Too Faced Brightening Blush

I really like Too Faced's schtick - retro vintage girlie glam isn't something that appeals to everyone, and it can come across as tacky, but I think Too Faced usually gets the tone right by keeping it light and whimsical.

I'm generally quite fond of their eye products, and have recently tried out their blushes as well. They have a few new items in their assortment, but since their Brightening Blushes went on sale, I opted to give those a whirl.

First of all, the packaging is super, super cute. I am a sucker for vintage ladies. (Mad Men? You can bet I own all the seasons.)

Mocha Mi Amore - probably my favorite out of the bunch, this is a beautiful browned rose, reminiscent of Benefit's Dallas, though softer in tone and pigmentation. (All of these blushes are what I would consider "medium" in terms of pigmentation - easy to use, hard to over-apply, buildable to a point, not likely to show well on deeper skin tones.)

The texture is silky, with a slight sheen that adds a lovely vitality to the skin. It doubles well as a contour color, especially on my light-medium skin. This might run the risk of being a touch too muddy on paler complexions.

Papa Don't Peach - ok, I admit that part of the appeal of this one is due to the fact that I was a huuuuuge Madonna fan as a kid. But it stands on its own merits.

This is one of those peachy-pinks with a hint of shimmer that belongs to the Orgasm family of blushes. On me it pulls more pink than peach, but I've seen different results on different skin tones.

It's one that I would consider almost universally flattering on pale to medium skin tones.

Pinch My Petals - if you prefer pink to peach, and a much softer touch, then this is a good option.

This has the lightest application of the four, and would be perfect for adding that romantic, Victorian flush of color to porcelain tones.

It's really, really pretty and exceedingly natural.

La Vie En Rose - this one has a fair amount of sparkle visible in the pan and when swatched, which did not endear it to me. Upon application though, most of disappears and the rest is fairly easily brushed away. (If you abhor sparkle, however, I would skip this one, as there will be stray ones every now and then.)

It's a bright, blue-toned pink that is a lot more wearable than it might initially appear. It's actually rather difficult to over-
apply, and the result is far more delicate than intense. On pale skin, it can provide that just-in-from-the-cold effect, and on medium it will simply suggest a healthy glow.







Here are some swatches. As always, on bare, primer-free skin. (My skin tone, for reference, is about MAC NC 20-25, Chanel 20, MUFE 118.)

Indirect natural light.
Mocha Mi Amore, Papa Don't Peach, Pinch My Petals, La Vie En Rose

Indirect natural light, different angle.

  

Artificial light.

Availability: Too Faced website. These are currently part of their Sale section, and are 18$ USD, down from 20$.

Pros: Adorable packaging, very wearable colors, easy texture to work with. Great for those who are not yet comfortable with blush.

Cons: Relatively soft application means that they favor lighter skin tones, and they are not for those who prefer intense shades and deep pigmentation. These all have some degree of sheen (and one with glitter) which may not be everyone's cup. With lighter textures, these can fade faster if worn on their own.

(I purchased these from the Too Faced website.)