Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush ($9.99 for 0.17 oz.) is a subtly cool-toned, light-medium pink with a satin finish. NARS New Attitude (LE, $29.00) is brighter, more matte. Givenchy It-Girl Purple (P, $44.00) is cooler-toned, more matte. Tarte Dollface (P, $26.00) is cooler-toned. MAC Formal (LE) is similar. Too Faced Lollipop (LE) is similar. MAC Pure Femininity (LE, $21.00) is cooler-toned. theBalm Argyle (P, $22.00) is more matte. MAC Stay Pretty (P, $23.50) is more matte. MAC Well Dressed (P, $21.00) is lighter. MAC Lovecloud (LE, $21.00) is more shimmery. MAC Divine Desire (LE, $21.00) is darker. See comparison swatches.

The formula is described as an “ultra-soft, silky powder [that] adds a natural flush of color to your cheeks.” The color is “buildable” with a “soft satin finish.” Here’s what you need to know: in order to get a swatch of the product at all, I had to scrape off layers of product with a metal spatula. This is a very, very sheer product, and based on the description, it’s not designed to be wham! in-your-face color, but if you have to scrape off product to get color, there’s trouble. At best, it is buildable to semi-sheer color coverage, but I fear that it isn’t buildable to the point where all skin tones could wear it with ease–I think deeper complexions will not find it builds up enough color to show up well. The texture is soft, lightweight, and not at all powdery, as it doesn’t loosen from the surface that much–soft but stiff in a sense, so it’s not as easy to blend on the skin as I’d like. The finish doesn’t emphasize pores, and it does get more shimmery/luminous the more it is buffed and worked into the skin. It wore well for six and a half hours on me before showing signs of fading.  The color is absolutely gorgeous, and the finish is so lovely–I wish it was softer, a little less tightly packed/pressed, because I think the color payoff would be much improved and it would blend more easily on the skin.

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush (product was scraped off in layers to get visible color)

Revlon Haute Pink (002) Blush