Skin & Tonics : Skincare Guides & Product Reviews

There are a million reasons why I love the fall and winter seasons infinitely more than spring and summer. I loved summer when I was a kid, but once I grew up and summer vacation was no longer a factor, it simply became 3 months of unbearable heat, humidity. I also don’t find spring/summer fashion terribly exciting – I mean, given the choice between sandals and a really bangin’ pair of boots, the boots win every single time. And the makeup? I don’t remember the last time I was truly excited about a limited edition summer makeup collection. But the fall and winter collections are always on my wish list with their rich colors, flashy eye palettes and in many cases, over-the-top, deluxe packaging. This week, I’ll be showing off some of my favorite fall and winter makeup purchases from the season so far, starting with the MAC Indulge Cremeblend Blushes ($21 each) in Glamour Feast and Tease Your Tastes!

Glamour Feast and Tease Your Tastes are limited edition shades of MAC Cremeblend Blush. They’re a part of the MAC Indulge Collection, which was released last month. I was really sucked in by the amazing photography for the MAC Indulge campaign, and anxiously awaited its release – I even set my alarm early so I could wake up and order it as soon as it was online. I bought a lot of pieces from Indulge, but I never initially intended to pick up these Cremeblush shades. Tease Your Tastes and Glamour Feast were impulse purchases, but as soon as I got them, they became my surprise favorites. They’ve definitely earned their place as some of my favorite Fall/Winter 2013 makeup releases!

Ingredients:
C12-15 Alky Benzoate, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Besswax\Cera Alba\Cire D’Abielle, Zea Mays (Corn_ Starch, Ozokerite, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax\Cera Carnauba\Cire de Carnuba, Tricaprylin, Ethylhexyl Hydrostearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethyhexanoate, Tocopherol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Mangigera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Phenyl Trimethicone, Caprulyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Blue 1 Lake (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Blie 1 Lake (CI 42090), Carmine (CI 75470), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 71163), Ferric Ferocyanide (CI 77510), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 22 Lake (CI 45380), Red 28 (CI 45410), Red 30 Lake (CI 73360), Red 33 (CI 17200), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140)]

There are a few low-grade acne trigger risks in the ingredient list according to COSDNA, and one high acne trigger risk. The high risk ingredient is Cocoa Butter, which scores a 4 out 5 as a potential acne trigger. I’ve used cocoa butter on my face in the past, and haven’t had any issues with it, but if you’re not sure whether your sensitive, be sure to keep an eye out for new clogged pores. The low-grade risks are tocopherol (which is just Vitamin E), Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, and Hexylene Glycol, all of which scored a 2 out of 5. The flip side of these oils is that if they aren’t acne triggers for you, they actually have some very skin healthy nutrients in them. There’s aren’t enough of these oils in this blush to make it qualify as a skincare product though, so I don’t recommend tossing out you moisturizer in favor of creme blush just yet.

I’m a huge fan of a good creme blush, and generally prefer them over powder blushes. The formula for both of these MAC Cremeblend shades is really easy to work with – there’s plenty of pigment, but it’s easy to control how heavy I want to go with it. I use a Hakuhodo 210 Blush Brush to apply the MAC Indulge Cremeblend brushes, but they also work well with small duo fibre brushes, such as the Sigma F15. The color lasts for about 8 hours before I begin to see signs of fading, which is pretty impressive.

Tease Your Tastes is a medium, neutral pink. It’s about as close to beige as you can get while still being pink. Since I bought this blush last month, I’ve reached for it more than any other blush in my collection because it’s so neutral and versatile. It’s basically the blush version of the friend you have that you can bring to any party without worrying whether or not they’ll fit in. Whether I’m going for a neutral, no-makeup look or I’m donning a dramatic, emerald green smoky eye, Tease Your Tastes is never the wrong choice.

Tease Your Tastes

Tease Your Tastes

Tease Your Tastes

Glamour Feast is a little more dramatic. This Cremeblend shade is deep, rich rose color. It looks intimidating at first, but when I tried it on, I was immediately won over. Though it can easily be built up for a more theatrical flare, I like to sheer it out, which gives my cheeks the perfect, rosy flush I imagine every time I hear the word “blush.”

Glamour Feast

Glamour Feast

Glamour Feast. Also, I’d like to mention that my hair is wet from the shower, not soaked in oil.

As much as I love limited edition collections, the downside, obviously, is that they won’t be around much longer. If you’re interested in these shades, they’re available on the Nordstrom website, the Macy’s website, and at your local MAC counter.  Snatch them up while you can – soon, they’ll be gone forever!

Pros:
+ Versatile colors
+ Blends easily
+ Buildable color
+ A little goes a long way
+ Long wearing

Cons:
– Contains a few potential acne triggers

Skin & Tonics:
Performance: 5/5 – Great, easy-to-work with color, long-wearing

Quality: 3/5 – Smooth, blendable formula, but does contain a couple of possible acne triggers, and the packaging, while sturdy, is kind of a snooze

Value: 4/5 – Lots of product for the price, and because you need so little at a time, these little pots will last a very long while

Overall: 4.4/5
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