Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush In Water Poppy

Cushion-style packaging for makeup has been making its way from Korea to Western makeup brands (Lancome has a very intriguing foundation in cushion form). Now Stila is bringing us a couple of Korean color products; the  Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush, as well as an eyeliner which is already on my to-buy list (I'm tempted to get four out of the six colors). Which should tell you that I'm quite enamored with this blush.

The color in the little Stila jar looks scary, but we're all veterans of cream and liquid blushes, not to mention the name "Watercolor" tells most of the story. You shake the (tightly closed, please) blush, open the lid, transfer a tiny bit to the back of your hand (I use a synthetic brush to avoid bacteria), and apply to your cheeks, blending as you go. Even the seemingly intense red coral of Water Poppy becomes a sheer and flattering tint that sets quickly (setting time varies by what you've piled underneath) and stays on for the entire day. I've worn it during a long hot day of mostly outdoorsy activities, including the zoo, and this stuff doesn't budge. The high quality of this little thing caught me by surprise, probably because the packaging itself is a bit high maintenance (you can see above how much color goes above the cushion surface after  you shake it).But this Stila blush is excellent and is worth the very quick learning curve involved.

There are currently five colors in Stila's  Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush range, and I can tell you that Water Lily and Rosewater are in my future. I hope they come up with more shades. A wintery mauve would be nice, don't you think?

Bottom Line: I'm a convert.

Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush In Water Poppy ($26, made in Korea) is available from Sephora and Ulta.