Make Up For Ever HD Second Skin Cream Blush: #210, #330, #225 and #315

I was a big fan of the original HD Microfinish Blushes from Make Up For Ever. You know, the ones that came in the pump bottles...and that you could never, ever finish unless you wore blush like Mimi wore eyeshadow? I love me some blush, but there was just no way to go through a whole bottle, let alone several, when the average use amount was the size of a sesame seed.

The new Makeup Up For Ever HD Second Skin Cream Blushes, however, seem far more...useable? Packing a respectable 2.8 gram content and lovely pigmentation, so a little still goes a long way, without verging on the ridiculous.

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush, clockwise from bottom left: #210, #330, #225 and #315

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: #210, #330, #225 and #315

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush, left to right: #210, #330, #225 and #315

Make Up For Ever claims that these blushes create the "second-skin look of a cream with the ease of a powder", and I would agree. This is a silicone-heavy formula, balanced with waxes and powder ingredients that give it a quick-dry, utterly weightless finish on the skin. Much like the new generation foundations (Chanel Lumière Velvet, l'Oréal Magic Nude) that blend right into the skin, leaving behind no perceptible texture, these blushes look completely, 100% natural. (Well, in so far as you opt for a shade that looks natural on you.)

If you're wary of cream blushes because 1) they seem difficult to apply or blend, 2) you're worried about applying cream products to oilier skin, or 3) you prefer the ease of a powder blush you can apply post-powder and reapply during the day....well, these guys are going to soothe all your fears.

One -  the HD Second Skin Cream Blushes are absurdly easy to use. Applied with fingers or a brush, they blend out easily and don't catch on the skin. They dry fairly quickly, but because they don't go on crazily opaque you have to freedom to start light and build up. For a sheer application, I like a duo-fibre brush like the Senna Cosmetics Airbrush Blender. For a stronger look, the MUFE 152 Medium Highlighter Brush has served me very well. Honestly, I think these are actually easier to use than powder blushes, because of how blendable they are.

Two - because of that mix of oils, waxes and powder, they don't feel or look weird on oily skin (or dry skin, for that matter, as long as you don't have flakiness, which I've found to be the case across the board with silicone-heavy formulas). They have a very natural satin finish, neither dewy or matte. They look like...well, skin. Beautifully flushed, radiant skin.

Three - these can be applied to bare skin, foundation, or over powder. They don't drag or go patchy, and they last really, really well. Touch ups, should you need them, are about as fussy as they would be with a powder blush.

In a pinch, these can also be used on the lips, but I do find them drying when applied straight on. (Over a lip balm, as a stain, no problem.)

I ordered a few from Naimie's as soon as they were available, and was sent one as a sample from Make Up For Ever, so I had a chance to test a good range. There are 16 shades in total, and they are numbered in a way to indicated the general skin tone they are best suited for: 200s for fair skin, 300s for medium skin, 400s for deeper skin, 500s for dark skin. That said, I think most of the colours can be worn by a variety of skin tones, as it's just a matter of preference and how intensely you choose to build it up.

In the pictures below, I've swatched these heavily (a solid swipe from the pan) and buffed out with a fluffy crease brush to show how adaptable they are.

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: 210 and 330

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: 210 and 330

These two are the more cool-toned shades I selected: 210 is considered a "cool pink" by Sephora, and I would agree with that. It's a very classic, English Rose sort of blush, very flattering to fair, alabaster skins. 330 is called a "rosy plum" on the Sephora site. I would consider it more of a medium pink with a watermelon undertone, warmer and more muted than the 210.

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: 225 and 315

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: 225 and 315

On the warmer side: 225 is described as a "peachy pink", again very apt. This is a super easy, friendly colour that looks fresh on lighter skin and glowing on medium or tanned complexions. 315 is called "peach beige" and it has a bit of a redwood tone to my eye. When I wear it, it almost makes me look like I've caught a little too much sun - but sexy and beachy in that peach-blush-and-loads-of-bronzer way. I think this would be a really fantastic blush for olive and tanned skin tones.

And for comparison's sake, these are all four of the blushes side by side.

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush, left to right: #330, #210, #225 and #315

Make Up For Ever Second Skin Cream Blush: #330, #210, #225 and #315

The Second Skin Cream Blushes are available at Sephora stores and www.sephora.com, for 26$ USD or 31$ CAD. (They can also be purchased in-store or via phone order from Naimie's and Nigel's.)

Have you guys tried these yet? What do you think of them?

(I purchased all but one of these items, which was sent by the brand/PR to be considered for review. All opinions are my own, this post is not sponsored or otherwise compensated.)