Fruity Accent

With the recent release of 8 new shades of Clinique Cheek Pops (Heather Pop and Fig Pop are calling my name), my attention refocused on the original lineup. I'd previously overlooked the four existing shades as being too generic, but countless raves about the impeccable and unique formula encouraged me to have another look. Peach Pop seemed to be the most popular shade and the one I'd get the most wear out of, so it seemed to be the natural choice. These retail for $40 in Australia, but I purchased mine duty-free from Narita Airport for around $25.

l-r: NARS Deep Throat, Clinique Peach Pop, Hourglass Diffused Heat, theBalm FratBoy

I suspected I'd have a not insignificant number of similar blushes to Peach Pop, and sure enough I pulled out three near dupes. NARS Deep Throat does have more golden shimmer that's detectable on the skin. I don't reach for theBalm FratBoy very often, mainly because I'm not a huge fan of the overly powdery texture and I find it leaves much to be desired when it comes to wear time. It's also extremely pigmented and red-based, which leaves me running scared as I preferably want to avoid patchy, inflamed cheeks. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat is the closest to Peach Pop colour-wise, though it has the addition of subtle pale yellow shimmer. It's softer and more powdery in texture than the Clinique, but similarly blends seamlessly into the skin and injects a healthy glow to the complexion.

Texture-wise, these Clinique Cheek Pops avoid any suggestion of powderiness and have zero fall out. I have heard them being described as somewhere between a powder and a cream, with a slight bounciness to them. They definitely have no wetness and aren't emollient like a cream blush, but they're not hard or dry in any way (unlike NARS blushes or Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes). They're dense to the touch but have a slight creaminess to them. You could definitely apply and blend the product with the fingers if no brush was around. Pigmentation is buildable and not as strong as you might think given how bright and colourful the blush looks in the pan. On the cheeks, there's no chalkiness or patchiness, and the product doesn't sit on top of the skin, but rather, sinks in and melds with your skin for a natural-looking, healthy flush. Lasting power is fairly good (it stays on for about three-quarters of the day) but not remarkable. I still find my Benefit, Hourglass and NARS blushes to wear longer.

Bonus points for the adorable, compact packaging that manages to make thick plastic encasing look refined and classy rather than cheap and nasty. The flower imprint is a cute touch that gives these blushes an instant visual signature. At $21 USD, these are also more affordably priced than comparable brands. I may or may not be mentally scheduling to add a couple more to my blush stash next time I'm in the States…