My New Love

I had zero need for a new blush. Actually less than zero. Not only do I have a ton currently in rotation, but I have a bunch in my "to sell/give away" pile right now. So had logic prevailed, I never would have come home with my new Laura Mercier Second Skin Blush in Rose Petal, but I'm quite glad that I did.

The Laura Mercier site describes Rose Petal as a matte fresh pale pink, though in reality the shade has enough warmth in it to work with my coloring, though not so much that it could be called a true peachy pink or coral. I'd call it a sheer, warm light pink. It applies beautifully and looks very natural. I love the transparency that these blush have--it really makes the color look like it's coming from within and is a big improvement in my opinion over Laura Mercier's previous blush formulation.

These blushes are $24 and the Laura Mercier website currently has a gift with purchase until 5PM CST with a $75 purchase. It's not the most thrilling gift to me, but a nice treat if you were going to spend that much anyway.

A Steal From Drugstore.com

Years ago, Bergdorf Goodman carried a line of cosmetics by makeup artist and brow guru Ramy Gafni. The hues had cheeky names like Chutzpah, and the line seemed well-edited and quite wearable, if not ordinary. Duane Reade, an NYC drug store chain who's sheer number of outlets seems to rival Starbucks, started making over some of its stores, stocking them with high end cosmetics from lines like Becca, 100% Pure and Ramy. I stumbled across the Whipped Liqui-Air Mousse blushes, silicone based cream blushes in wand-style tubes and found them tempting, but I wasn't ready to shell out the money.

Lo and behold, as I was going through the sale offerings on drugstore.com during the Beauty.com Friends and Family event, I found this blush in the shade Alive on sale for just $4.99 and scooped it up. Alive is a bronzy peachy shade, definitely on the warm side, that goes on and blends easily thanks to the silicone base. Subtle reflective particles impart a glow and the shade sheers down nicely for the palest complexions. A steal at under 5 bucks!

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