Illamasqua Libido

Illamasqua cream blushes are paraben-free, and their powder blushes are not. Weird, but true. So, since I couldn't have a powder blush, I snagged one of these, and of course I bought the brightest, most obnoxious color available to us (Sephora in the U.S. only carries five of the Illamasqua cream blushes; more, please!): Libido. It's orange. Very, very orange.

In the pan it's quite red-orange. Almost just red. Lovely, right? Bright, yes. Obnoxious, just like me. In all seriousness, though, for blushes, I do prefer strongly pigmented products, because to me, it's easier to apply them sheerly than to build up an already-sheer product.

I rather like Illamasqua's odd packaging. It's like the blush has feet. 

And of course, you will want to know if it really is that orange once it's swatched. Why yes, yes it is.

Swatched with my finger; heavy swatch on the left, sheered out on the right. It's definitely orange with a yellow undertone in the heavier swatch, but it sheers out to an almost peachy coral color.

On cheeks, however, worn sheerly (no clown cheeks for me, thanks), it's actually quite peachy. But still orange. That sounds ridiculously unhelpful, doesn't it? Here you go. Have a look for yourself.

Forgive the messy hair. It does that sometimes. I don't usually care.
Other products used: Chanel Perfection Lumière B20, Stila Natural Beauty palette (brows), Tarte Jewelry Box (eyes), Buxom mascara, MAC Neon Orange lipstick (review coming soon)

Here, it is applied lightly with the Real Techniques stippling brush (I love this brush, and will review it shortly, as well as compare to the MAC 188 brush). I've tried using my fingers, but I prefer the brush. On my cheeks, it's peachy, but with an obviously yellow base; it has become my favorite blush for a warm, natural glow. This is especially true because it doesn't have any sheen or shimmer, so it pairs well with shimmery/glittery eye looks. However, I do think that if you are fairer or more cool-toned than I am, Rude may be a better bet for your peachy blush - it doesn't seem as orange. Darker ladies can just apply this more aggressively, I think, and it will still show up beautifully.

For those curious, it does seem similar to MAC Optimistic Orange Cremeblend Blush, even though they look really different in the pan. They may not be *exactly* the same (perhaps Libido leans slightly redder), but probably close enough on the cheeks to merit not owning both.

Bottom line? I love the consistency, wear, and color range of Illamasqua's cream blushes, and I think I will need another one. Betray is next on my list, after the ban, of course. I also don't think I need to explore any other brand's cream blushes - these are that good.

Illamasqua's cream blushes are $24 for 0.14 oz at Sephora or on Illamasqua's website (UK).