A beautiful spring blush

As the weather warms, the flowers bloom and the rain falls more frequently, it feels like Spring is upon us... giving me a reason to add more pinkie colors to my makeup routine. The first product that came to mind was the Tom Ford blush in Wicked.

Tom Ford blush in Wicked

I'm not sure how the designer came up with the name (I don't like it)... but I love this blush. It does have a soft shimmer and it is visible on the cheeks so it can emphasize pores. However, I like the fact that with this blush I don't need to use a highlighter. I use the a stippling blush to apply this product and it gives me glowing pink cheeks. His blush is very soft and shows up very well on my NC44 skin tone. It seems to last for several hours - however I do think that over time like most blushes it does oxidize on me... (I apply this blush on top of my setting powder).

Tom Ford blush in Wicked

I find that along with my base, I can use this blush, a pink lip stick/gloss, some blue eyeliner and mascara and it gives me a really fresh looking, put together face for spring. I find that considering the quantity, quality and pigmentation of the product, this is a must have for me. 

FOUNDATION REVIEW

Tom Ford is a really interesting brand. It is very, very expensive but the designer has a very well edited line of makeup that is very appealing. I'm not a fan of his lip products, although I love the colors, I think they are extremely drying and suck the moisture out of my lips. However his blushes I think are some of the best on the market today. I decided to try out his liquid foundation in the shade praline. I bought mine from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Tom Ford liquid foundation in Praline

I love the packaging and the pump - you can control the amount of foundation you get. The foundation itself has a very light fluid-like consistency and coverage is light (similar to a tinted moisturizer). It gives a matte effect and I do find it slightly drying and that it can emphasize dry patches. The foundation on it's own does not seem to last more than 4 to 6 hours. To counteract the negative effects I make sure to exfoliate and moisturize my face well before hand. Also, I mix in Guerlain's face primer in meteorites perles with the foundation to make it a more gel like consistency. 

Guerlain meteorites primer

This primer also helps the foundation to last all day and gives a more soft focused finish. Would I recommend this product? For the cost, probably not. It is definitely not a must have and I think there are products that are lower priced that perform better. But I think it's awesome that the designer appeals to people with darker skin tones and if you are willing to splurge and/or are a foundation junkie this is definitely worth a try...

CURRENT FAVES - BRONZER/BLUSH

I'm so over this drab winter season - and I'm ready for summer. It's weird though because when the summer weather starts, I can't wait for fall. Hmm....

Anyways, I've been loving two products that give me a bronzed look to the skin... perhaps kind of like the J-lo bronzy glowiness?.... (well not really, but I enjoy the look nonetheless).

TOM FORD BLUSH: SAVAGE
www.saksfifthavenue.com

The first product is my recent blush splurge... I think the price of this blush might give some people a heart attack. But if you love makeup and you want to look tanned - then this product is worth the high price tag. I purchased mine from Saks but it's also available at Neiman Marcus and Nordstroms. It is gorgeous. You get 8 grams of product and the color is a red bronze shimmer - absolutely stunning on the cheeks.

DIORSKIN NUDE TAN: 003CINNAMON/CANELLE
www.sephora.com

This second product is my current HG bronzer. Although it some shimmer in it, the shimmer does not really show up on the skin. This comes with 10 grams of product and it does come in different shades (I got mine at Sephora) - so I recommend swatching/testing before you buy. Mine came with a mini kabuki as well. I would consider this a warm/neutral toned bronzer (not too red/not too orange)... just perfect for me.

The two products are what excellent workhorse products. Along with a bit of primer, tinted moisturizer, some brightener/concealer for the eyes, some mascara, some finishing powder and some lipstick/gloss and I'm set for a 13hour work day!!!

What are some of your current holy grail/no fail products?