What's your go-to summer blush?

 @Kafka  @Miss Yes, I believe we are around the same skin tone! I might actually be a little lighter, possibly. I’ve never tried 127, so I might check that out. My coloring is a pain because my tone fluctuates very easily. I get rather pale in winter, but the undertone is still strong, so mixing seems to be my best option. Gotta love my Sicilian mom and my Irish/German dad for the coloring issues! 😛 The 32 in the F&B is suggested for those who wear HD in 127 and 123, so I’m betting we are pretty close in tone if not the same. As for Gina being Tangerine…it’s called that on NARS’ own site, and I’ve heard it referred as that, but it just doesn’t come off that way on me. It might sound weird, but it feels more like bronzer to me, not because of the tone, but because of the effect, I guess. It gives that warmth of bronzer and then that little added peachy glow, as if you got a little extra color, but I don’t ever feel like holy shit my cheeks are tangerine. LOL. I feel it looks a bit odd on me when I’m paler, but for summer it’s a great one. I feel you on NARS blush being a sickness. My blush collection is predominantly NARS, and I feel no urge to branch out at the moment. I believe I have around 14 or 15. Oy.

 @Kafka  @Miss You’re not being a pest, and it’s definitely no problem at all! I’m in the midwest, so I know what it’s like not to be able to see and test products in person. It’s a huge pain, so I’m always happy to help other beauty loving girls and guys out.
 
Out of the Lokoum, Sin, Amour, and Crazed my favorite is Sin. It’s not a raspberry, but it’s sort of a pink/mauve berry with some golden microshimmer. It’s gorgeous, and it works when I’m super pale, as well as when I’m very tan. Crazed is more of a raspberry, but much bolder, and a lot more red-pink tones. It’s a fun color, but needs to be applied very, very lightly, and for me was a little too much, so I passed on it. Amour is similar to Orgasm in that it’s a bright, warm pink. I like it…I bought it mainly to have that sort of warm pink shade in a matte version, but once I bought Gilda it became neglected. They aren’t overly similar since Gilda is more coral, but it took the place of Amour as an everyday blush, so it’s just not as loved. I’ve never tried Lokoum, but I hear it’s almost identical to Taos, which is sort of a slightly burnt coral-rose. If I were picking two out of that list, I’d personally go for Sin and Lokoum. Both look great when I’m pale and very tan. 
 
As for Deep Throat, Lovejoy, or Mata Hari being redundant… 
I don’t find Lovejoy similar to anything you own from NARS already. This is one that never worked for me, personally. It tends to look too ruddy, and I just found it blah, so I passed. Mata Hari is a very cool, vivid, rose. It has that sort of lavender-pink feel. It’s closer to Angelika in tone than Desire…while it might not exactly be redundant to have all three, I only find them to have slight differences, and ended up preferring Desire the most since it’s a cool, bright pink, but it doesn’t come off oddly on my warm skin, nor does it enhance the golden/olive, which Mata Hari did a bit. Deep Throat was my first NARS blush, so I’m partial to it. It’s a softer, pinky-peach with some gold flecks. It’s softer than Torrid, not nearly as orange. Orgasm and Amour come off with more pink to me, and are brighter. Gina and Gilda don’t really compare much to Deep Throat. It’s a soft, babydoll, yellow-pink. I don’t find it exactly redundant, but what happened with me is once I started having a few in the same color family, I would find the one I preferred and then the others would sort of become obsolete.
 
NARS collection of cheek products thus far: Laguna, Riviera Multiple, Albatross, Deep Throat, Orgasm, Amour, Gilda, Gina, Taj Mahal, Exhibit A, Taos, Desire, Mata Hari, Dolce Vita, Sin, Madly, Luster, and a heaping sample of Torrid. Laguna is my regular bronzer. Albatross is pretty, but I have MAC Vanilla Pigment, which I could have lived with that as a higlight. Albatross just comes off a little more golden. Deep Throat and Gilda get the most year round use from me. Madly is super subtle, but it’s a warm, soft, seashell pink, which I don’t tend to wear when I’m pale unless with a dark or smokey eye, but I love it when I’m tan because it will show up as a glow rather than much of a color. You have Luster, so I’m sure you are aware that one is a stunner, lol. Out of the ones I own, while I think they are pretty, I probably wouldn’t repurchase Orgasm, Amour, Taj Mahal, Mata Hari, or Dolce Vita if I ever ran out of them. 
 
WOW. Insanely long, but hopefully helpful! If you have any more questions feel free to ask. P.S. – On a totally random note, my dog is gnawing at my knee as I type, LOL.
 
 

 @Kafka He’s a Bichon-Schnauzer mix! He won’t lick faces, but he’s obsessed with licking and chewing other body parts, haha.
 
I consider DT to be a softer tone because, technically, Orgasm is “brighter,” but DT seems to actually have pigment to it. When I swatch Orgasm, I get almost no color, but a fair amount of that sparkle. I swatch DT and I actually get pigment out of it. I have to work to get Orgasm to show up, which is usually between 3-5 swipes, and then the sparkle just gets more intense. I do get peach from it, but I feel it is more due to the amount of shimmer from it than the actual base color. IDK. I’m just not a fan of Orgasm. The texture sucks, IMO, and the payoff is a pain. Deep Throat is softer, but is actually pigmented, so it layers more easily. It’s a less intensified version of Torrid, but less orange. If it’s carried at your Sephora, ask for them to scrape off a sample. I have heard very pale people say it’s too light/doesn’t show up, but I also know darker skin toned ladies who say it works just fine, and have even heard a girl on YT who I believe was NC45 in MAC say it was too bright. It’s definitely confusing, right?! As for Amour, it also looks too red on me at times, but perfectly fine other times. It looks overly pinkish-red in some lights and in others it will look more peach. The fact that I’m never sure if it will look good or bad is one of the reasons I’m not too fond of it.
 
Sin and Oasis are quite similar. Oasis is a little more “red/rose.” Oasis also seems a little more sparkly than Sin, which is why I opted for Sin. I still might get Oasis at some point, lol.
 
Riviera is quite the gorgeous, true pink. It’s sort of a medium, bright, glowy pink. It’s not worth the near $40, IMO, though. I bought it during winter because I felt I needed something brightening that was pink when I was getting so sallow and pale looking. IIRC, it’s a little brighter than Angelika, but not as cool.
 
Madly is probably even more “nude” than Luster. Luster is far superior. It’s more dimensional, I think.
 
And yes, Lovejoy was just ick on me. It made me feel splotchy and like I had some sort of fever/illness. 
 
Taj Mahal was mostly for novelty. It’s always just a little too much for me even when I’m tan. I’m still always thinking, holy.shit.my.blush.is.ORANGE…legit. LOL. It’s a little better if worn over bronzer, but still…mostly a novelty/collector piece.

@Miss J, I wish you lived near me. I think we’d have a blast. 🙂 Bichon-Schnauzer? That must be one intense little personality!! But I bet he’s gorgeous in addition to being feisty. Btw, in my world, they’re “kisses” not licks. My family is utterly *horrified* that I have taught Zola the “kissseeee” command and, even worse, that I use it often! <grin>
 
Hahahaha that Lovejoy made you feel splotchy and fevered. You sound like you had the mumps or measles. And a big ROFL at your reaction to Taj Mahal. I bet it’s simply stunning on a dark beauty but us yellowy olives should stay far, far away!
 
Thank GOD you are as confused about D/T -vs- Orgasm as I am, because I felt I was quite alone in my intense bewilderment.  And an equal Thank God that you’ve heard all the completely contradictory, competing comments about Deep Throat too. I felt I was losing my mind whenever I’d read yet *another* totally polarised report on it. You’re right, Orgasm is a LOT of work for it show up (at least on me) and then, when it does, it seems to be mostly shine and shimmer. Yay, I’m not totally crazy! Once in a blue moon, I’m in the mood for it but… gah. And you should hear my mother/sister on the subject of how even intense work yields nothing. Nothing! ZERO. They’ve got much, much darker olive/yellow skin than myself so that explains it but it’s still a pain. I will definitely try Deep Throat though after all you’ve said, particularly as you find it less orange than Torrid.
 
Speaking of Torrid, it’s so odd that almost all the online swatches I see of it show it as a brighter *pink*-peach than Orgasm when the one in my hand looks totally orange-peach to me. Medium orange with not a whisper of pink anywhere. Maybe I’m just not good with colours but, out of all the blog or online swatches, I think I’ve only seen ONE that looks remotely close. That’s why I don’t trust most of these online swatches (except for Christine’s which has multiple diff. lighting settings on a white background *and* shows it on the skin).  But not even for NARS am I going to brave the horrors and snootiness of  Neiman Marcus to see this stuff in person. <shudder>  That is the only place with a good selection of the blushes but, if memory serves me correctly, I think even THEY have only 20 or so, not the full 35 or more. (26 powder, 7 cream, all the multiples). I wish Mounia and some of the others hadn’t been discontinued because they (and even Crazed) look more interesting than this constant procession of peach that I see everywhere and across all the brands. Mmm…. Mounia…..
 
Good to know about Oasis. I do prefer a more rose pink undertone to my blushes, generally speaking, but it just doesn’t look as gorgeous as Sin so it’s almost at the bottom of my list. I LUST for Sin! 😉  As for Riviera, I’d never pay full price for it. I’m too much of a cheapskate, LOL, so eBay all the way.  But I definitely have my eye on it. Specifically, a Maldives/Riviera Multiple Duo which is always being offered on eBay. Maldives looks like a gorgeous brown pink which would be perfect for summer. And then there is the Cadaques (sp?) Multiple…. OH MY! What a gorgeous warm but bright pink. Much warmer than Desire and, by the looks of it, much brighter than Riviera.
 
What do you think about Silvana, Zen or Nico (as a finishing powder)? What’s next on your Wish or Lust list?  I love talking to you and having someone finally — FINALLY — to share my NARS blush obsession with. But I feel guilty for how much of your time I’ve taken. You don’t have to answer any more of this if you lack the time since I’ve pestered you enough as it is but please know, my gratitude knows no bounds for all your wonderful help. Massive smooch!

Miss J, I was going to recommend Cactus Flower to you. Until I got Luster, it was the *ONLY* blush (out of all my blushes — NARS, Chanel, YSL, Guerlain, etc.) that I got consistent compliments or “what are you wearing?” questions about!  With Luster, I get them too but it’s more comments on my skin or foundation looking good. And never as much as when I wear Cactus Flower!  It’s such a sheer lovely pink-mango-coral on and the shimmer is incredibly subtle. For all that it looks red in the pan, it’s most definitely NOT on my skin. For all that it’s sheer, it’s bright too but a really natural looking warm “bright,” if that makes any sense. And no orange.  If you love peachy-pink-corals, I can’t recommend enough that you try it.
 
If you think Zen is terracotta, I guess Laguna is out for you. LOL. I really like Laguna for contouring but the swatches I’ve seen of Zen make it seem much, much lighter. Or is that Silvana? Hm, might be Silvana. (The Beigey-Browns always are a blur in my mind.) Either way, Zen isn’t for finishing but Nico absolutely is.  It’s received terrible reviews on Makeupalley because people seem to think that it’s a blush powder when, in reality, it’s supposed to be a finishing, setting powder. Kinda like a coloured version of MUFE HD, if you will. So, that was how I was going to use it.
 
I saw the new Liberté blush (not the Miss Liberty, but Liberté) in my Sephora and…. BURNT! Again, Sephora lights screw everything up but, to my eyes, it was most definitely a burnt colour. I shied far away from it. I think it would be gorgeous on dark skin but for me? Not a chance in hell. It looked to me like the lovechild of Taj Mahal and Lovejoy. 
 
G-Spot is going for a decent price (relative to retail) right now on eBay. $25 or so for the lowest price, but I’ve also seen $22. I’ve seen some mixed reviews for it. As for the colour, on some swatches it looks to me it seems like a darker, more rose-with-a-faint-brown-undertone than Cactus Flower. But in others, it looks much more pink. Damn online swatches. That’s another one that is never available at my local Sephora (but really, what is?).
 
How old is your boy? Schnauzers are *very* stubborn, but Bichons are also very much only-child types and not very keen on other dogs (outside of their own pack, that is). So, I definitely believe you in terms of his personality. I think he sounds like a hoot! What’s his name?Are his photos up at the Temptalia Pet Group on Flickr?  Zola is pretty indifferent to other dogs unless he’s playing chase at the dog park but he loves women. LOVES! The boy must have been a libertine in another life. lol.  Oddly, all my German Shepherds have been that way. My last one, Kafka, was utterly *OBSESSED* with big-breasted blondes. Seriously. He also used to watch television nonstop and in detail. So when Anna Nicole Smith died and there was that 24/7 coverage, I swear to GOD I could not actually drag him away from the television. He would actually bark when her image came up! If my family hadn’t witnessed it for themselves, no-one would ever believe me.  Ah, Hairy Children…. in my utterly biased opinion, there is a reason why D-O-G also spells G-O-D backwards.  lol.  😉

@Miss J @Kafka @Miss I read that Outlaw is coming back for Fall 2012, but I don’t know how reliable that info is, or if it will be LE, or returned to the perm line. As for Nico, I bought it as a subtle highlighter, but it actually works pretty well for me as an allover “glowy” face powder, but I’m pretty light. I also bought it for the name (I’m a huge Velvet Underground fan), so luckily I found *some* use for it.

 @Kafka  @Miss Okay, that’s it, you have COMPLETELY sold me on Cactus Flower! I have wanted it for a long time, but just always space grabbing it when I’m shopping.
 
I absolutely LOVE Laguna. It’s the perfect golden bronzer on me. Silvana is the one I find too terracotta…it’s just a little too peachy-brown for my taste for a blush, and I’ve never been sure what else I’d want to use it for, so it’s never been on my list, really. I believe Zen is quite light, and is more neutral, right? The beige ones are definitely hard to remember. On Nico, it drives me crazy when I read reviews mad about it not being a good blush, lol. It’s definitely more of a highlighting/soft focus face powder, and it works to blend out blushes. I just never remembered to use it enough when I owned it the first time to get it a second.
 
The lovechild of Taj Mahal and Lovejoy, you say? PASS. I don’t need to look like I’m ill, lol. I guess it was a good choice for them to come out with, though, since most of the other releases had been much lighter and geared more toward very light skin tones. The dark beauties needed some NARS blush love, too, dammit! I think G-Spot will make the list for sure. I’m not much of a pink blush girl, but I do like the red/rose tones when I want to go more that route. And I’m dying for Outlaw to come back. *drool* Must find a 12 step for makeup addiction….needs help now, haha.
 
The pups name is Bubba. Technically, not a “pup” any longer considering he’s 10 or 11, so more like old man. We got him as the family pet back then, and hadn’t expected to get him, so hadn’t had any name picked out. Not really sure how we landed on Bubba. I think it was because he had such a big dog personality, but was such a twerp that it was kind of an ironic name for him. He suckered us in to taking him home. We bought him from a pet shop that is family owned and only works with respectable breeders. It’s not the puppy mill type of place at all. We went to inquire about beagles, but I saw him, held him, and then it was all over from there. I had to take him home! HAHA. I haven’t put any photos of him on the Flickr, but I’ll have to check that out at some point. I think many dogs are obsessed with TV, I know my dog is for sure, but I am DYING at your dog’s obsession with TV and ANS! LOL! Oh lord! Fur babies are the best!

@Miss J, yay! YAY!!  You’ll have to let me know what you think of Cactus Flower. Promise?? Oh, guess what? My mother *just* called me and she bought Cactus Flower after constantly admiring it on me. She had to go to two diff. places because they were totally sold out at Sephora! She was completely taken aback at the popularity. And the funny thing is that my mother, the fashionista who is a die-hard, decades-long loyalist of Chanel and a few other expensive brands, is slowly becoming really into NARS. (She went out and bought Luster the *day* after she saw mine!) She actually told me last week that “Chanel seems to have really gone down these days but these NARS things of yours….”  Hahaha!  And I’m so with you on the drooling over Outlaw. I’ll be buying it the day it comes out. Last night, when Amy told me, I felt like I’d just been told there was a Santa Claus. LOL. So, about setting up that 12 Step Program….. <grin>