Illamasqua Chased Blush

This blush, Chased, from Illamasqua, was an impulse purchase early last spring. I guess I was craving something pink and floral, otherwise I can't really explain it. It's not that Illamasqua Chased blush isn't pretty. It's a lovely cool pink that with lots of blending and a good bronzer doesn't look too bright or too foreign for my skin tone. Illamasqua blushes are known for their intense saturation. Basically, it's like working with a pure pigment rather than with a face product. Some of the blushes tend to be chalky side, but Chased isn't. It's just a very simple pink.

A big part of what makes a great blush and separates luxury brands from the chaff is color complexity. You don't want your cheeks to look covered in paint. Thus, a good blush is more than just a pretty pigment; the product needs to become part of your skin and give it a boost of radiance. While Illamasqua Chased blush can and does look good, it requires a lot of help from the products I layer underneath. It's not the kind of cheek color one can apply to a naked face without looking like a Crayola experiment gone wrong.

Bottom Line: pretty, there are many better products out there.

Illamasqua blush ($24) is a Sephora exclusive, in-store and online.