Hello everyone, today I’m going to be reviewing an Illamasqua cream blush which is pretty scary looking in the pan, and it goes by the name of ‘Seduce’. If you’re a regular reader of my blog you will know that I swear by Illamasqua blushers, they are just WONDERFUL at doing them right... I own 6 of them and have no regrets, because I just love them! You can purchase this blush here for £21.50 (although I’d keep an eye out for their amazing sales).
Illamasqua blushers are all packaged the same, and most people will agree with the term ‘bulky’ to describe them. I can easily fit six of them in half a muji drawer as they stack neatly, but I do think the design is just a little over the top, especially when travelling. I’m much more likely to put a NARS blusher in my travel makeup bag over this. Also is has no mirror - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but with packaging that big, I would have liked to see one.
Clunky packaging aside, this cream blush when first opened had a layer of liquid over the top. I think the reason was because the consistency of Illamasqua’s cream blushers are much more on the liquid side than the cream/moosey type. These cream blushers are meant to be useable for the lips too, and when I swatched it for the first time on my hand, it looked a little bit like a lip stain. I will say that on the lips its pretty and like a berry shade but not too harsh. On the cheeks it’s dewy looking and a finish I really really enjoy.
Seduce is a mix between magenta and berry, leaning more on the pink side. In the pan - yikes this blush does not look friendly. But on the skin, it transfers beautifully as a healthy and vibrant pink flush with a dewy finish. You can change the intensity to a muted medium pink or a super strong one which means it really looks stunning on every skintone. For fair skins I recommend tapping off the majority onto the back of your hand first and then applying it, but for medium to dark skins tap the blush just over the contour line and blend upwards and this’ll give the most gorgeous sculpted look.
Swatched unblended and blended out - see how sheer it becomes!
My favourite and only way I apply this is with my fingers because I get to control the intensity and the warmth of my fingers help it melt into the skin without any streaky blush marks. This is a stunning ‘I’ve been walking out in the cold’ kinda shade. The only qualm I have with it is the lasting power. I’m used to Illamasqua blushers lasting at least 9/10 hours on my skin and this one fades by 7 hours. A faint stain is left so it doesn’t totally disappear, but I wish it would last long enough for me to wear on a typical uni day when I need my makeup to last all day - oh and I have normal/dry skin so I imagine it would last a lot less than on oily skin.
Overall Rating
Rating: 7
Pros: The intensity is easy to control, you can go for a bold look or a muted blush. The shade is really unique in my collection its a strong magenta with a hint of purple and it suits my skintone whether its pale or bronzed up.
Cons: If not blended in, it can look patchy on the skin. It can look a little intense if over applied. The lasting power isn’t on par to the full price.
Repurchase? Yes I would if I bought it on sale again as the shade is stunning, but not for the full RRP.
Thank-you for reading ♥
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