Saturday, April 25, 2015

Blush Bouquet

I spotted the Stila Blooming Bright Convertible Color Trio at Mecca Maxima almost two months ago, but even at $26 for three individual mini cream blushes (2g each, just slightly less than half of a regular Convertible Color which is 4.25g), I resisted. I rationalised to myself that I had enough blushes. That I was more than content with my existing collection, which included numerous cream offerings. That cream blushes "go off" faster than powders. That really, cream blushes are the exact same as any creamy lipstick, and if I wanted to wear a particular colour as a blush, I could just dab a bit of lipstick onto the apples of my cheeks and arrive at the same result. But a couple of weeks passed and I was beginning to regret not purchasing the set, especially since I searched other Mecca stores and couldn't find it. Thankfully, there were still a couple left when I revisited the Macquarie Centre store. Without hesitation, I snapped one up.





Part of Stila's Spring 2015 collection, this set includes the colours Lillium (described as a "pink nude"), Petunia ("coral peach") and Hibiscus ("coral red"). There's also another set of 3 mini Convertible Colors with Camellia ("peachy brown"), Peony ("brownish rose") and Tulip ("deep berry"), but I didn't see it stocked at Mecca. In any event, I would've preferred the shades in the set I bought. They retail for $20 USD, so $26 in Australia is basically the same price. Well done Stila for not ripping Australians off!

I know that Stila also released recently a Field of Florals Convertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Palette (retailing for $49 USD), which is exclusive to Sephora and their own website. The palette has the same packaging as their 12-pan Eyes Are the Window eyeshadow palettes, and contains the shades Lillium, Magnolia, Tulip, Camellia, Peony, Rose, Gladiola, Peach Blossom, Hibiscus, Gerbera, Petunia and Fuchsia. Notwithstanding the difficulty of acquiring this palette if you live in Australia, I'm more attracted to the individual packaging of the Blooming Bright Trio. I can see a palette with 12 cream shades housed in smallish pans getting messy quickly, plus it's not as convenient to carry around or pop into your handbag as a single mini blush. It's great if you're into variety and having all your colours in one place, but from a practical and "will I actually use it" perspective, I'm not entirely sold.







I already have one Convertible Color in Gerbera, which is my favourite cream blush. At the outset, I was confident in the formula of these blushes. They're extremely pigmented, dewy but not shiny or greasy, generally long lasting (especially with the darker and brighter colours), blend seamlessly into the skin without patchiness, and leave a natural, radiant, healthy-looking flush. I don't have any cream blush colours similar to Petunia (by beauty blogger standards) or Hibiscus (by normal person standards), so in the scheme of things, I thought the set was a prudent buy.

l-r: Lillium, Petunia, Hibiscus

Top to bottom: Hibiscus, Petunia, Lillium

l-r: Stila Lillium, Illamasqua Zygomatic

What I was really surprised by is how dissimilar Lillium is to Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Zygomatic. For the longest time, I was under the impression they were near dupes of each other. How wrong I was. If anything, Lillium is a near dupe of Stila Gerbera. Zygomatic is a lot more brownish nude, not as warm, with slight rosy-mauve tones in comparison. The texture is also different — it's thinner, easier to spread, less pigmented as well. Lillium must be one of the most popular Convertible Color shades, and for good reason. It's so easy to wear, a beautifying everyday shade, and I can imagine it being flattering on many skin tones.

l-r: Stila Petunia, Australis Flirtatious Pink, NYX Natural, Napoleon Perdis, Stila Lillium

I thought Petunia would be close to the existing pink cream blushes in my collection, but once again, I was off the mark. It's considerably brighter in tone and more heavily pigmented. The rest are far more subdued, pastel and muted in appearance. Australis Crème Colour in Flirtatious Pink is a softer, lighter peach, NYX Rouge Cream Blush in Natural is more baby pink, unnamed but fabulous Napoleon Perdis cream blush (freebie with Australian InStyle magazine, November 2013 issue) is more peachy pink, like a cross between Australis and NYX. If anything, those three shades are a lot closer to Lillium than Petunia, though Lillium is a brighter/darker peach than Australis, NYX or Napoleon Perdis.

Oddly, my Petunia came with this overlay of a darker, berry-purplish colour which I had to wipe off to reveal the actual colour underneath. Not sure if this is a common thing or a minor manufacturing defect, since the other two shades didn't have that problem.

l-r: Stila Lillium, Stila Gerbera, Stila Petunia, Topshop Head Over Heels

Top to bottom: Topshop Head Over Heels, Stila Petunia, Stila Gerbera, Stila Lillium

Comparing Gerbera and Lillium side by side, I'm surprised that Lillium is the darker of the two. (Once again, all this time I thought Lillium was a neutral, understated nude pink in the vein of Illamasqua Zygomatic, when really, it's more of a medium warm pink.) Gerbera is more pastel peachy-pink. I was interested to compare Petunia with the brightest cream blush I own, Topshop Head Over Heels. The Topshop blush is clearly more straight up orange, while Petunia is more coral pink. Head Over Heels is also a cream to powder formulation, with a very lightweight, almost mousse-like texture. It's not as hydrating or emollient on the skin but is ultra pigmented, just like Petunia.

I don't have anything like Hibiscus, which instantly reminded me of Liz and her penchant for "clown cheek blushers". This one is hella bright. Use with caution. I learnt the hard way, applying what I thought was a small amount while doing my makeup on the bus from Sydney to Canberra. I only had the small mirror in the blush to go by, so when I looked into a proper mirror at the Canberra bus terminal bathroom, I was shocked. Bona fide clown cheeks. It was too much. Too much. I looked like a stained Easter egg. I had to literally get some of my Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin to go over my cheeks and tone down the blush to a more human-looking standard.

That mishap encouraged me to buy a small stippling blush (e.l.f. does an affordable one at $8 from Kmart — I managed to buy the last one so it must have been fate), but even then, I have to be cautious not to overdo it. Basically, take 1/5th of what you think would be enough and it might just work. Hibiscus is probably the most pigmented thing I've come across, and that's saying a lot.

One of the benefits of creams vs. powders is that they're multipurpose, and these Convertible Colors (as their name suggests) can double as lip products, but I usually don't bother. The light colours have a tendency to be drying, and I haven't tried the brighter/darker shades yet, though I imagine they'd fare better, especially since you need a very small amount and can always prime/moisturise the lips with some lip balm underneath.

At $26, this set is an affordable way to try three brightening, warm, "spring-appropriate" Convertible Color shades without having to purchase the full size. Sure, they may contain half the product of a full size blush, but when was the last time you finished a full size blush anyway? The packaging might also be inferior quality to the full size Convertible Color (the lettering/pattern at the front is stamped rather than embossed, and the plastic casing does seem on the flimsy side), but at the price point, it's understandable. I'm not sure if these are limited edition (I suspect they are), so if you do see them, I think they're an excellent buy.

42 comments:

  1. I have the exact same blush set and the exact same problem with my petunia blush. Lovely review and lovely photos!

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    1. Weird! Must be a common thing then. It was seriously so bizarre when I saw it for the first time and then realised there was a darker purplish-berry overlay which I had to wipe off to get to the actual colour, haha.

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  2. I have the exact same blush set and the exact same problem with my petunia blush. Lovely review and lovely photos!

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  3. I was SO close to buying this set! Two of my friends bought it, and I think I had regret for a little while after but I got over it. I have waaay too much blush as is, and I think I have fairly similar shades, in powder form at least. I am tempted by the Field of Florals palette but I doubt I'll get my hands on it. Who knows though, it might still be around when I go to the US next year!

    Tasha // shiwashiful.

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    1. Oooh, US trip planned for 2016? How exciting :) Where are you going? What time?

      It's like that saying goes, nothing haunts us like the things we didn't buy. Forever mourning the perfect navy Zara hat that I passed on...

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  4. very enlighting and helpful review...thanks for your work!!

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  5. These all look like such pretty colours, I love the idea of getting a collection like this!
    Maddy, xo // UNSTITCHEDD

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    1. The colours are very spring/summery, all very warm and brightening like the packaging says!

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  6. Yup, I would buy Hibiscus in a heart beat (don't see it sold individually around here) and I would also snatch up the set (also not around here). I like these guys but the regular size is HUGE. I would never get through one unless it was my only dedicated blush and you know I'm a total blush whore. The minis are perfect. Good grab. ;)

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    1. Haha yeah, I've had my Gerbera for a couple of years and I've only made a smallish dent in the middle. I don't know what it will take to get through the whole thing. Exclusive use for the next 3 years maybe? :p Hibiscus is totally your colour!

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  8. We have similar taste in blush. I love these guys and managed to score the Field of Florals palette in the VIB sale. If you're interested in the other colors I swatched them here: http://bit.ly/1PjG83F

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    1. Just had a look at your review, fantastic swatches, so helpful! The palette does look like a must-have if you're a major Convertible Color fan :)

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  9. Great buy!
    I'd love to see another mini set consisting of cooler pink toned colors. The minis would be great to carry around, and honestly the full size is a bit intimidating. ;)

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    1. Agreed, I don't see myself getting through a full size blush any time soon! The minis are great because they're so portable and the amount of product isn't a problem for me. It's doubtful I will even get through a mini :p I think the other trio they had is more cooler-toned, but also quite a bit darker as well.

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  10. Such pretty colors and the minis come with a mirror too.. which is not always the case! :-) I'm yet to try a cream blush from Stila but I think Petunia might be calling out to me!

    TheConscienceFund

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    1. Yes, the mirror was so useful! It adds something extra to the blush and makes it truly an "individual" product despite its mini size :) I think Petunia would be gorgeous on you!

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  11. Love this set, they're all such different shades. I own Lillium which is my favourite shade for my cheeks, though the others look like they'd be great lip colours x

    Amy / srslylou

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    1. I tried the two brighter shades on the lips the other day and they weren't half bad! Pretty creamy actually with a lip balm underneath :)

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  12. Okay, I totally need this in my life! ( do I? but currently, I think I do)
    I mean, I have yet to try stilla and these shade are just gorgeous! And I really like how tiny they are, I travel sometimes and it's quite difficult to pack when your blush has this really use box - I'm looking at you benefit...the boxes are gorgeous, but huge...

    I'm going to scoop beautybay and HQhair for this *-*
    If it wasn't for your review, I wouldn't know about this!
    Take care*

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    1. So true, Benefit's blush packaging isn't all that travel friendly. So bulky with the boxes! Good luck hunting down this trio online - hope you manage to find it at a good price :)

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  13. Good point at the end, hehe. I finished only 3 cream blushes in my entire ''makeup blogging career'' :D Still there's loads of cream blushes in my stash. Oh man, now I feel overwhelmed. Still...for that price I need these cute Stila pots!

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    1. They're a great price and you get to try 3 different colours of Stila's famous cream blushes! :)

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  14. I lovee to wear Hibiscus in a gradient style on my lips. The effect is so pretty.

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    1. Thanks for the tip! Do you pair it with any other colours to get the gradient? It is such a pretty summery colour :)

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  15. This is a great buy! These blushes retail for €24 here full size. So AU$ 26 for 3 half size is definitely a good bargain. I have Lilium and Petunia and I love them both.. Still convertible color is def one of the best cream blushes I've tried ^^

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    1. That's the same price as here basically - they are $34 each. This set was well priced - I was actually pretty surprised at the price. It was a major incentive for me to buy it because I considered it a bargain, especially in Australia where almost all makeup is hideously overpriced! :p Agreed, the formula of the Convertible Colors is really good!

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  16. These are a gorgeous set and I hate regretting a purchase and always have to go back if I regret it more than two weeks as it has become a rule of mine. Glad you went back for it as they are all such pretty shades.

    Jackie | fashionxfairytale |

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    1. Sounds like a rule to follow! Regretting not buying things can be a pretty bad feeling, haha. Hopefully by the end of the two weeks the thing you want is still in stock!

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  17. This set looks lovely! You mentioned cream blushes aren't as longwearing, I find that it's the opposite for me! Especially if they're layered under a powder blush. I really want to buy this set!

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    1. I guess if you layer over a powder blush it would certainly help in the longevity stakes! I normally just wear it on its own though. Some cream formulas are definitely more long-wearing than others, I guess it depends on the product and your skin type :)

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  18. Wow this was SO helpful! I've been a little afraid of cream blushes for a little while but STILA's Lillium look gorgeous!

    http://www.southernnyorker.com/

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    1. It's a great everyday shade, not too dark but still warm-toned and a flattering soft pink with a little peach and dustiness to it :)

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  19. Convertible colours are the loveliest, lillium looks gorgeous <3

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    1. They are an excellent and justifiably well known cream blush formula! Lillium is definitely the most "wearable" one :)

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  20. I love these. I have Gerbera, Camelia and Honeysuckle, linked my review below. After reading your review I want Lilium now x

    Stila Convertible Color Trio

    p.g Gorgeous pics!

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    1. Thanks Claire! I think I remember reading your review about these when you first published it :) The Convertible Color formula is so nice, dewy and fresh!

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  21. I absolutely adore these cream blushers! I think I have Peony and I forgot the name of the other one. I might snatch myself some more after reading this review!

    www.lacy-rose.blogspot.com

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    1. This set is a great way to score yourself 3 more shades without having to pay for the full size :)

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  22. What an awesome steal and set!! Ugh! I only wish I could pick up something like this from tarte but their powder clay blushes! I absolutely love the color of Petunia and Lillium! I've had goggly eyes over Zygomatic and Head over heels but have never picked up either. I totally need to invest in some good cream blushes to begin my cream blush journey :p

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  23. I've always wanted to try the Stila convertible colors but talked myself out of it because I rarely reach for cream blushes! The shade I'd wanna get would be Gerbera not only because of the color but because it's my favourite flower too and the name of my first dog!
    I wish I didn't miss out on this set, would have been the perfect chance to try out the formula!
    Your post has actually reminded me of how much I wanted Illamasqua Zygomatic too!

    Chloé⎪ status.chlo

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