{ Review + Swatches } Clinique "Cheek Pop" Blushers

Happy Sunday all! Today's blog post will be all about Clinique's latest blushers called "Cheek Pop". These blushes have actually been around for quite a while already and I have been meaning to write up a review on them. There are currently only four shades in the Cheek Pop line, 'Berry Pop', 'Plum Pop', 'Peach Pop' and 'Ginger Pop'. I'll be reviewing three out of these four shades!

I've never really been a Clinique lover. Now that I think about it, these blushes are probably the first makeup items from Clinique I own. I wasn't even tempted at all to purchase these blushes as I found the shades to be pretty basic and dupeable but I must say the beautiful daisy print and I'm pretty sure one of Jaclyn Hill's makeup hauls made me want these babies in my life.

I initially only purchased 'Peach Pop' and o...m...g... was I surprised or what. I love the gorgeous beautiful sheen it provides on the cheek. These blushes are not overwhelmingly glittery or super pigmented which makes it so easy to work with.

Beyond the cute flower print and how these blushes provide a beautiful natural cheek colour, my utmost favourite thing about these blushes are that they are not powdery or chalky whatsoever! This is what truly blew me away about these blushes. You know how when you swirl your brush on your blush, there can be some powdery-ness and blush pigments can be flying everywhere causing unwanted mess? Well, no matter how heavy handed with your brush you are with these Cheek Pops, you will not get that powdery fall-out. Formulation on point! This is why Clinique needs to put out more shades!

L-R: Ginger Pop, Peach Pop, Plum Pop

I also really enjoy how buildable the pigment on these blushes are. You can apply them softly and lightly to provide a natural glowy cheek colour or build the colour up for a more stronger pigment on the cheeks. My personal favourite out of the three I have would probably be 'Peach Pop'. I think it really compliments fair skin tones and looks super healthy and natural on the cheeks.

L-R: Ginger Pop, Peach Pop, Plum Pop

Pros:

• Zero powderyness and chalkiness
• Amazing formula- one of the best blushes to work with
• Provides a natural colour on the cheeks and radiant glow
• Colour can be buildable
• Adorable daisy design

Cons: 

• Small shade selection
• Quite pricey for 3.5g/0.12oz worth of product ($21US or ~$40AUD instore/$35AUD online)

xo Laura

* Disclaimer: This is a non-sponsored post and I am in no way affiliated with Clinique. The product mentioned was purchased with my own money and as always my reviews are 100% my honest opinion. *

{ Review + Swatches } Mini Haul : theBalm

I've wanted to try the cheek products from theBalm for the longest time and luckily for me, OzSale (a flash-sale site similar to Hautelook etc.) were selling these some time last month at such an affordable price! I think I spent around $50AUD for all of these when usually one of their blushes/bronzers costs $20AUD each! A ridiculously awesome deal : D

I purchased two of their shadow/blush products in 'Frat Boy' and 'Down Boy', their bronzing powder in 'Bahama Mama' and a lipstick in 'Classified'.

So far so good. I've been so impressed by their cheek products which I think that theBalm is most famous for, and righteously so. Although they can be a bit powdery when you take some product from the pan onto your brush, they apply and feel really silky and smooth. They all have superb pigmentation too!

L-R: Down Boy, Bahama Mama, Frat Boy

I was also impressed by how sturdy the packaging was. Their cheek products are enclosed in a cardboard box with a magnetic closure and because of this I thought the blushes/bronzers would be more prone to breakage if you dropped it. I remember receiving my package with less than standard packing (hardly any foam padding or bubblewrap inside!!) and to my surprise, none of the products were damaged!

Another plus is its value for money. A standard MAC blush holds 6g/0.21OZ of product whereas theBalm's cheek products range from 7.08-9.9g/0.25-0.35OZ of product. FYI: MAC blushes in Australia costs around double as much as a blush from theBalm. Need I say more?!

Here are some close-ups of each of the cheek products and their swatches! I have no idea why they have tiny microglitters in there- either it was originally there and I didn't notice them or I accidentally transferred them using different brushes. Either way, they all basically apply matte : )

Shadow/blush in 'Frat Boy' (peachy-apricot pink)

Shadow/blush in 'Down Boy' (cool-toned pink mauve)

Bronzing powder in 'Bahama Mama' (matte medium brown with no orange undertones)

 L-R: Frat Boy, Bahama Mama, Down Boy

Pros:

• Great value for money- a lot of product for a reasonable price!
• Silky and smooth to apply
• Sturdy packaging and not bulky to carry
• Cute packaging design
• Suited to many skintones
• Amazing pigmentation
• Added mirror
• Bronzer in 'Bahama Mama' doesn't have any orange undertones
• Good longevity, stays in place all day

Cons: 

• Quite powdery when you try to pick up product with your brush- be gentle!
• Not accessible in-stores in Australia (that's why I love online shopping <3)

Now onto the not so good part of my review. The lipstick. Usually when I try a new cosmetic brand, I want to choose a shade/colour that I would wear often hence the neutral nudey-brown lipstick I picked up called 'Classified'. Although, I have to give props to the packaging since it's sooo cute and unique!- adore the newspaper design!

 

The lipstick was TOO sheer for my liking. There are some fantastic sheer lipsticks out there which are sheer but buildable but this one did not build up to the opacity I would have liked. I also think it was because it was too close to my natural lip colour therefore the colour wasn't able to show through very well.

Pros:

• Awesome design and packaging
• I really like the minty/cool feel it has on the lips
• Smooth to apply

Cons:

• Not available in-stores in Australia
• Too sheer and heaps of layers required to get some opacity- not sure if their other shades are like this or maybe it's just this colour? 
• The nude shade leaned too much 'brown' for my liking

That's all from me for now AND for a while since I have to start studying hard for my final exams EVERR in uni! It doesn't even feel like I've finished uni yet until I've completed and passed all my exams. T_T *soldier on!*

Wish me luck! and thanks for reading! Leave any questions or suggestions etc. you have in the comments section and I will get back to you when I can!

xo Laura

* Disclaimer: This is a non-sponsored post and I am in no way affiliated with theBalm or OzSale. The products mentioned were purchased with my own funds and as always my reviews are 100% my honest opinion. *

{ Review + Swatches } Sleek Blushes

Here's my first post for May and the second part of my Sleek Makeup haul! (Click here for my review and swatches on Sleek eyeshadow palettes). Other than being a lipstick junkie, I also have another weakness which are blushes! They can change your whole look completely by adding a healthy glow, some colour and dimension to your face.

So, I purchased 3 out of the 11 Sleek blushes, each being 8g (0.27oz) for $6.50 (not including shipping costs). Another great deal from Sleek especially if you compare it to MAC powder blushes which are 6g (0.21oz) and costs $41 in Australia!! This is why I NEVER buy makeup from department stores here!

I love the quality of these blushes and unlike their eyeshadow formula, I don't find it to be powdery at all. The product glides very smoothly on the cheeks with a relatively good staying power. The blushes are fairly pigmented too with some being more pigmented than others, but you definitely do not need too much of the product on your brush which is great.

L-R: Pixie Pink, Pomegranate, Rose Gold

Pixie Pink:

'Pixie Pink' is a matte bubblegum neon pink. It definitely does not look as scary or shocking on your cheeks than it does in the pan! It gives a pretty pink flush on the cheeks, suitable for basically any makeup look. Definitely great for those with fairer skin!

Rose Gold:

  What a surprise I picked up a blush in ROSE GOLD :p ! I could not pass up on this blush. I've read in many reviews that this blush is comparable to the famous Nars blush in 'Orgasm' but 'Rose Gold' is definitely the less expensive option! This is a gorgeoussssss colour. It's a beautiful rosy pink blush with gold shimmers (no chunky glitters! :D) It gives a really nice healthy glow to your skin.

Pomegranate:

 'Pomegranate' is a deep berry colour with shimmers. I don't use this blush as often as the other two as I find it can be a bit too dark on my fair skin during the day time. I occassionally like using this on a night out on my contour areas of my cheeks rather than on the apples. This blush is rather pigmented so definitely only a slight swipe is needed.

Swatches:

 L-R: Pixie Pink, Rose Gold, Pomegranate

Good sturdy packaging!

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Fairly good pigmentation
• Not powdery, nice and smooth application
• Good staying power
• Variety of blush colours with different finishes (mattes and shimmers)
• Packaging is sleek (no pun intended...!!) and relatively sturdy

Cons:

• I really don't have any complaints!

What do you guys think of these blushes? What are your favourite blushes of all time and which ones do you recommend for fair skinned ladies :D ?

xo Laura

 

*Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with Sleek Makeup. I purchased the products with my own money and this review is 100% my honest opinion*