DHC Face Color Palette EX RS03 Glowing Rose & RD04 Radiant Ruby

DHC is a Japanese brand most famous for skincare and especially their olive oil-based face cleanser. I admit to not realizing they also offer makeup, which is a shame since the products I've tried so far are beyond lovely, from the sweet (not too precious, though) packaging and embossed surfaces to the very smooth textures.

The Face Color Palette EX is one of several new items from DHC. These are blush and highlighter sets that come in four shades. The ones you see here are RS03 Glowing Rose, a coolish pink, and RD04 Radiant Ruby, a warm peach. The highlighter for each blush has a matching undertone, though it's not very noticeable unless you pile it on as I did for the sake of swatching.

The colors are rather delicate and pigment intensity is medium plus. I don;t know how these colors would work on very dark skin, but fair to medium ones will find them easy to wear and very flattering. The texture is very smooth: the formula contains silicone that makes the DHC blushes apply and blend beautifully; mixing the two colors in each palette together gives a lovely glow without shimmer flecks, but you can definitely skip the highlighter or reserve it for special occasion. A brush such as Hakuhodo 210 or MAC 109 with a relatively small and round head performs best here, both in terms of precision and picking up the right amount of color (for me. If you're very fair you might want to go fluffier). I admit I like the texture of these DHC blushes more than the new Shiseido trios that were not packed as tightly and make a royal mess every time I use them.

The little brush in the compact is probably the weakest link here. The white plastic looks cheap (it would have been so much nicer if the brush matched the outer packaging) and one of the two I have was too scratchy for my liking, but it can be used on the go and in a hurry, since it's of good width and density.

Bottom Line: a great find at nearly half the price of Shiseido.

DHC Face Color Palette EX RS03 Glowing Rose & RD04 Radiant Ruby ($20 each) are available from dhccare.com. The products for this review were press samples.