Review: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Beg

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Beg · £18

A few months ago Illamasqua had a 50% off flash sale and, never one to turn down a bargain, I ordered myself a half price blusher. Although I'd heard good things about Illamasqua before, there isn't a counter near me so I hadn't been able to try anything out in person, and so was a little reluctant to part with £18. But when I saw it for under a tenner I had to give it a go. I've never been much of a blusher kinda girl and have always preferred bronzer/contouring, but lately I've been embracing rosy cheeks much more. I still prefer shades that are dusky and understated rather than too pink and perky however, so I opted for the shade Beg.

Beg is a deep, dusky rose shade which is pink but with definite reddish-brown undertones. In real life, I'd say it's slightly less pink than in my photos above, but it's nowhere near as brown as the swatches on the Illamasqua website either - it's somewhere inbetween. I love that it's quite a dark pink rather than being too bright and Barbie-ish. I think dark rosy shades like this really help to warm up my pale complexion. This blusher is also SO SO SO pigmented, you don't even need to swirl your brush but just one tap on the pan and you'll have enough to do each cheek. When I first tried it out, I definitely made the mistake of using too much product and ended up looking overly rosy, but once you get used to what works for your skintone it can create the nicest natural flush. The fact that it's so pigmented also means that it should last foreeeever so £18 doesn't seem like such bad value for money after all!

I'm also a big fan of the fact that Beg has a matte finish. Everyone seems to be into cream blushes in a big way just now but I'm afraid I can't get on with them, I'll stick to good old powder for now. Some people really like the dewy look, but I'm much more of a matte fan, so this formula is pretty much my favourite. It's nice and soft, easy to blend (I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush to apply it), and gives a really natural finish. I love this as an everyday product for natural daytime makeup, but it can just as easily be built up for more of a statement look for a night out. I've found that the colour is pretty long lasting too, no need to reapply throughout the day.

As someone who's never been a big blush fan, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like this product and how much I've used it during the couple of months since I bought it. I think there is definitely room for some more Illamasqua blushers in my makeup drawer!

Have you tried any Illamasqua blushers?

Gillian x