The First Blush of Spring:  Illamasqua Katie Blush

Illamasqua Katie Blush ($23.00) is an ultra pale pastel pink with a matte finish. It has good color pay off, but it is extremely light in color. I don’t think it’s quite as pigmented as several of the other shade variastions I’ve tried in their powder blush line, though. Personally, I found it didn’t work on my skin tone; the paleness washed me out and made me look sickly. I think this is a shade very well suited for those with more porcelain complexions–could see it looking very spring-y and natural (and not sickly!).

Illamasqua’s blushes are nice for matte, pigmented color. The packaging isn’t my cup of tea (too bulky), but I like that the top is clear, so you can see the color without having to open the compact. Illamasqua brushes are a slightly cheaper investment ($23 to $25) than NARS blushes, though you get a little less (0.02 oz. to be precise). So far, all of the blushes I’ve tried by Illamasqua have had matte finishes, so it’s easy to wear them and have them turn out natural-looking. You can always brush on a highlighter if you want a shimmery look–but you don’t have to, which is nice. Everyone needs a few matte blushes in their life!