Faint Sin

Sometimes after I've bought something and had it sit in my pile of makeup for a while, I can no longer remember the driving factors or feel the same haze of desire that led me to purchase it in the first place. I vaguely remember being introduced to NARS Sin in a tutorial by Tanya Burr, but can't for the life of me pinpoint which one. I'm sure what must've happened is that after watching a video of her wearing it, I suddenly became hooked on the idea of a plummy blush threaded with gold shimmer. Sin seemed unusual yet sophisticated — something different to the pink and peach blushes I usually pick.

NARS Sin on the cheeks, NARS Douceur to contour

The first thing that struck me about Sin is that to describe it as "pigmented" simply doesn't cut it. Anything more than a feathery touch to the pan is too much. It's one of those blushes that's naturally heavy. I always go over the blush I've applied with a kabuki or buffing brush (usually the one I've used for my foundation) to soften the colour and blend out the edges. I find that the more the blush is blended out, the more it transforms into a warm berry shade that gives an earthy rosiness to the face. However, if applied straight to the cheeks and a little too heavily, it looks very obvious and harsh, even bordering on muddy. It can take on a hideous ashy/dirty appearance if too much is put on.

While you can detect a soft gold shimmer to Sin, I don't find it to be very noticeable once worn. The shade is distinctly autumnal to me, though it's probably more versatile than I give it credit for. Sin was really more my experiment in more purple-leaning blush, but the only way I can wear it is if it's sheered out considerably, at which point it loses its mauve edge and becomes more of a reddish colour. Despite those issues, I love the quality of NARS blushes, the way they apply to the skin and the wear time, so I still consider Sin a worthy addition to my blush drawer.

Dusting of Rose

I've had Illamasqua Naked Rose since September last year, but still find myself on the fence about it. It's a blush that I want to, and thought I'd love, but in truth rarely gravitate towards. This was yet another New York holiday purchase (it's unbelievable I'm still blogging about stuff I bought during that time), and I remember when I first swatched it at Sephora, I thought I'd found the shade of my dreams. It looked like the perfect everyday neutral pink that I could easily envision being elevated to top position in my blush collection.

l-r: NARS Douceur, Illamasqua Naked Rose, Tarte Exposed, Illamasqua Zygomatic

Naked Rose is the only Illamasqua powder blush I own, and I find it very smooth, soft and pigmented. Other blushes I have can be almost impossible to decently swatch with my fingers unless I've gently scratched the surface with a toothpick first, but Naked Rose has no such problem. The surface of the blush never hardens. In fact, I would even say it's on the powdery side because the pigment is so soft. It's easy to loosen the powder so it's almost crumbly, especially if you come at it with a slightly spiky brush. For that reason, I wouldn't dream of using it with a stippling brush. The texture reminds me more of an excellent matte eyeshadow (think Laura Mercier) than what I'm typically used to for a blush.

It's one of the most pigmented blushes I've come across (probably rivaled only by the ridiculous NARS Sin), so I need to make sure my brush makes minimal contact with the blush. I normally use the fluffy, tapered Real Techniques Blush Brush, because anything else risks overdoing it. Maybe because it's extremely tricky to get right, most days I just can't be bothered. The colour itself I don't find to be anything special. It's just a medium, slightly reddish, dusty matte pink. While not particularly unique, it's a versatile, universal shade that could complement a whole range of makeup looks. I can't really tell if it's more warm or cool, as that seems to differ depending on one's skin tone. If there's any redness to your cheeks, Naked Rose will draw attention to that. For me, it only works paired with flawless, evened out skin, and if I get the application spot on. Otherwise, it can look messy and ruddy, and almost like my skin is having an allergic reaction to the blush.

I purchased this in the States back when Illamasqua blushes were still $42 in Australia. Kudos to the brand for dropping their prices — a blush now retails for $28, almost the same price as the US if you include sales tax.

Trap-eze Track Down

When I first laid eyes on the China Glaze Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away Collection, I zeroed in on It's a Trap-eze! and declared that it needed to be mine. For the first couple of weeks, I searched eagerly for it online, only to find it out of stock everywhere. Then Australis released their Milky Way polish which I hoped would be a good enough dupe to temporarily satiate my craving. As fun as it was to play around with, it didn't quite match up to the real deal. Over time, my interest waned and I'd more or less given up on finding It's a Trap-eze! until Sammi mentioned she discovered BeautyJoint had it back in stock. That night, I contemplated long and hard whether I was going to pay $9.45 shipping on a $3.99 polish. You bet I was.

Despite finally having in my hands something I'd wanted for so long, I couldn't help but be irked by the fact the bottle I received had definitely been used. There was that telltale ring of dried up polish around the opening of the bottle. Additionally, when I peered into the bottle itself, it looked about two-thirds full. The level of the polish was suspiciously low for what was supposed to be a brand new product.

Initially, I was actually a little disappointed with It's a Trap-eze!, and not just because I hadn't received it in pristine condition. I'd reached my glitter tolerance. I felt underwhelmed at how superfluous acquiring another glitter polish seemed, especially one that I'd previously been so enthusiastic about. Now that I had it, it didn't seem half as appealing as when it was just a distant object to covet and admire.

But I tried it on, and soon enough I found myself warming to it considerably. There is something special about It's a Trap-eze! that makes it unlike any other glitter I've come across. Firstly, the density of glitter is ridiculous. Not just the density, but the variety. I see very small to small hexagonal glitter in a multitude of colours: red, orange, yellow, cyan, green, magenta, and silver/white in a sheer, slightly blue-tinged white base. The semi-transparent base is what this polish so versatile, as it's not so opaque that it covers up or overwhelms the glitter. Rather, it lets the glitter shine through, even with multiple layers. You can apply this over a bright polish to make the base colour pastel. The glitter is relatively small-sized, so from a distance, the overall effect on your nails is more like a crazily speckled egg than a super-reflective, multifaceted disco ball.

Convertible Convert

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