Shiseido Camellia Compact Blush

Shiseido Camellia Compact Blush (currently a Macy's exclusive) is a very pretty three color blush palette. The compact itself features a stylized camellia flower (see photo in my preview post) and is the kind of item that makes one happy to open in the morning.

Inside the Camellia compact you'll find two blushes- red and pink- and also a white shade that is supposed to be a highlighter. This is where things get a little weird. When you first buy this Shiseido compact, the entire surface of the product is covered in a high sparkle "fairy dust"shimmer overspray. The first time you swipe a brush or a puff over the pretty flowers it removes all the glitter from the blush and you're left with a true pink, an almost berry red and a white-- all in buttery smooth matte texture. This is fine and well for the blushes, but doesn't a highlighter supposed to... highlight?

I suspect that the white part of the Camellia Compact is not quite the same as Shiseido High Beam highlighter (I don't currently own the latter, a problem that should be rectified soon).To my eye, it's more like a soft white eye shadow. However, when you mix the colors- including the white- together, it helps in balancing and lightening the overall result. I've played with each color separately (you'll need a tiny blush brush to do that, such as the smallest Hakuhodo Yachiyo), but I find that the best look is achieved by swirling all three shades. You can choose to pick more pink or more red and the result is matte and quite polished.

As you can see, the blush is very pigmented. I made the swatches using the flat top small Yachiyo which picks more than enough product. It's also wonderfully long-lasting and grabs to a well-primed skin for the entire day. I'd recommend a light hand and a good blending brush.

Bottom Line: pretty.

Shiseido Camellia Compact Blush ($36) is a Macy's exclusive, at least for now. Available in store and online.