Pat McGrath Paradise Venus Divine Blush Review & Swatches
Paradise Venus
Pat McGrath Paradise Venus Divine Blush ($38.00 for 0.34 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark reddish-copper with subtle, warm undertones and a semi-matte finish. It had more of a “natural matte” finish when applied and blended out, so it did not appear dry or flat but didn’t have an overt sheen or visible shimmer on the skin.
The texture was soft, slightly powdery in the pan, but it was smooth, velvety, and substantial enough to sit beautifully on bare skin and blend out with little effort. It had semi-opaque color payoff in a single layer, which could be built up or sheered out, but you’ll want to use a lighter hand or less-dense brush to get sheer coverage if desired (it was marketed as going from sheer to more pigmented, but it was really fairly pigmented to start with!). The color showed signs of fading after nine hours of wear on me.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Tom Ford Beauty Ravish (P, $60.00) is more shimmery, warmer (90% similar).
- Gucci Beauty Warm Berry (06) (P, $49.00) is more shimmery, cooler (90% similar).
- Patrick Ta She's Baked (Powder) (PiP, ) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Beyond (P, $7.00) is darker, glossier (90% similar).
- MAC Taraji Glow (LE, $34.00) is more shimmery, darker, warmer (90% similar).
- Benefit Terra (P, $29.00) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Kaja Extra Pepper (PiP, ) is more shimmery (90% similar).
- Bite Beauty Almond (P, $24.00) is darker (85% similar).
- ColourPop Toffee Cake (LE, $12.00) is cooler (85% similar).
- Chanel Evening Beige (340) (P, $45.00) is more shimmery, warmer (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$38.00/0.34 oz. - $111.76 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to be "featherlight, long-wearing" that "build effortlessly from sheer to subversive." The blushes are available in two finishes--demi-matte and satin pearl--and range from more muted to more vivid in color. The biggest "downfall" of the formula was that it was rather pigmented than buildable, so one could use a lighter hand to get more buildable coverage, but I found I had to use a light to moderate hand to ensure I didn't over-apply each shade.
The consistency was smooth, silky, and lightly creamy to the touch; it was a touch powdery in the pan but had more slip than most powder blushes on the market, but it was definitely a powder-based formula. The product applied well to bare skin as well as over foundation, as it diffused well along the edges without picking up base products.
The satin pearl finish was luminous but not overtly shimmery, so it did not emphasize my skin's natural texture. They wore around nine hours on me before fading visibly.
Browse all of our Pat McGrath Divine Blush swatches.
Ingredients
Mica, Alumina, Zinc Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenylpropanol, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77499), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850).
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
“I don’t need this. I don’t need this. I don’t need this.” to me.
After all, I already have my MAC Burnt Pepper and Taraji Glow. So, I suppose I have a thing for this type of shade 🤷🏻♀️
That does look like a very pigmented blush to me too and a beautiful shade.
I’m a bit disappointed in this release. I bought Nymphette blush and the eye quad. I tried them yesterday for the first time. The blush faded after about four hours and that never happens for me. I usually put on my makeup early in the morning about 5:30 and it still looks good at 5;00 in the evening. I only touch up my lipstick.
As for the eyeshadow quad, again disappointed. I did not use the shadow in the upper right hand; it reminds me of glitter. The matte and cream shadows were awesome. The lower right shadow had a lot of fallout and continued to flake off. Within 4 hours they had all faded to where it looked like I only used the matte which was very faded. I’ll try them again, but right now I’m disappointed.