Of all makeup products, I think the category I have the least experience with is 'face.' Even though my eye makeup skills are fairly mediocre, I at least have an idea of how everything is supposed to be. When it comes to face makeup, my knowledge stops at BB cream - mostly because handling my skin is like walking on thin ice.
But lately I've been branching out in terms of face makeup, and aside from finally figuring out the method of application that works best for BB creams/foundations, I've also finally started playing with blush. The first blush I used - which is what I call my 'comfort zone' blush - is a baked blush from the drugstore brand Milani. For today, though, I'll be reviewing a different blush from one of their limited edition collections: the Coming Up Roses Powder Blush, in the color "Flora Passion." This collection was actually released last year, but it seems appropriate to review the product now because these blushes will be available again for the upcoming spring.
::UPDATE: Nouveau Cheap recently posted information about this year's collection here. All four colors are brand new. "Flora Passion" is not being released again, however the actual Coming Up Roses Powder Blush product is being released, in 4 new colors.::
I'll be reviewing my Milani baked blush eventually, but for now I thought it'd be best to get this review up for those that missed the collection or are hearing about it for the first time and are curious about the product color/texture/performance.
THE BASICS
I don't think the following claims are helpful, and they're really all I have because truthfully my mom bought this blush for me when I was in California last year, so I never actually saw the display myself. But, in any case, according to Milani this product is "an ultra silky-soft powder blush that delivers the perfect amount of color and easily blends onto the cheeks" (taken from the packaging, as you'll soon see).
There is really no specificity to this claim. I mean, my "perfect amount of color" may be the opposite of yours, so all I can take seriously is the product's claimed texture and blendability, which I will comment on shortly.
Name: Flora Passion (02)
Net Wt.: 0.6 oz./ 17 g.
Price: ~$7
Finish: Matte
Milani's Coming Up Roses Powder Blush comes in a flat, circular compact with a transparent lid and a highly reflective gold base. The lid has the company name and the words "powder blush" in matching gold. The packaging is simple and sleek.
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| LEFT: The front of the packaging. RIGHT: The back of the packaging. |
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| A closeup of the compact's back, where the product claims, name, number, and ingredients can be found. |
Unlike some blushes, there is no mirror or hidden compartment with a portable brush. I don't care about my blushes coming with brushes, especially since that often times means bulkier packaging for a brush of poor quality, but I do feel like the packaging's sleekness could have been preserved even with the addition of a mirror (as opposed to a transparent lid). With that being said, there is a small point to the lid being transparent, as the blush itself is highly textured by a rose embossment, keeping in theme with the product/collection name "Coming Up Roses."
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| LEFT: The compact closed. RIGHT: The compact open. The raised 3D nature of the "rose" is evident here. |
I personally think the "3D rose" effect is beautiful and gives the product a unique presentation. As such, I can appreciate the transparent lid, even if it means no mirror.
This product is unscented. At least, not purposely scented - there is a generic makeup smell to it.
COLOR/SWATCHES
Brace yourself, because I haven't seen any official description for any of the colors in this limited edition collection. That means I have to try and accurately describe the color myself, HA.
"Flora Passion" (02), when viewed in pictures beside other colors from the collection, seems to be the peachy-pink/coral-pink blush of the bunch. It seemed like the brightest and warmest of the available colors, so I asked my mom to pick this color up specifically for me.
Swatched on my hand, "Flora Passion" is a warm pink with subtle hints of peach and a matte finish.
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| Two layers of "Flora Passion." |
I haven't tried swirling my brush into this blush, because tapping it on seems sufficient enough, but when I do tap my brush or swirl my finger into the product, I don't notice any fallout. I'm glad this blush isn't as powdery as others I own. It also does feel silky and smooth to the touch - nothing like, say, an Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (I don't own any but did swatch them during my last visit to Sephora and they feel like buttery silky velvet), but for a drugstore blush the quality is great.
WEAR (WITH FULL-FACE PICTURES)
On my cheeks, "Flora Passion" applies the same warm pink color with subtle hints of peach as it does on my hand. I love this kind of color, as it gives my face a veil of health.
In terms of application, when I applied "Flora Passion" today, I initially put on two layers of it because, as I said before, I've just recently branched out into other venues of face makeup and the few times I applied this blush before today, it seemed fairly subtle. Well, this time around the finished look wasn't clown-like yet, but it was fairly pigmented and a bit overboard. I didn't notice that, unfortunately, until I went to work, so I had to make do with patting the product off of my face with paper towel to tone down the color.
So, I would say apply two layers of this blush if you think its appearances in the below pictures are too subtle. Otherwise, start with one full layer and work your way from there. In either scenario, I had no trouble blending this blush across my cheeks. It's hard for me to rate its blendability performance, however, since I don't have much to compare it to.
The following pictures were taken after the pat-down procedure and approximately after 7 hours of wear:
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| EYES: Bare. FACE: Physician's Formula Organic Wear CC Cream in Light (01), Milani's Coming Up Roses Blush in "Flora Passion" LIPS: MAC's "Shanghai Spice" |
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| I think "Shanghai Spice" may be the lipstick I wear for Valentine's Day, lol. Such a pretty pink. |
I would say the intensity of the color was about twice as much as what you see above before I patted it down. Anyway, I was wholly impressed with how vibrant the blush was even after patting it down and wearing it for 7 hours. I can also say that the blush did not come off until I washed it off around 8 P.M. - nearly 12 hours after initial application. Very impressive.
By the way - this blush does apply totally matte. Any sheen to my cheeks in the above pictures is because of the CC cream I'm wearing below the product.
OVERALL
I am thoroughly happy to own Milani's Coming Up Roses Powder Blush in "Flora Passion" (02). The peachy-pink/coral color brightens up my complexion beautifully, I had no problems blending the powder out, the product itself has a silky, smooth texture to it, and the matte finish makes it flattering for all times of the day. The presentation of the product - both its design and packaging - are also lovely to look at.
As I said before, the Milani Coming Up Roses Powder Blushes were a limited edition collection last year that are being re-released again this spring. Will I be repurchasing "Flora Passion"? No, because the one I own now will last a long time and I'm the kind of person that likes to try new products and colors. Also, while the color of "Flora Passion" is one that pairs well with my skintone, it doesn't seem too groundbreaking to me, so I'll most likely be able to dupe the color in another brand if I do find myself attached to it when it's almost empty.
::UPDATE: As I mentioned at the start of this post, the collection is being released with 4 new colors, so repurchasing "Flora Passion" is not even an option.::
Will I be trying out other colors from the collection this time around? Maybe, but I'm more interested in trying the new shades that will also soon be arriving to their permanent baked blush line.
::UPDATE: The new colors released this time around are brighter, and so I already purchased two of them, along with one of the new baked blushes and one of the baked blushes that have been around already. Stay tuned for reviews on those once I receive and use them enough.::
In any case, I recommend this blush if you have a warmer skintone, are on a budget, and want a matte blush of excellent quality for the price. I imagine the main drawback to this collection, aside from the fact that it's limited edition, is its as-limited color section. I believe there are only 3 colors available besides "Flora Passion" and, truthfully, none of them interest me too much as of now.
Well, I hope you found this review helpful, and thanks for stopping by. 'Til next time! ('<>')>
~nikki
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