Blushing Beauty

I have a very small collection of blushes, which only really began late last year with the Naked Flushed palette (not featured). After the Naked Flushed palette came the Benefit blush in Dandelion. I wasn't too confident about applying blush at this point, so I figured that a light shade would be a great start. As I grew confident in my skill (and after watching numerous YouTube videos), I decided it was time to expand my collection.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (Natural Beauty)
I had heard a lot about the Tarte blushes from Essiebutton on YouTube and thought that they would be a good investment. I was looking for something long-wearing and this blush is it. Essiebutton describes this blush as the "Snow White blush" and boy, she is right. It is extremely pigmented and will make you look fresh and alive. It's best to use a light hand when applying this and build it up as necessary.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush (Exposed)
I got this shade in the hopes that it would provide a light contouring effect and would warm my complexion up a little. Unfortunately, it seems to match my skin tone a little too much, and it has a barely there effect, which can be a good thing depending on what look you're going for. I tend to use this when I'm going for a bold lip or bold eye.

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush (Ginger Pop)
This blush is amazing! The colour is quite buildable and it's a really nice, warm peach which complements my skin tone and does not make me look yellow (which does tend to happen with some blushes). The texture of the blush is interesting; it's a powder blush but at the same time it feels very smooth and creamy. I find that I don't pick up much colour when using an ordinary powder blush, but it works really well with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush.

Benefit Blush (Dandelion)
This blush is a little bit disappointing, if I'm honest with you. In the pan, it's a really nice peachy-pink shade with some shimmer, but when applied it just looks chalky and unflattering. I also find that it isn't very pigmented (as seen in the swatches). I'm glad that I purchased a mini version of this from the Bronzed n' Dandy kit from Benefit. I still use it, but just not as often as I would like.

What are some of your favourite blushes?