Hi, guys. Today’s let’s talk about the blush that got my heart racing ever since I got its launch details in my e-mail! Also, I won’t be posting as much these couple of weeks as my Semester exams are right around the corner and I need to use my energy for last-minute studying. I can’t disclose much about the specifics but I should be back at it by mid-June.
THE BACKSTORY: So, I got an email about the release of Colorbar’s latest blush launch a month or two ago. Honestly, the excitement I felt when I first saw the photo of the product on the site is unmatched. I have a thing for blushes, so, that goes without saying, I think. Among the local brands, I think I was the most excited with this particular launch. The price tag is a little ridiculous but I do see myself owning the other colour variant in the future.
It comes in an insanely-difficult-to-photograph-silver-and-metallic-box. That’s the reflection of my camera you see. ^^”
THE PRODUCT: The first thing that you’ll notice when you look at the blush physically is its size. I am yet to see a blush this big and containing this much product (more details on the quantity and price down below).
If you don’t notice its size right away, I’ll understand why. You were probably distracted by how it contains three shades of blush, splattered together like paint, each gorgeous in their own way.
It is incredibly pigmented. Blushes tend to be a lot more translucent and softer but not this one. This one has colour-payoff that will give good eyeshadows a run for their money. Such opacity in a blush may not necessarily be a good thing. It’s one of those blushes that can give you clown cheeks in the blink of an eye. So, approach with caution.
Anyway, the blush is soft to the touch, silky and contains very fine iridescent shimmer. The shimmers don’t show up on the cheeks, however. It does possess a sheen to it which transfers onto the cheeks as well. The name itself contains the word ‘Luminous’ so it doesn’t disappoint in that department. When used well, it imparts a beautiful flush of the colour to the cheeks, accompanied by a healthy sheen.
It is packaged in a sturdy silver-hued plastic case with a transparent plastic lid.
One thing I have noticed, though, is that it will cling on to dry patches. And on those same dry patches, it will appear splotchy. It sounds taxing but if you prep your face with some moisturiser and hydrate it nicely, it shouldn’t be an issue.
A close-up shot of the shades. Look at how bright and vivid it is!
TIPS AND TRICKS: Use a large fluffy brush and tap it into the pan. Don’t swirl or swipe the brush, just tap. Tap once and you are left with a subtle yet noticeable flush to the cheeks. Tap twice and you’re approaching the Igari/Hangover makeup look territory (which, personally, I love and do on a near-regular basis). Tap thrice and it’s game over. Clown cheeks.
If you do decide to swirl the colours together, you need to tap off the excess product from your brush quite a bit. It’s easy to go wild with this blush so you must be careful with how you apply it or it could go terribly wrong. If heavy blusher is your thing, then, by all means, go for it.
You could do as the site tells you to, though – use the shades individually. The lightest for highlighting, the middle one for blush and the darkest hue on the natural contours of your face. Or you could be like me, choose not to and have your way with it.
On occasions that I couldn’t be bothered to do my base (which is almost daily), I just want a flush of colour on my cheeks. Then I go use this blush and it looks like a weird splotch, clinging to my dry patches for dear life. An easy fix I thought of was quickly brushing off the splotchy patch of blush with my beloved VDL blush in ‘Gumballs’. If you ever face a similar problem (too much colour on the cheeks and you just don’t want to wipe off your hard work), you could use a matte powder blush in a lighter colour and dust it off. You could even go over it with your foundation brush/BB cushion puff and dissipate the strength of the blush’s hue. Problem solved.
INGREDIENTS: Talc, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Mica, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Octyldodecyl, Stearoyl Stearate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Silica, Tin Oxide, CI 15850, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 75470, CI 15985
Look at how opaque these are! From Left to Right: Pale Pink (lightest in the pan), Plum (darkest in the pan), Pinkish red (the mid-tone hue).
From Left to Right: Swatched after swirling together (THAT OPACITY), Brushed on the fore-arm after swirling the shades together in the pan. You can see clearly how the mid-tone pinkish red overwhelms the other two shades.
SHADE: ‘Luminous Rose 001’
The blush contains three different colours –
- A pale white-based pink.
- A pink with a strong red base.
- A plum with some pink in it.
Swirl them all together and you’ve got a bold mid-tone pink with rich red undertones. You could also swatch the pale pink and the reddish pink together for a lighter red-based pink. Or you could swirl the plum and the reddish pink together for a gorgeous grape hue. Go wild. Just be careful with how much product ends up on your cheeks.
VARIANTS: It has another shade in its family called ‘Luminous Coral 002’. It’s a vivid orange blush.
PRICE: 1,200 INR for 9.5 grams of product (what a hefty price-tag for a High-Street brand!)
AVAILABILITY: Colorbar counters, colorbarcosmetics.com, Nykaa etc.
♥ Overall, I do quite enjoy this blush – I just utilise its powers in moderation haha. It’s a unique piece in my growing blush collection. The price tag is steep but if you break it down into how much product you get and the three shade dividends (four, actually, if you count mixing all the shades together), I think makeup lovers will be able to justify buying it.
Colorbar Luminous Rouge Blush in Luminous Rose
Pros
- IT'S PIGMENTED AND RIDICULOUSLY OPAQUE FOR A BLUSH.
- It lasts for a good amount of time.
- It imparts a pretty sheen to the cheeks.
- You get three shades within the pan and you get to pick and choose how you play with it.
- The packaging, though plastic, is sturdy.
Cons
- The price is a little too steep for a High Street product.
- It contains talc and mica - if you don't cleanse your face properly after using it, it may break you out. Some are just allergic to those two ingredients as well.
