Guerlain Meteorites Perles de Blush in Angelic Radiance

Guerlain has collaborated with Dippin' Dots to bring you the Perles de Blush in Angelic Radiance! That was my initial impression when I received the box o' pearls in the mail, since I had ordered sight unseen.

Day 26: Lavshuca Dress Glow Cheek in OR-1

Orange blusher and lace... two of my biggest weaknesses!

Day 23: Sonia Rykiel Glowing Powder Blusher

This is part of the pile of forgotten purchases, moreso than a too pretty to use stash. With spring around the corner, you best bet I'll be getting my money's worth out of this blusher!

Day 15: Dior My Lady 003 Coral

It's safe to say that the My Lady blushers are all collector's pieces. Like its pink counterpart, this gives a natural gorgeous glow to the cheeks. I do believe that this formula is much different from the other [older] Dior blushes, since the staying power of this is much, much longer!

Day 14: Guerlain Blush G Sakura Cherry Blossom

I managed to recently track down this Asia exclusive Guerlain blush, but I will certainly be using the heck out of this baby! The color is actually much sheer than it looks in the pan, so I do need a few swipes in order for it to show up on my cheeks. If you're a fan of Guerlain, you need this!

Day 10: Kose Visee Blend Color Cheeks Blush OR-6

Once again, Japanese cosmetics knock it out of the park with packaging! My first Visee cheek product kindly gifted from a dear friend -- which I'm embarrassed to say will be untouched for a bit longer.

Day 7: Etude House xoxo Minnie Touch Blusher

Having seen swatches online of this particular product, I know for a fact that this will serve more of a highlighter for me, albeit a tad chalky. Since I have more than enough highlighters I'm using at the moment, I'll keep this one in its pristine state.

For those who are curious, this is still available at W2beauty, Amazon, and eBay.

Suqqu EX-21 Murasakisuishou quad 03 Aoruri trio 01 Momoshuiro Balancing Cheeks

Suqqu is easily one of my Top 3 favorite Japanese cosmetics brands when it comes to point makeup, especially their eyeshadow quads. It's difficult to say what the Western counterpart of Suqqu is, since I feel that this brand is truly in a class of its own. Simple yet elegant in terms of packaging, Suqqu prides itself on sophistication and luxury.

I first heard of Suqqu about two years ago, but since it was such an exclusive line at the time, it fell off the radar until Imomoko started carrying the brand. Price-wise, I would say that as a whole, Suqqu rivals that of By Terry. In fact, when it comes to eye quads alone, it makes the Tom Ford quads seem mid-range, thus explaining my paced additions turned hoarding to my collection.

When I first saw promo images of the autumn/winter collection, I knew the limited edition "quad" in EX-21 Murasakisuishou would be mine. It is just as hot of a commodity as the Tom Ford Nude Dip quad for understandable reasons.

This is essentially an octet, since each pan is divided into two sections. Like all Suqqu shadows, these are softly pigmented and buttery smooth. They also blend easily and last all day on my lids over primer. All eight shades are what I would deem 'adult shimmer' shadows. From the most shimmery-metallic to the shimmer-satin finishes, I can see this palette working across all age groups, although one would need to add a matte transition color to the mix.

One minor drawback to this palette is the two pans with the horizontal division. It is rather difficult to dip a larger and fluffier brush into the individual shades without picking up the adjacent one but still doable with a flat shader. My favorite ways to wear them is to actually layer both shades as Suqqu shadows do so beautifully!

I cannot sing enough praises for this palette. From daytime appropriate looks to the smokiest of smokey eyes, this palette is incredibly versatile. I have seen it being sold anywhere from $94 to $115+ at the moment, but this is a palette that I guarantee you will want to have in your arsenal of palettes.

Suqqu also released trios for the first time along with their a/w 2014 collection. However, they are permanent. Does that make me hold off on purchasing them at a later time? Absolutely not. I had no intention of picking up any of the trios, let alone this palette because let's face it: I can't recall the last time I sported a blue eyeshadow. However, late night (read: 2AM) surfing on Enablergram led me to place an impromptu order, and I am now the owner of 03 Aoruri.

To be honest, I'm on the fence on Aoruri, as I feel that it's not quite up to par as the quads. The top shade is patchy and is somewhat of a glitterbomb. The middle is reflective of the quality and blendability of Suqqu shadows that I've come to love. And the last is just sheer and not as smooth in texture, however, it makes for a great liner since it does give subtle definition when applied across the lash line layered over the middle taupe.

Unlike the quads, I do see slight creasing and even fading with these shadows after I had put them through the sweat test at the gymnasium. I can't say that the other two trios are like this, but I can't say that I will be rushing to pick them up either after seeing the quality of this one. A trio runs anywhere from $63 to $71+ from Ichibankao and Bon Bon Cosmetics, respectively.

Suqqu shadows are not for everyone. If you're expecting Urban Decay in-your-face-pigmentation-in-a-swipe, then these are not for you. If, however, you prefer more subtle, everyday wearable palettes, then you may want to give the Suqqu quads a go. If I were to describe the shadows, I'd say they have the dimension of Dior with the depth of Chanel.

Suqqu Balancing Cheeks in 01 Momoshuiro is my first and certainly not last blush from them (assuming they release more unique color combinations.) Like the eyeshadows, the blushes blend effortlessly and have an incredible staying power when applied. The blush pans are small though, so a smaller cheek brush is necessary here. Or you can use the included brush -- which has to be the softest brush I have ever felt that comes with a cheek product. Think along the lines of Chikuhodo Z-4.

Admittedly, I was attracted to Momoshuiro because it looked similar to two of my Top 3 blushes of all time: MAC Cream Soda (LE) and Giorgio Armani Sheer Blush #10 (discontinued.) Not only would this serve as a back-up for both blushes, but it is super convenient for traveling. See how I justified that? But, I soon discovered that they are completely different. Close, but different.

The left pan is much lighter than Cream Soda. In fact, it barely shows up on my NC25 skin tone. The right pan is more rosy and more mauvey than GA #10. Suqqu's way of utilizing both shades is to first sweep the right shade across the cheeks (and concentrating more towards the back) while applying the left shade strictly on the apples and blending it toward the right shade. I have been wearing Momoshuiro in such a manner. Together, it leaves my cheeks with the perfect healthy glow of peachy-pink.

This was released as part of the Spring 2014 collection but have now joined Suqqu's permanent line. I would recommend this for folks up to medium skin tones, as it won't translate too well on deeper skin tones. A blush ranges anywhere from $84 to $103+, so I can't wholeheartedly place this under the must-have category, but rather in the 'nice-to-have' group.

Have you checked out any Suqqu beauty products? I'd love to know what your favorites are!

Tom Ford Autumn 2014 Collection Nude Dip quad and Stroked contouring cheek color duo

Tom Ford limited edition collections set off the inner hoarder in me. Sure, half of the time, they sell out before they even grace the counters across the states, but doesn't that just add to the thrill?

Taupe eyeshadow? Check.

Beigey highlight? Check.

Coral-orange blush? Check.

Really, Tommy. You know the way to my heart... and wallet.

The star of the collection is -- without a doubt -- the quad in Nude Dip ($79.) Not to sound too overly-dramatic or anything, but there is a national Nude Dip crisis at the moment. However, word on the street is it will be available at department stores' websites early September, so keep your eyes peeled. Thankfully, I was gifted this as a birthday gift, and I couldn't thank the person enough! I was saved from calling every TF counter from coast to coast trying to track down this baby.

Let's just say that if this wasn't sold out nearly everywhere, I'd be submitting an order for a back-up. That's how much I love this quad. However, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's take a look at the gorgeousness.

Shimmery, metallic, smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting... just how I like my eyeshadows to be. Neutrals, too, of course. There's usually one shadow that under-performs in most quads, but not with Nude Dip. All four shades translates beautifully to leave a metallic sheen on the eyes that is never over the top. One can tell from the swatches that they are highly pigmented (with practically no fallout!), even when applied dry. I haven't tested nor worn them wet, but I would assume that they boast an even bigger punch. I'm usually not the biggest fan of wet/dry shadows, but these are nothing short of amazing.

Whether or not you're a fan of neutrals shadows, I really do think this is one limited edition product from Tom Ford you don't want to miss. Despite Nude Dip looking like a cool-toned quad, it actually leans neutral, thus, complimenting any blusher harmoniously. It's a simple palette, but one can create several eye looks while supplementing a transition shade (and possibly a browbone highlight) with it.

My favorite [quick and easy] look using all four shades in Nude Dip is:

• ivory gold in the inner coner
• taupe all over the lid and outer 2/3 of the lower lash line
• dark chocolate brown in the outer V (blended out with Urban Decay Naked in the crease)
• champagne on the inner 1/3 of the lower lash line
• Urban Decay Skimp as brow bone highlight

No liner, just mascara. Simple as that.

Blush duos (or contouring cheek color duos, as he likes to call them) are new to Tom Ford's makeup line. In fact, so are powdered highlighters, not taking into account the highlighter from the Unabashed palette. I initially held off on purchasing Stroked ($77), because I thought the blush looked similar to Love Lust. Long story short, the highlighter beckoned, and I responded.

Now that I have Stroked, I couldn't be any happier with my decision. Tom Ford's blushes usually run $57 each, so paying nearly 1.5 of a blush for two pans of product is quite the deal. Sometimes, the quality of a product is compromised when in a "palette", but I'm happy to say that the quality of both the blush and highlighter is what I would have expected his cheek products to be -- pigmented, finely-milled, easy to blend, and with great lasting power. I really cannot rave about this duo enough!

The highlighter was a pleasant surprise, and I wish he would release highlighters as part of his permanent range. It is a beige highlighter with just the hint of peach undertones to make it suitable and flattering for both warm and cool toned folks. It reminds me a lot of Chanel's highlighters, since it is more glowy and subtle than it is frosty and metallic.

Just for comparison purposes, I have Love Lust, Savage, and the blush from Unabashed to compare the blush from Stroked to. As you can tell, there are no dupes in the bunch. The blush in Stroked applies more coral on my cheeks, even though it seems more terracotta in the pan.

There was another contouring cheek color duo released along with this collection in Softcore ($77) which I passed on, because the highlighter is quite similar to the one from Stroked, so I couldn't justify owning both blush duos. The blush in Softcore is also darker and berry-toned, so if you typically gravitate towards such a color family of blushers, you might fancy Softcore over Stroked.

All in all, another winner of a collection from Tom Ford. My picks would have to obviously be the quad and Stroked blush/highlight duo, but then again, I'm partial to my brown eyeshadows and peachy-coral blushers. He also released two lipsticks, Negligee and Twist of Fate, a polish in Black Cherry, and an extreme mascara in Mocha Rush -- all limited edition -- along with this collection that might pique your interest if you are in the market for something other than an eyeshadow palette or cheek products.

Les Merveilleuses Laduree Face Color Rose Laduree 02

If I could own every single product ever released from one Japanese brand, it would have to be from the brand Laduree. It goes without saying that they know packaging -- very well at that! Along with fancy packaging, sometimes, comes compromised quality, but I must say that Laduree shines in the quality department too.

I had been lusting over the famous rose petal blushers for as long as I can remember, but being from the states, the full set (blush and pot) runs anywhere from $136 to $170 -- depending on whether or not there's a sale going on. Still, it's a price that I can't stomach, so I couldn't be more grateful to have received this as an early birthday gift all the way from France!

Laduree had released many limited edition colors of these blushers, but I stuck to one of the three colors from the permanent range: 02 (brighter warm pink.) 01 is a lighter baby pink, which I know will barely show up on my NC25-NC30 skin tone, whereas 03 is a warm brown -- I couldn't think of anything less attractive than brown rose petals sitting on my vanity.

The blush is a DIY in of itself. The rose petals/blush itself comes in a refill form in a plastic case and wrapped in a silk drawstring bag. The plastic pot with the Marie Antoinette-ish locket must be purchased separately. Laduree advised to only transfer half of the petals into the pot, but let's face it, ain't nobody got time for that. Besides, I like seeing my pot filled to the brim with petals than seeing it half empty.

What exactly are these petals? In short, they are blush-coated sheets of paper, which had been cut in the shape of flower petals. Now why didn't I think of that? Some petals have pale yellow to yellow centers which give the blusher the glowy and slightly highlighted effect. It is next to impossible to solely pick up said center shade to use strictly as a highlighter though; I've tried on many occasions only to give up in frustration each time.

Delicate? Indeed! However, I was surprised to see that it is very easy to pick up product with a natural-haired brush with just a few swipes across the petals. Laduree specifically designed a goat-haired, plastic handled cheek brush to use with this product, but I wasn't in the market for another $100+ brush.

Instead, I found that my Kose Addiction Natural Veil brush works just as well in grabbing the right amount of pigment, as you can see from the product on the bristles. Again, any natural hair, pointed, densely packed bristles of a brush in your collection will do, since the pigment isn't pressed too tightly onto the petals.

On my cheeks, it gives a healthy subtle warm pink glow. I can continue to build the color intensity to give a more flushed look if I really wanted to, but I prefer my blush to be on the more subtle side. 02 is a shade I can see light to medium (and possibly tan) folks wearing as a blush. Any darker, and the color may not show up too much.

I have worn the blusher for more than twelve hours before, and the color held up quite nicely in the humidity without any signs of oxidation nor fading! That alone has me looking into the other rose petals that Laduree offers. Ehm... the mini versions of the blushers, that is. The petals also have the distinct Laduree scent, which I can only describe as a "mature woman" scent: think powder meets floral (rose.) If you are sensitive to heavily fragranced products, do note that the scent lingers longer than usual on the cheeks. In fact, I can still detect it after I had removed the swatch from my hand!

The question that many are probably wondering is whether or not the product itself warrants the exorbitant price tag. It all depends really. If you want a blush that performs just as beautifully as it looks sitting on the vanity, then yes, you do need one of these blushers in your life. If you are one who could care less about the aesthetics, then no, this is not a must-have, as you will find other blushers that are just as good of a quality. In fact, this shade is easily dupable, in my humble opinion.

The prices of these blushers are over-inflated here in the states, and often times, the sites that do carry them (such as Imomoko) usually have limited stock. Thus, I highly suggest checking out Ichibankao, Mihokoshop, and BeautiesHK instead if you want to snatch one of these beauties without having to pay the marked up prices.

Three Cosmetics: 4D Eye Palette in 09 Star Guitar and Color Veil for Cheeks in 17 Wind Swept Soul

Continuing on with my Japanese cosmetics addiction, I bring you Three Cosmetics! Like all other brands, I prefer starting off with eyeshadows (palettes, preferably) and cheek products, just to get an idea of how the line fares. One can only imagine my excitement when I saw the quads Three offered and the wide range of blushers available!

Wanting to pick up a palette that was slightly out of my comfort zone of neutrals, I opted for 09 Star Guitar (admittedly, partly due to the name.) The light gray compact itself is sleek, but attracts fingerprints and dirt in the same manner as NARS packaging. I personally don't care for it, nor do I have anything against it. In the end, what matters is what's inside, right? The included applicators are different from the traditional Japanese eyeshadow palettes. It comes with a rather large, yet soft, flat eyeshadow brush and a dual-ended applicator consisting of a pointed, sponge-tipped applicator on one end and a flat, synthetic smudger on the other.

A closer look at the colors...
1. Shimmery light dusty pink, this is a lovely inner corner and browbone highlight. This is the most sheer shadow of the four.
2. Satin, neutral-toned dark brown. Highly pigmented and buttery smooth, this is a great crease color or as a liner shade.
3. Multi-colored glitter shade with light beige base color. Hands down, the most finely-milled glitter shadow I've ever come across, this serves as a fantastic glitter topcoat over other shadows.
4. Plum cream shadow. The texture of this cream shadow is velvety and nothing like I've ever felt -- cream shadow-wise. This acts as a nice cream color base or as a liner.

I have to say that these are some of the easiest shadows I have ever worked with. True to the nature of Japanese eyeshadows, they are soft yet buildable in pigmentation. What makes these shadows so great is the fact that these hardly take any effort to blend and to intensify. They also layer beautifully, and the number of looks one can create with this palette alone is endless! Longevity-speaking, they last all day on my oily (yet primed) lids. I did notice slight fading after a long workout session but no creasing, not even with the plum cream shade! One concern I had with this palette, however, is the possibility of the aforementioned cream shadow drying out. The OCD in me simply prefers cream eyeshadows in pot or pencil form, rather than in compact form and, thus, having it exposed to air every time I reach for the palette for the other shades.

Overall, a great mix of warm and cool-toned shades. I've always shied away from warm purples, as they tend to give my eyes the bruised look effect, but I'm happy to say that these colors do work well with my NC25 skin tone.

Moving on to the only blush I picked up: #17 Wind Swept Soul. I initially went for this light pinky-nude shade, in particular, because I thought it would pair nicely with the purple-themed eyeshadow palette. Not only does it pair well with the quad, but I find that it complements a smokey eye look in general! This blusher just adds the perfect hint of color to the cheeks without detracting from the overall look. I prefer applying this closer to my ears and temples than to the apples of my cheeks though.

Texture-wise, it wipes the floor with NARS blushes (and I wish I wasn't exaggerating.) It is somehow soft without being powdery, light in color yet still pigmented. That said, I think this blush is more suited for folks with skin tones up to NC/NW30. It is similar in color and in nature to Tarte's blush in Exposed; it has slightly more pink undertones, but like Exposed, it is one of those blushers that can give definition to your cheeks without additional contour.

To say that I am impressed by the performances of both the palette and the blusher would be an understatement. In fact, I already have a growing list of other items I want to check out from Three Cosmetics, including yet another neutrals palette, as well as their pencil liners. Thankfully, most of the products are part of the permanent line. I have only seen Three Cosmetics available online and from Asian cosmetics retailers like Mihokoshop and Ichibankao at the moment here in the states. An eyeshadow palette will run anywhere from $75-$85 USD and the blusher $35-$45USD . If you are wanting to explore a different and more exclusive line of makeup, I cannot recommend Three Cosmetics enough!

Jill Stuart Mix Blush Compact in 08 Tulip Fields

Jill Stuart really brings out my inner princess. I mean, if that packaging doesn't scream girly at you, I don't know what does. I've always been interested in this line, but trying to find a reputable seller that carries her products is half the battle. (The other half of the battle being at a reasonable price.) Jill Stuart blushes come in two flavors: a loose form and a pressed version. Loose powders, in general, have never really struck my fancy, so I decided to pick up Tulip Fields (08) -- limited edition for Spring 2014 -- instead as my first Jill Stuart blush.

Like all of her products, this has a light rose scent when you first open the compact but quickly dissipates upon application. The blush is divided into four quadrants, and I particularly chose Tulip Fields because of the highlighter shade on the top left hand corner. Alone, it gives a very strong yellow lean -- a bit too yellow (and glittery!) for my liking -- so I've been enjoying mixing all four quadrants for a soft, glowy peachy-pink blush. Because it is so glowy, a highlighter is unnecessary. On days when I do want a more satin, rosy-pink blush, I just concentrate on the bottom half of the pan, and it is equally beautiful.

(Swatches: 4 quadrants individually, all 4 shades mixed)

Asian cosmetics products tend to be sheer in nature as they are meant to be built up. This blush is no exception. It is difficult to over-apply, and on my NC25 skin tone, I had to swirl my brush in the compact a few times to get just the right amount of pigmentation. On me, the blush lasts a good ten hours without any signs of oxidation or fading, which is quite impressive.

I was able to get Tulip Fields at Beauty Kat, since I didn't see the Spring collection on Imomoko. Both are great sites for authentic Jill Stuart products. The blushes run anywhere from $55-$65, but do keep in mind that you also get a rather nice goat hair brush (that can easily be detached.) I can't see myself owning more than three blushes from her line, as the colors are not all that unique. I do, however, have my eyes set on #10 Sweet Biscuit, since the color combination is slightly more different than the rest.

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Peach Beach

If there's one blush I've been reaching for on a nearly daily basis the last couple of weeks, it would have to be the Too Faced Sweethearts blush in Peach Beach. Not only is the packaging super adorable (like most Too Faced products), but the blush itself really delivers a luminous and shimmery finish. Peach Beach is divided into three strips, two of which is slightly larger than the third. The smallest section is a champagne highlighter, while the center and last section is a medium rose and light terracotta bronze shade, respectively.

This blush is very shimmery, and even though the shimmer particles are not as finely-milled as some of the blushes I own, I still appreciate Peach Beach. The blush is designed in such a way that one can easily dip a brush in any of the three sections, so it's basically two blushes and a highlighter all in one. I personally enjoy swirling a brush in all three shades for a glowy peachy pink for the apples of my cheeks. Now a highlighter is absolutely unnecessary when applying this blush, but the highlighter fiend in me still likes to add a slightly bit more dimension to the tops of my cheekbones with either another champagne-toned highlighter or to go in the highlighter portion of Peach Beach with a separate brush.

(Champagne, Medium Rose, Terracotta Bronze, All 3 shades mixed)

One thing I wasn't too keen on, though, is the amount of powder this product kicks back. On my light-medium skin tone, I needed to apply more pressure with the brush into the pan to get the pigmentation I wanted. Because of that, I would notice excess powder accumulating round the edges of the pan. Minor gripe aside, the blush itself performs outstandingly, in terms of its wear-time: a solid ten hours with no signs of oxidation whatsoever. I can see light-to-medium skin tones with warmer undertones pulling off Peach Beach really nicely. Darker skin tones, however, can certainly wear this as a gorgeous highlighter.

I personally enjoy wearing this blush with warm (to neutral) neutral eye looks, which is basically my comfort zone when it comes to eye makeup. But there are days when I've even popped on the highlighter on the lid and some bronzer in the crease, and even that turned out beautifully. Who says cheek products can't be multi-functional, right? Too Faced Peach Beach is available permanently at all retail stores that sell Too Faced products, as well as Too Faced.com.