>>>beauty banter: HOW TO ACTUALLY APPLY CREAM BLUSH - PART TWO (APPLICATION!)

In part one we covered off why cream blush used to be cream crap and which brands have brought their clever technology a-game to  create new and delightful formulas that caress rather than depress. Now on to how to apply that little container of colour…

>>>beauty banter: HOW TO ACTUALLY APPLY CREAM BLUSH - PART ONE (FORMULAS!)

Cream blush is my delightful little darling of the maquillage word, she sit’s so pretty and plush in her little pot, just waiting to be scooped up and patted lovingly on the apples of the cheeks to make them look plump and flushed. But she wasn’t always my little darling, in fact I used to think of cream blush as a conniving little beauty bitch. She was elusive, she would disappear disparagingly and before she did so she would mess around slimily, making my cheeks look more like rotten apples than bright, crisp and fresh ones. So how did cream blush and I not only mend our resentful relationship but foster something quite special and loving? Two things – I learned a lesson in application and cream blush formulas became a whole lot more usable, wearable and beautiful. Learn which formulas rock in this post and then watch out for part two for the best way to pat on your pop of color.

Cream blush circa four years ago was, frankly, more like cream sludge, a pot of gooey stickiness that felt heavy and looked shiny. They were tacky to the touch and lacked any slip (a term make-up artists use to describe how something spreads over the skin), meaning you literally had to tug it all over the place to get it looking good. By rubbing and tugging all over your cheeks you would actually rub away your entire carefully applied base. After you had rubbed it in it would look at complete odds with your skins natural (or “perfected natural” should you be wearing fond de teint) texture, before slipping clownishly down your cheeks like a particularly melancholy Pierrot. By the time you blush was making friends with your jaw line (never a good a look) all the pigment would have disappeared, leaving pale space behind which was actually your skin, but looked bizarre in comparison with foundationed areas.
Essentially cream blush was something I would gaze wistfully at in the cosmetics department, purchase with tentative hope, be disappointed by and then relegate to the back of my makeup bag. Thankfully beauty companies have completely upped their cream blush game in the past couple of years. My two favorite formulations come from Chanel and MAC. The former is an indulgent little treat if you want to splash out on a black lacquered CC case of cream brilliance. The colors are exceptionally pretty and offer a beautiful brightening effect to cheeks and the formula is creamy with a soft powdery finish, meaning it melds well with your existing (potentially powdered) base.
If you want a more purse strings friendly option check out MAC, who  updated their cream blush offering a few years ago – the original Blush Crème formulations are lauded for being a backstage must have, and rightly so, they were super pigmented (and thus, a bit heavy)and offered a sensational runway-ready sheen that was perfect for just that, the runway. In real life the look and finish the formula offered was more of the above aforementioned mess. Luckily MAC developed a much more consumer friendly version by way of their fabulous Cremeblend Blushes. Similar to the Chanel formula these are light, almost moussey and feel more powdery (but certainly give your complexion a creamy freshness), making them easy to blend. Check out the shade “Something Special” for the most perfect warm baby coral-pink or “Lady Blush” if you are after a natural look.
Because I am so enamored with these two formulas I have never looked at much else. You want to look for something light, pigmented with an almost soft and powdery finish in your cream blush.
Do you have a favorite formula you would love to share?

Watch out for part-two to learn exactly how to apply your little pot of prettiness.

>>>candy crush: PLAYING WITH CRAYONS

A few weeks back (okay well over a month ago) I shared withyou one of my all time favorite beauty thrills – the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains. These little crayons of candy colour are perfect for lushing up lips with a subtle sheen, soft clean colour, loads of moisture and a beautiful worn away stain.  I have always thought that these fly-under-the-beauty-radar crayons were fabulous and now the clever creators at Revlon have gone and conjured up a new line of Kissable crayon even more incredible and lip-charming than their predecessors.
Enter the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms. These are an updated version of my much loved original only with MORE color, MORE impact, and most importantly MORE MATTENESS. Who doesn't love a high impact lip color with a soft, velvety matte finish (especially great if you are prone to a little facial sheen)? Matte colors absorb light so generally pack more pigment punch – a great thing if you love to make a statement with your lips. Matte finishes for lippy also lend themselves to a more grown up and sophisticated look than their sweet and syrupy shiny little sister. These matte crayons are highly pigmented (and thus long wearing) like a full coverage lipstick yet the texture is soft and smooth like your favorite lip balm. Wearing these is an absolute joy; they caress your lips like the softest kiss and impart them with moisture all day long. There’s a color for everyone to enjoy in this range as they are available in a full range of colours from a perfect 60s style nude, soft and pretty petal pink, punchy coral, vibrant fuchsia, moody grape and impactful oranges and reds. At $23 each the price is just right to color up in as many shades as you please.  And if the deal with these needed to be any sweeter, if you head to your local Farmers store (Revlon stockist permitting), there is currently a buy two get one free offer (ends 22^nd April) so you can truly indulge in all their matte, cushiony, crayon-y gloriousness. 

>>>admin: THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE

... and even if it was it's past mid day so the joke would be on me. Hello darlings. I disappeared and I am ever so sorry. As of this week LE GLOSSIER is back with bright and beautiful, fun and frivolous bits of beauty fluff to excite and delight. Thanks for staying with me. Lots of love, kisses and lipstick, LG x.