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Top 10 of 2012: Blushes & Highlighters
Top 10 of 2012: Blushes & Highlighters
Asking me to choose my favorite highlighter, by the way, is akin to making me choose favorites between (fur) children (if I had more than one). There were some seriously ga-ga-glowing highlighters launched this year, too! On the blush front, there were some great shades and formulas I tried and tested, but it was easier to narrow those down.
- bareMinerals Luminizer — two shades of shimmery bliss
- Burberry Earthy — beautiful brown
- NARS Gina — soft orange
- Tom Ford Lovelust — go-to coral blush
- Guerlain Wulong — glowy goodness
- Chanel Rose Initiale — easy pink
- Illamasqua Naked Rose — neutral pink
- Estee Lauder Sensuous Rose — pink-beige
- MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders — beautiful texture
- Chantecaille Les Petales de Rose — lit-from-within glow
Again, it’s not new for 2012 but it is new to me this year – Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty…I love that stuff. Highlighters…same old same old – The Balm Mary Lou Manizer. That’s the one I’ve used most this year.
Where’s M.A.C’s Extra Dimension Skin Finishes?
They weren’t on my top 10 list, sorry!
Hi Christine! Really enjoying the top ten series. I noticed on this list they are mostly nude-ish blushes. I’d be really interested in seeing you review a really true red blush, they can look gorgeous when applied lightly. The main example I can think of is Mac Frankley Scarlet! Could you think about doing a review? Happy new year!
Dear Temptalia,
I was wondering if you would be interested in changing things up this year in terms of swatching products on a variety of different skin tones. Since this would be extremely difficult to do on a regular basis, perhaps this could be done with just your ‘Top 10’ products or those that win your Editorial vote for that year.
I only ask because I find that my skin tone is much fairer than yours so that when I go order particular products I’ve seen reviewed by you, the color is appears to be much different. I’m not trying to be lazy (I could certainly just assume that products will look different on me), but I love how beautiful your swatch gallery is and would be so curious to see how certain products look on other skin tones such as those lighter and darker, or cooler and warmer than yours.
This is just a thought as I can only imagine how busy you are with everything else you do for the blog. I love your site and look forward each morning to see what you’ve reviewed. Thanks for enriching my own life with your beautiful pictures and engaging posts!
Dani has a really wonderful idea, IF it can be accomplished! I have friends of color who complain they can never find swatches for dark skin, and I’m a rather pale, yellow undertoned person, myself. I have two kids from two marriages, so I often swatch things on them because they are not the same color as me. My daughter (17) is very pale pink-toned, and her brother (3) is Italian! Fortunately for me, my son gets a kick out of letting me put swatches on the back of his hand (he’s much darker than I), but he’ll outgrow it soon enough.
For me, this would be useful in planning color combinations and looks that work for clients since sometimes a color doesn’t go on as I hoped it would when working with someone whose skintone is very different from my limited experience (I have not been a professional MUA for very long, after all! Just shy of 2 years).
Even if this never works out, Thank you, Dani, for suggesting it! I hate searching Google Images for hours trying to find a specific swatch on a specific skintone. It’s crazy! What’s crazier is how wildly different one color looks on 20 different skin colors.
Thanks, Christine! 🙂
Illamasqua Naked Rose has become my instant favourite since I bought it a few weeks ago! I also liked Illamasqua Sophie and Star Wonder and Light Year MSFs from the MAC Heavenly Creatures collection.
Chanel Rose Initiale is my go-to pink blush now, thanks to you! 🙂
Highlighters ELF Studio Blush in Pinktastick. Its only $3 and works just as well as some of my high end highlighters. They call it a blush but its really a highlighter. Blush: Tarte ACB in Exposed with Illamasqua Lover as a close second. For drugstore I love the Milani Baked blushes I think the color is Luminoso and Physicians Formula makes a great highlighter for drugstore too
My favorite blush was Mac Easy Manner.
I didn’t found a highlighter yet.
OMG, Easy Manner is gorgous! So are Small Vanity and Poised (I’m really digging the brownish-nudes this year). Personally, I loved The Perfect Cheek best, but that one is a repromote, so not new for 2012.
Clara, I wish I knew what sort of highlighter you are looking for. I’m a bit nuts with highlighters, and have collected up a pile of them. If you like MAC, try and grab Porcelain Pink before it sells out, and apply it with a wet stippling brush. Soft & Gentle is nice, too. If you prefer a matte highlighter, check out Intrigue by Illamasqua. It’s quite stunning, and very effective!
Loving this post! Highlighters are my favorite!
“Fur” children…he he. I would love to see a picture of Mimi and Mellan together.
here you go 🙂 She doesn’t like to get close to him, LOL!
Totally agree with the bareMinerals Luminizer! I have The Love Affair, and it is SO awesome! Glow from within is right with this one.
They’re not exactly “new”, but the ones I’ve gotten the most use of this year have been NARS Nico, Zen, & Albatross, all of which were purchased this year, as well.
Another product I’ve recently discovered was tarte Park Avenue Princess bronzer, which I got with my Sephora VIB perks. I love tarte, so I got a couple of “samplers”, but I’m not into the whole “sun-kissed glow” thing. I was bores the other night, and decided to try it as a contour, and I was actually quite pleased with the result. It’s more golden than orange, and with a light hand, is nearly imperceptible close-up, yet it yields just enough color to make a nice daytime contour. Again, not a “new” product, in general, but it something I picked up & tried in 2012.
Well, I built the top 10 posts on anything that I reviewed this year, whether permanent or new 😉 So nothing wrong with it not being new new – asl ong as it was new to you 😀
MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders are amazing! I love the look mine gives me!
Estee Lauder Sensuous Rose is on my to-buy list with the money I got for the holidays! I have wanted a blush just like it for so long!
Nice to see Earthy and Naked Rose on the list! I bought both of them after months of lusting because they were simply too ex. But now I can see it’s money well spent! Still waiting for Naked Rose to arrive.. can’t wait!
I vote for Armani Sheer Blush No. 5. It is perfect as a soft neutral blush, but you can also use it a light bronzer. The perfect 2 in 1 product for me.
I haven’t discovered a new highlighter, I usually use my MAC Beauty Powder from 2011.
Are the Tom Ford and Estee Lauder blushes similar?
I would like to get a TF blush, but I like the colors of the Estee Lauders a little better.
Do you have a top-pick between those two?
Thank you, your blog is SOOOO helpful!
I don’t think the colors are similar – Lovelust is darker, warmer, more obvious since it has more color. Estee Lauder’s is very soft and just a hint of color. I like the texture of TF blushes better!
My favorite new blush this year was definitely Tom Ford Lovelust! The buttery smooth texture, pretty coral color and golden sheen. LOVE!
I’ve almost exclusively used my Kevyn Aucoin highlighter all year. Subtle and natural glow.
Wow I forgot how pretty that Burberry color is. Christine (or anyone who may know), can you think of any additional dupes for that color that are more drugstore price-range?
Hi. I’ve just started readng your blog. It’s amazing. I love your reviews, they are all very helpful, you work hard and I can see it. I have Added you on bloglovin cause I don’t wanna miss anything. xoxox Vale (from Milan Italy)
Thank you, Valentina! 🙂
Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Glow Awakening Blush – I hope you will review. It is the only blush that looks natural AND BEAUTIFUL on me. I’d love to know if it works for others.
Yes, I’d like to know that too. I am hesitating on this one. Review, please! 🙂
I’d have to say Bobbie Brown”s Desert Twilight blush duo, specifically the Bahama brown shade. Although not as silky as her usual powder products, the color was quite unique in a field of rather repetitive colors in the blush world. A mauvey brown, it was surprisingly flattering to my pale skin and hazel/green eyes. Wish I knew about this one when it was part of the permanent line. Now I am on the lookout for dupes.