish. Personally, I can't see anything powdery about them at all, even after application, as they leave a dewy, just-bitten effect on the cheeks, and as an added bonus they are really buildable. So for anyone who is new to brighter blushes and just fancies dipping their toe in, then look no further - a light application of this with my Real Techniques stippling brush creates a subtle wash of colour, while a heavier hand results in a vibrant pop.

Flush itself is what I would call a true coral, which along with the light consistency makes it a match made in heaven when it comes to fresh, summery makeup looks. In terms of the photos, there is quite some variation in the way that the shade comes across, so go by the last image for the greatest accuracy, as it's pretty true to life.

The only down-side, I would say, is that I find the wear time a little lacking when compared to, say, a Mac powder blush. I do find that I have to re-apply about half way through the day, but personally I can live with with that in exchange for this stunningly beautiful colour.

Flush has fast become my most reached for blush of the season, and between this and my Mac Peachykeen there's not much more I could ask for for the next few months. Saying that, I have been eyeing up one or two of the other Topshop shades, most notably of all Head Over Heels and Morning Dew.

All shades are available from the Topshop website, for a very reasonable £6.

Have you tried any of the Topshop cream blushes? What are your favourite cheek products for spring and summer?

xx

Review: Mac Blush in Peachy Keen

As we all know very well, a girl can never have too many Mac blushes, and you might remember seeing in last month's beauty haul video that on my last trip to my closest shop, I picked up a new Sheertone Shimmer blush in the shade Peachykeen.

Sheertone Shimmer blushes are, as you would expect, quite sheer, but can be built up to achieve a bright pop of colour if that's the look you prefer. They also contain hint of shimmer, and while tiny flecks of glitter are detectable in the pan, they don't transfer onto the face at all, appearing only as a beautifully subtle golden sheen. 

 Peachykeen is described by Mac as a 'very baby peach', and I have to say, it looks nothing like the swatch on their website, which is more of a reddish plum shade. It's a good job we have beauty blogs to help us out with things like this! Personally, I'd describe Peachykeen as a dark pinky-peach - it's not a soft pastel peach, and there is definitely something a bit earthier about it.

I had actually had no intention of taking home a blush when I popped into the Mac shop, but the assistant there kindly swiped some onto my cheeks to complement a couple of other products I was trying out, which I purchased, satisfied, and left. But for the rest of the day, which I was spending doing a bit of clothes shopping, whenever I caught sight of myself in the mirror I was impressed with the healthy glow I seemed to be exuding. Of course, I had the blush to thank for this, and by the end of the day I had swiftly popped back and snapped it up. It's now become my most-used powder blush, as it's such a flattering, wearable shade, and the subtle, radiant glow it provides is enough to perk up any tired, run-down or lacklustre face. Although it's sheer, it's also highly pigmented, so a light hand is recommended when applying it. It wears well too, and is still going fairly strong by the time I get home after a day at work. For me, this was my first Sheertone Shimmer blush, and after it's success I have now got my eye on Springsheen and Peachtwist.

What's your favourite Mac blush formulation?

Have you tried any of the Sheertone Shimmer shades?

xx

What I Wore

    Leather-Look Shorts, River Island  //  China-Print Shirt, New Look  //  Leopard Print Boots, Ebay  //  Statement Necklace, New Look  //  Chunky Pyramid Stud Bracelet, Ebay  //  Sunglasses, Zara  //  Tan Studded Clutch, Primark (old)

Hello lovelies, I'm posting a bit later in the day than usual, but that's down to not having taken any snaps of this outfit in advance as I really did wear it today. I've also popped up two sets of photos, basically because I couldn't decide which one to go for!

It's still nice and sunny here, so I went with my trusty leather-look shorts from River Island and teamed them with my new china-print shirt and statement necklace, both from New Look. On my feet, I'm wearing some suede black and leopard-print ankle boots, and I've finished the look with a pair of Zara sunglasses and a Primark clutch, which is actually pretty old but is still going strong! Nail-wise, I chose this pretty pastel green, which is called Talisman, from a Brazilian brand called Ellen Gold. Unfortunately you can't get these in the UK, but this one is a really similar shade to Essie Mint Candy Apple, but I'd say it's definitely brighter and slightly less milky.

Today I've been busy running errands with the hubby - just boring stuff like paying bills etc. - and we spent the afternoon reading our books at our local coffee shop, which is always a nice way to wind down on a Friday. I'm currently reading The Age of Miracles, by Karen Thompson Walker, and I'd love to know if any of you have read it and what your thoughts were.

I've also been busy taking photos for up-coming posts, and this evening my plan is to catch up with a couple of people on Skype, burn my new Spring Yankee Candle, in Peach Orchard, and as is customary on a Friday night, do a spot of pampering. I am loving several face masks at the moment, and finding them really effective, so I've been looking forward to it even more than usual.

I do have a few more bits to chat to you about from this week, but I'll save them for my Sunday Catch-Up post, otherwise I'll have nothing left to say!

Hope everyone's had a good week and that there's a fantastic weekend ahead for us all!

xx

Review: Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick in Play Peach

I'm usually more of a Mac or Topshop girl when it comes to lipsticks, but a month or two ago I was browsing a bit more locally, in search of the perfect Spring peach lipstick, when I stumbled upon the Maybelline Moisture Extreme Matte Lipstick in the shade Peach Play. Obviously with Maybelline's reasonable prices I didn't hesitate to pick it up, and having already tried and enjoyed one of the normal Moisture Extreme formulations in Sugar Plum (a lovely warm nude) I was intrigued to see how this one would measure up.

From the very first application it was love. Although I'd originally been after more of a pastel, nudey peach, the moment I swiped this on my lips I knew that it would become one of my most reached for lipsticks as we head into Spring and Summer. It's a bright, vibrant peach, quite orange but with a hint of pinky red which makes it far more wearable for those of you with paler skin, or anyone who is a little bit nervous about going for anything too full-on. It's just such a flattering colour and really warms up my face when I have it on. It makes me think of juicy fruit and refreshing summery cocktails,and in my eyes that can only be a good thing!

Wear-wise, it definitely stays put a bit longer than the normal formulation, and was still going strong after I'd had my morning cuppa today. Obviously it does start to fade a bit more if you're a constant water-guzzler like me, but it does so pretty evenly so you're not left with any patchiness. Saying that, being matte it's not the most forgiving when it comes to dry patches on the lips, so a good exfoliation beforehand is definitely in order.

Over all, a really lovely lip colour that's perfect for sunny days, and one that has firmly secured it's place in my makeup bag.

What are your must-haves lip products for Spring?

xx