Fair Maidens Get Swept Away with Buxom

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush ($24.00 for 0.17 oz.) is described as a “peachy nude.” It’s a pale peach with a hint of pink and a subtle sheen. MAC Stay By Me is actually a bit similar. NARS Sex Appeal is a bit more peach, less pink.  It has a lot in common with Sex Appeal, as it’s the kind of shade that isn’t universal but works really well for some.

Buxom’s True Hue formula is supposed to be “silky, sheer, and ultra-buildable.” It’s both sheer and very, very light in color, period, which means it’s not really an appropriate shade for my coloring (it’s just hard to see it!). From what I was able to see and gather from trying it out was that it’s mostly buildable, but it did seem to be just shy of true-to-pan color even when layered heavily. This was actually more likely due to the slightly dry texture, which made getting color more difficult than had it had a softer, creamier texture. Applied to my skin, it worked more as a highlighter; there was a soft, barely-there shimmer-sheen–nice and glowy–without much color. It looked nice, and the glowy sheen lasted a full eight hours on me. I would only recommend this shade for fairer complexions, though.

The Glossover

	Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush Review, Photos, Swatches B+
	If the texture was a little softer, it would be more buildable, and then it'd be really as marketed. This is a particular shade that will be best on those with very fair skin who like soft color, because the pan color is fairly light!
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Swept Away True Hue Blush

Buxom Adds a Little Euphoria to Your Day

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush ($24.00 for 0.17 oz.) is described as a “lively coral.” In the pan, it looks like an orange-coral, but when I swatched it, the color was much more medium orange with a more tangerine-like hue when blended out. Illamasqua Expose is darker, less bright. MAC Optimistic Orange is a touch darker. NARS Gina is browner, more subdued.

Buxom’s True Hue formula is supposed to be “silky, sheer, and ultra-buildable.” While I was less impressed with Luvitate, Euphoria was much better! The texture was softer, more finely-milled without being dry nor powdery, while the payoff was sheer as advertised–but buildable, also as advertised–so you can use it without fear of overdoing it while medium and deep complexions can still use it, too.  The soft texture made it easy to apply, layer, and blend out Euphoria on the skin.  It wore for a full eight hours with no noticeable fading.

The Glossover

	Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush Review, Photos, Swatches A
	I'm so pleased that Euphoria turned out to be a much better performer than Luvitate! Now, I'm eager to see how other shades in the range perform.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 5/5
	Where to Buy
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Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Buxom Euphoria True Hue Blush

Come Back to Earth After Trying Luvitate

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush ($24.00 for 0.17 oz.) is described as a “shimmering nude.” It’s a beige-apricot with a golden shimmer-sheen. It reminds me of shades like NARS Orgasm but with a more neutral base. Tarina Tarantino Neopolitan Lane is matte in finish and a bit browner. The shimmering shade in Guerlain Peach Boy is noticeably pinker. Chanel In Love is darker with a subtler gold shimmer. Overall, when applied, it still reads a little coral-ish, but with some beige thrown in.

Buxom’s True Hue formula is supposed to be “silky, sheer, and ultra-buildable.” Surprisingly, I found the texture to be stiffer and on the drier side. It wasn’t silky or soft or all that smooth.  The color payoff is as described–sheer–and it is buildable, though it will take some layering if you have a medium to dark complexion. It’s do-able, and it’s not too many layers, but the blendability of this is lacking.  I suspect the drier texture is playing a role in making this harder to blend and appear rather patchy on the cheeks.  This has a fair amount of shimmer and sheen in the finish, too, which does make pores more noticeable.  The wear of Luvitate was decent–seven hours with light but some fading after eight hours.

The Glossover

	Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush Review, Photos, Swatches C+
	I was bummed about the texture! For something that claims to have silkiness, I wasn't seeing (or rather, feeling!) it at all. With a color like this that seems to common enough across brands, I wouldn't waste time on something less than stellar.
	Product 8/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 7/10 Longevity 7.5/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush (Heavily/Lightly)

Buxom Luvitate True Hue Blush (Heavily/Lightly)

5 Uplifting Light Blue Eyeshadows

I love a good sky blue/pastel blue eyeshadow, especially for spring, but it also can work really with more summery colors as a way to tone down some of the vibrancy of those brighter hues.

1. Buxom Husky — light ethereal blue with a soft frosted finish
2. MAC Styledriven — light-medium blue with a soft frosted finish
3. Make Up For Ever #150 — pale sky blue
4. Urban Decay Clash — vibrant sky blue with sparkle
5. Bare Escentuals Illusion — pale pastel blue

What’s your favorite light blue eyeshadow?

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows (Part 3)

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadow ($17.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a cream-gel-mousse formula that’s designed to have a lightweight texture, yield “vivbrant, lively, buildable” color, be waterproof, and long-wearing. Just for fun, Bare Escentuals made a charitable contribution to Canine Companions for Independence when this product launched. They are also exclusive to Sephora. The last four shades I’m reviewing are: Saint Bernard (deep sea green), Schnauzer (vivid violet plum), Sheepdog (frosty white), and Shih Tzu (gilded lime green).

According to the brand, these are supposed to have sheer color coverage, but they are buildable to an extent. The five featured in this post are very true to that creed–they can easily be used as a sheer wash of color, but they can also be used opaque by either initially applying more color or by applying a second layer of color on top of the first. Stay-There Eyeshadows have a spongy quality that reminds me of memory foam; you can press it, and it will slowly spring back to form. You can jab at it with a pencil, and you’ll end up shifting it around more than anything! These actually launched well before Chanel Illusion d’Ombres, which have a similar texture.

I like using a really stiff, firm, and flat brush with these, but I’ve had the best luck applying these with fingertips. Once applied, they dry down to a powder finish in just the right time–not instantly but not so long that it’s creased before you’ve finished applying product to the other eye. I’ve tested several shades without primer as washes, including Black Lab, Bulldog, Chihuahua, Collie, Mutt, Pug, Saint Bernard, and Shih Tzu, and I haven’t had any issues with the shades creasing, fading, or smudging. I’ve even worn a few of them during showers to test waterproof claims, and they haven’t budged.

• Saint Bernard is a pop of green-based teal that’s semi-sheer. This shade did not build up color as well as some of the other shades–it was more like Black Lab in that respect. Maybelline Edgy Emerald is similar but a little less green. NYX Seafoam Green is slightly darker. NARS Misfit is darker and more opaque. MAC Aquadisiac is slightly less green.
• Schnauzer is a brightened eggplant purple with red undertones and a fine violet shimmer. Like Saint Bernard, it’s not as buildable in color as other shades, so semi-opaque is the highest opacity I was able to achieve. Guerlain Boulevard du Montparnasse is similar but a touch darker. Le Metier de Beaute Fig is deeper and browner. MAC Fig. 1 is a bit darker and has a matte finish. Inglot #445 is lighter and has a frosted finish.
• Sheepdog is a frosted white with semi-opaque color coverage. It’s similar to a lot of other white eyeshadows.
• Shih Tzu is a springy green with a chartreuse shimmer-sheen. MAC Lucky Green is brighter, more intense. Inglot #412 is lighter, more olive. Make Up For Ever #304 is brighter and greener.

The Glossover

	Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows Review, Photos, Swatches (Part 3) A-
	They're not quite as buildable as they seem like they should be, because for some, you really can't get much more color than what one layer of product yields (like Saint Bernard). The wear is really great, though, and if you like using sheer color as a base or as a wash for quick looks, you'll enjoy these.
	Product 9.5/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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See more photos & swatches!

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Saint Bernard Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Saint Bernard Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Saint Bernard Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Saint Bernard Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Schnauzer Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Schnauzer Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Schnauzer Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Schnauzer Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Sheepdog Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Sheepdog Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Sheepdog Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Sheepdog Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Shih Tzu Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Shih Tzu Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Shih Tzu Stay-There Eyeshadows

Buxom Shih Tzu Stay-There Eyeshadows