Piaf + Poe

Kat Von D Piaf + Poe Shade + Light Blush Duo ($25.00 for 0.317 oz.) is a muted, rosy pink set of shades, one lighter and one darker. The blush formula is supposed to "stay vibrant for a full 24 hours of wear" with "silky powders" that "blend effortlessly into skin for a flawless, buildable finish." The marketing makes it unclear what level of pigmentation these should be on Sephora, but per the brand’s Instagram, they are “highly pigmented.” I think that this particular duo was one of the better-applying shades and required slightly less effort to apply, but it still had a drier, chalkier consistency that made it hard to get more than semi-sheer color out of it. That drier texture seemed to give me trouble when blending, as the color would stick on some places more noticeably than others, but it would be hard to diffuse or blend, even when I reached for a really dense, buffing brush. The blush is actually easier to use when mixed, because the more powdery (but less chalky) consistency of the light shade helps the darker shade to blend out, while the darker color gives a little more oomph to the color overall such that it is easier to see on more complexions.

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