Blushing with Makeup Geek

I have a confession to make: I love blush. It is one of my favourite parts in a makeup routine. A normal person doesn't need a blush of every single rainbow colour, unless you are obsessed with it like me. In order to satisfy my craving but not spend a fortune on it I looked to Makeup Geek. I say if you are a blush addict you need to stop whatever you are doing and check out Makeup Geek blushes now!

I have already reviewed Makeup Geek eyeshadows and pigments, so if you are interested you can give them a read here and here. All Makeup Geek products are talc free, paraben free, cruelty free and are made in the USA. I have a total of 6 blushes in my collection and I believe the range consists of 13 shades. These blushes come in pan format and as compacts. I prefer the pan simply because it is easier to store and I can have all my blushes in one place. I keep them usually in a Z palette, which you can purchase from Makeup Geek website or Beautybay. Now let's take a closer look at the blushes. I have the following shades:

Bliss - light peachy coral

Summer Fling - soft burnt orange

Infatuation - medium matte terracotta 

Secret Admirer - light orchid purple

Randezvous - rosey to medium pink with purple undertones

Love Affair - intense pink - coral

L-R: Bliss, Summer Fling, Infatuation

L-R: Bliss, Summer Fling, Infatuation

L-R: Secret Admirer, Randezvous, Love Affair

L-R: Secret Admirer, Randezvous, Love Affair

Makeup Geek blushes are a dream to work with. They are very smooth and highly pigmented. With shades like Love Affair it is enough to just dab your brush a little bit, otherwise you can overdo it. They blend seamlessly on your cheeks without leaving streaks. In terms of longevity they are the best blushes I have tried hands down. Usually when I put blush in the morning by lunch time it is almost gone. When I use these blushes they do not budge. That is the one quality I appreciate most about these blushes. The shade selection is also very good; you have warm and cool tones. However, I would have liked to see a natural rosy shade along the lines of Tarte Exposed, Mac Cubic, NARS Douceur and Urban Decay Video. 

In my opinion Makeup Geek blushes are comparable to Mac. I don't own any Mac blushes and the main reason is because I am very satisfied with these. Mac blushes are of the same size, can be bought in a pan or compact and have a wide range of colours. However, Mac blushes retail for 22,00$ per compact and 17,00$ per pan, while Makeup Geek for 12,99$ and 9,99$ respectively. Makeup Geek ships internationally.

If you are looking for new blushes that are cruelty, paraben and talc free, affordable, and have some fun colours, Makeup Geek is where it is at. You can't go wrong with Bliss or Infatuation: those are flattering on anyone if you ask me. If you fancy unique colours or a potential dupe for Mac's Full of Joy that was discontinued - Secret Admirer is worth checking out!

What is your all-time favourite blush? Let me know!

Cheers,

Muffy

The Battle of Pinky Lipliners

Lip liners, don't they take you back to the 90s? To me that is the time when over-drawing your lips was the coolest thing ever and many wore lip liner on it's own. As with all trends they have a tendency to come back and the 90s are no exception. Right now fashion resembles that of Spice Girls while makeup that of Cindy Crawford. As a result, lip liners are being sold like hot potatoes. I have picked up a few too many recently, trying to keep it in the neutral, rosy and mauve range. Today I would like to focus on Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in 063 Eastend Snob and Catrice's Long Lasting Lip Pencil in 080 That's What Rose Wood Do!

Let's start with Rimmel. Its lip liner in Eastend Snob has been  popular in the blogging community as many compare it to the Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk. I don't own that one so I can't say much about it. Eastend Snob is a pinky mauve colour, which looks very flattering on the lips. It does not wash you out. It comes in a retractable format with a slanted tip applicator, which is good for a precision work. The texture is creamy hence it does not tug on your lips when distributing the product. In my opinion it is a long-wearing formula, even though it doesn't claim to be one. I can also agree with the exaggerate factor, I think it does make your lips look a bit more plumped and defined. But I think that is merely an attribute that all lip liners should have by default. I did not find it particularly drying and I usually wear it on its own. I like to fill in my lips first and later smudge the edges out, so it gives it a more natural, sultry look. I really enjoy the finished look and how it wears throughout the day. The only downside is that it's not cruelty free.

T-B: Rimmel Eastend Snob and Catrice That's What Rose Wood Do!

L-R: Cartice That's What Rose Wood Do! and Rimmel Eastend Snob

Next up is Catrice's lip pencil in That's What Rose Wood Do! Catrice is an affordable makeup brand that has some really good quality products. Besides the incredibly long name it is very close to the Rimmel's Eastend Snob. The texture is equally creamy and makes it effortless to apply. When it comes to colour they are very similar. Rimmel's lip liner is a tad more dusty, but on the lips you can't really tell the difference. Unlike Eastend Snob, Cartices's lip pencil claims that it is long lasting and waterproof. To be honest, I think Rimmel's lip liner performs much better in terms of longevity. Catrice's lip pencil comes in a traditional pencil format, so you need to sharpen it. I personally don't mind that but just something for you to note. Catrice does not test on animals which is a big plus. The only downside is that it is not readily available. You can get it in Germany, Austria (probably other European counties) or on eBay. Rimmel's Exaggerate lip liners are available at Feelunique. 

Bottom line, these lip liners are phenomenal. They are easy to work with, reasonably priced and can rival many higher end ones (I am looking at you YSL and Mac). I will be picking up more of Catrice lip pencils next time I am in central Europe. 

Which one of the two caught your eye? I would love to know!

Cheers,
Muffy