The IT Cosmetics (CC) Ombre Radiance Blush is a huge time saver. I don’t review blushers all that much but the ombre effect of this one; that gives you depth, color and highlight all at the same time – is something worth talking about.
Let’s face it. We’ve got one coral cheeks too many, and sensing that it is the end of the year, I’d rather go for sugar plum cheeks for a wintery look. I want my cheeks to look frosty and rosy, like they’ve been out in the snow and this IT Cosmetics Sugar Plum blush shade just about casts that perfect winter light on those apples. I’ve done a quick demo for this look using this blush, watch if you’re keen:
IT Cosmetics (CC) Blush offers More than Peaches & Cream: My Review
I recalled IT Cosmetics marketed it as their CC + Ombre Radiance blush but somehow the term “CC”, which stands for color correcting, drops when it comes to their current packaging, although there’re color-correcting pigments amongst the blush ingredients.
Packaging
It comes in a full mirrored compact case and has a button with which you press to release to open. The fact that the case is mirrored all round is a plus – you can just check yourself on the cover without opening it.
Color/Texture
The hues of this blush makes you fall in love with it again and again. It comes in 3 shades, namely, Je Ne Sais Quoi (pronounced “je-nay-say-kua), Sugar Plum (the one I’m reviewing here) and Coral Flush. The colour of Sugar Plum starts with a matte deeper wine from the bottom up to a semi-shimmery plum shade before finally finishing it with a gorgeous baby pink pearly highlight. The whole pot looks like a frosted plum.
How To Apply the IT Cosmetics Sugar Plum Blush
IT Cosmetics says on their website and tv infomercial that the way to apply is to swirl your brush around the blush pot before sweeping on to the cheeks. I personally do not want to do that. By swirling your brush all you pick up is a mixed bunch of highlight, cheek color and contour; there is no segregation of the hues, which is what this product was made to achieve anyway, i.e. the gradual cascade of ombre tones. Let me show you what I mean here.
The photos below show how this blush transforms its effect on the skin as it is tilted at different angles where natural light hits. This swatch was done by a single sweep of my finger over the blush pot and then transferring it on to the back of my hand with one sweep as well. This is what you get when you don’t swirl the pigments together – the shade sets beautifully and there is an ombre effect. Notice how, no matter how I tilt my hand, there is a different tone each time.
How do you then apply it on the cheeks? Now watch my above video again. In the video I picked up the blush using a top-down sweep. This prevents the pigments from being mixed together and retains the ombre effect. Then instead of sweeping on the cheeks, I use a patting motion. This way I’m locking the ombre shades in place. Go to 0:38 for the close-ups or pause at 0:46 and you can see how the shades gradually changes from dark to light as it comes to the high point.
IT Cosmetics Ombre Radiance Blush Ingredients – Key Things You Need To Know
The IT Cosmetics Ombre Radiance Blush is Talc-Free, Paraben-Free and, my favourite of all, Cruelty-Free!
Price & Where To Buy
SGD$41.00 at Sephora Singapore outlets
Verdict:
I would jump right in by saying this is by far my favourite blusher. I said it before and I will say it again – it is a HUGE time-saver. I’m someone who goes for quick solutions, and if this claims to be what it is – a blusher and highlighter in one, why the heck not? Except that it is not like your other shimmery blushers or the ambient lighting powder blush where all the matte and shimmers are swirled into one; it has this ability to finish a job like you would highlight and blush up separately in usual cases. I’m a butter finger when it comes to strobing, highlighting and contouring, etc, so to know that I could set my apples with a product like this got me smiling from cheek-to-cheek.
The blush powder is quite pigmented as seen in the video, so be light-handed as you pick it up by the brush; especially so when the product is a little chalky, you don’t want to brush against it too hard to risk any excessive waste. However strong the colored pigments are, the highlighter part sets a beautiful glow that is not over-powering.
6 hours in and you’ll notice the highlighting effect has dimmed substantially but the cheek and darker shades stay put for up to 8-10 hours so your cheeks remain pretty much contoured and flushed round that part of the clock.