When the cold goes away, the corals come out to play. It happens every summer just like clockwork; lovely little coral blushes bloom on makeup counters galore.
It’s great if you happen to love coral, but what if you feel it’s too intense for your skin tone?
Here’s an idea: you could try something like Illamasqua’s Powder Blush in Lover ($23).
It’s more of an apricot with a matte finish than a vibrant coral, subtler than, say, MAC Hipness, but with just enough pigment to give cheeks a light kiss of color.
Lover’s one of 15 blushes in the Illamasqua permanent line and made its way into US Sephora stores last year.
It behaves a lot like the other Illamasqua blushes I’ve tried. Not only is it pigmented and blendable, but it also lasts a good amount of time, both in terms of wear time and because of the size of the pan.
It all adds up to a quieter alternative to coral blush, one that feels well worth the price. Take a closer look, and give it a swipe next time you’re at Sephora. Let me know what you think! Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A
You might like Illamasqua Lover Blush if…
- You’re a little scurred of bright coral
- You like blendable, easy-to-wear blushes
- You don’t mind paying department store prices
- You’ve been looking for a subtle blush with a matte finish
One of the perks of being a grownup
One of my favorites: being able to make funny faces in pictures without having to answer to anyone. 🙂 Even as a kid, I couldn’t take a serious shapshot to save my life and always used to get in trubs for ruining family photos.
Sadly, I still suffer from the affliction…
My Costco card!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
XOVINTAGELOVE says
May 19th, 2010 at 8:54 pmThat blush looks gorgeous!!! Lemming….
And lol @ your Costco card! Awesome.
.-= XOVINTAGELOVE’s last blog post… Blogger Birthday Giveaways! =-.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi XOVINTAGELOVE,
It’s totes worth lemming! I hope you try it next time you’re at Sephora!
Catherine says
May 19th, 2010 at 8:56 pmI love bright corals, but I love how Lover looks too! And I actually don’t have many apricots…….. 😀
LMAO @ your new Costco card. That’s AWESOME! 😀
.-= Catherine’s last blog post… L’Occitane Peony Blush #4 Nuage Rouge =-.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi Catherine,
They are fun to have on days when you want to wear coral but don’t want the cheeks to be so BAM!
How was your day? I’m so glad we’re almost to Friday.
Jasmine says
May 19th, 2010 at 8:59 pmHi Karen,
Do you offhand know of any MAC dupes for this color? I love having my blushes in my MAC pro palette. This looks like a beautiful color!!
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi Jasmine,
Hmm, maybe MAC Pinch O’ Peach or Melba?
Jasmine says
May 22nd, 2010 at 9:06 pmThanks!
makeup morsels says
May 19th, 2010 at 9:00 pmHAHAHAH love your costco card even more than I love costco (and that’s a lot). The blush gives you such a nice subtle glow, Illamasqua turns out some awesome products.
.-= makeup morsels’s last blog post… Miscellaneous Monday Morsels 5/17 =-.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi Makeup Morsels,
They do some awesome powder and blush brushes!
What have you tried from the line? Know of anything that I absolutely must get?
Christy says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:02 pmI wish I could take fun photos so openly! I just took a midnight stroll through colonial Williamsburg, and tried to take goofy pics with the rope/chain at the horse posts and had to do the awkward looking away/semi shuffle whenever someone walked nearby.
Tomorrow night, courage is needed.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi Christy,
You can do it! I’m sending you goofy picture vibes!
Aparnaa says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:02 pmum, yeah. I laughed aloud at the Costco card.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:21 pmHi Aparnaa,
Ha ha! Hope you had a good day. 🙂
amy says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:04 pmBase on the colour swatches, I really like Sin and Thrust :).
.-= amy’s last blog post… Bringing Back a Little Paradise with Chanel Birds of Paradise Les Ombres À Paupières Quatuor Blue, Green, Yellow and Orange =-.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:20 pmHi Amy,
LOL… aren’t the names of these blushes pervy? Gawd I love it.
Anna says
May 19th, 2010 at 10:29 pmThat’s awesome. I’m doing that for future card pictures too.
Rachael says
May 19th, 2010 at 11:04 pmThat apricot would look lovely on my skin.
I’m gonna see if they’ll let me do that for my picture at sam’s club since they wouldn’t let me do that for my student id at universiy, sigh.
.-= Rachael’s last blog post… License to Thrill: I Wanna be a Bond Girl =-.
Karen says
May 19th, 2010 at 11:05 pmHow was the performance? I hope ya had fun!
Rachael says
May 20th, 2010 at 11:55 amsecond set is always my favorite. Some Black Sabbath, KISS, Guns and Roses, and Van Halen. I like a lot of the other songs, but I’m a Seether fan and love their (being Seether) cover of Driven Under. I don’t like my boy’s singer that much on it.
.-= Rachael’s last blog post… License to Thrill: I Wanna be a Bond Girl =-.
Lady Fabulous says
May 19th, 2010 at 11:33 pmGuess I really am going to have to make a trip south of the border! Canada needs some Illamasqua stat!
Agnes says
May 20th, 2010 at 1:52 amThank you for posting this! i was just looking for a great coral-y blush because summer is finally here and theres something about corals thats just got summer written all over it! Hmm. i hope we have this over here in canada.. if not, im going to have to stock up online! thanks! and that costco card is amazing.. how did you get away with it? haha 😀
.-= Agnes’s last blog post… Coastal Scents 88 Metal Mania Swatches & Review Part 1 =-.
ketoglutarat says
May 20th, 2010 at 3:45 amomg love your picture on the costco card!!! supercool 😉
gio says
May 20th, 2010 at 4:23 amThat’s a very pretty shade.
your picture on the costco card is awesome, love it 🙂
.-= gio’s last blog post… Beauty History: The Elizabethan Era =-.
Nina says
May 20th, 2010 at 5:16 amLOL your Costco card is FUNNY!!!
OMG @ the Illmasqua blushes … ive been trying not to ogle at the line whenever im online @ Sephora but the colors are soooo awesome. Plus its like 3bucks cheaper than NARS LOL>
Im liking Lover and Beg, Kiss and Tweak. I was all set to get my 2nd NARS blush (Torrid) but I might revisit my shopping cart. Beautiful blush … looks awesome on you!
PS — FRIDAYYY!!!
Amber says
May 20th, 2010 at 6:16 amOh my gosh, I love your Costco card so much.
I think I need a sunnier, younger blush for summer, but I have no idea how to choose a color. I tend to keep my makeup really safe.
.-= Amber’s last blog post… Chocolate chip cookie quest: round 1 =-.
Kim says
May 20th, 2010 at 6:34 amI really need to experiment more with blush colors, but corals are usually not my thing. Your Costco pic made me snort (in a good way)! I once had a photoshoot at our DMV – getting the gal to do 5 pictures there is a small miracle – though she didn’t allow the silly faces. I thought my husband would die of mortification when the line started impatiently crowding the counter.
knownever says
May 20th, 2010 at 6:38 amIt’s so weird, most people consider coral a summer color but I only ever reach for it in the winter. I always feel too over-done wearing coral blushes in summer. I usually reach for a light pink, or maybe something with shimmer like NARS deep throat.
.-= knownever’s last blog post… Space-War!: My Favorite Topic for Fiction! =-.
Suji says
May 20th, 2010 at 7:37 amI LOVE your Costo card picture!! that’s just GREAT 😀 😀 😀
Gaby says
May 20th, 2010 at 7:42 amI’ve been looking for a coral blush, and this one seems like a good option… hahahahahaha love the cosco pic! you are soo funny =)
Ms. B says
May 20th, 2010 at 8:05 amLOL Karen’s Costco Card = Win!
Lowelli says
May 20th, 2010 at 8:26 amoooh love love love LOVER! sooo pretty! Now you have to make that face everytime you go to costco so that you match your membership card!
Keerthi says
May 20th, 2010 at 8:50 amso pretty! it looks like it might be a little subtle for my skin tone (nc42), but now i want to check out excite!
.-= Keerthi’s last blog post… streetwear saturdays: streetwear midnight and streetwear fx flash =-.
lexi says
May 20th, 2010 at 12:53 pmHow does their shade Sin compare to NARS’ Sin? I think I may acquire one of these eventually. I still want the MUFE cream blushes.
Loving your COSTCO card!
Kat says
May 20th, 2010 at 1:05 pmOooh, this looks gorgeous! I’m ouching at the price though! LOL at your Costco card! You look…confident! I love it
Tracy says
May 20th, 2010 at 5:29 pmI adore Hussy- bought it on vacation in Seattle. No Illamasqua in Canada yet. 🙁 I will definitely be picking up more of these blushes-the colours are beautiful, pigmented and last a long time.
.-= Tracy’s last blog post… Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara =-.
AtelierGal says
May 23rd, 2010 at 6:14 pmThe color is gorgeous, and the packaging is TO-DIE-FOR!
.-= AtelierGal’s last blog post… [Review] TBS – Born Lippyâ„¢Satsuma Lip Balm =-.
Kezia says
June 27th, 2010 at 11:05 pmi’m definitely trying this blush the next time i go to sephora!! i love coral blushes 🙂
i think you should try The Balm’s “Hot Mama” blush. it’s very coral/peach and in my opinion, has good staying power!
Kezia says
June 27th, 2010 at 11:08 pmbtw.. do you know of a good drugstore brand w/ a nice coral blush?
thankss
Angie says
December 13th, 2010 at 8:21 amI actually have Lover and am looking into some Nars blushes- do you know if lover is similar to Gilda by Nars?