Le Blush Qui ...

One of my favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus, Kimberly Clark, tagged everyone with this blush meme. Which was originally in French, because Sarah, a/k/a notyourtypicaldollface, the YouTuber who tagged him, is a polyglot.

I am not. But I translated the questions and am answering them here, on my blog, rather than on YouTube.

Because I'll tell you something about beauty blogging. You can sit at home wearing jeans and a wrinkly button down shirt with slippers on your feet and very little makeup on and be extremely eloquent and persuasive about the importance of beauty and style. But try showing up on YouTube looking like that. It doesn't work.

So of course I'm answering the questions here. God forbid I have to do my hair or change my clothes or finish putting on my makeup, or anything time-consuming and complicated like that.

Without further ado, these are the tag questions (in English, not Français) and my answers:

1. The blush with the best packaging

Oh goody, I get to start with an outlier. I'll bet no one else will say this.

In 2013, Bourjois produced a 150th anniversary limited edition set of blushes. These are super cool (to a makeup historian like moi) because Bourjois invented the baked blush in 1863, and they're still manufacturing at least one of their original colors (Rose Jaspé, I think, but don't quote me.)

And the design of these compacts is so damned retro.

Zut alors! They look like little macarons!

Marie Antoinette would covet these blushes. Just saying. Click here for more about Bourjois with great pictures of their original products--it's fascinating,

2. The blush with the prettiest color

Here's the thing about blush. With certain exceptions—some of which I have purchased—it's all pretty.

That being said, there's something about the Tarte blush from my Be Mattenificent palette.

3. Your most pigmented blush


Chanel Joues Contraste in Rouge.

They're not kidding when they say rouge. This photograph is blown out and look how red this is.

I mean, this stuff is actually scary.


4. Your everyday blush

Benefit's Dandelion by a landslide. It's so light that I can't over-apply.

Not even if I tried.

5. Your party blush

This is an ancient one that I'm about to toss.

Lancôme Blush Subtil in Pink Pool

It's hot pink and has actual sparkles in it.

There are very few occasions where I'm tempted to tell a blush "Oh honey, I'm too old for you."

This would be one of them.

6. The blush you regret purchasing

Chanel's Joues Contraste in Or

Rouge on the left; Or on the right. Cue the theme music to Goldfinger

This was one of those fear-of-missing-out moments, where I felt an unreasoning need to latch on to an entire limited edition collection. But when was painting my cheeks gold ever a good idea?

7. The blush you use least

It's hiding behind the brush

This was an Estee Lauder kit I bought in 2012.

The nailpolish and the Pure Color blush (with three shades of blush in the compact) are the only products still standing from this one. And the blush is about to get Marie Kondo'd.

I never knew what to do with the different stripes of color. One color at a time, say I. if you other ladies want to swirl different shades together, go ahead. I won't judge. SLUTS.

8. Your most used blush that you would never let go

Again, Benefit's Dandelion. Here's a shot of my actual box.

Does anyone else feel drunk? These angles are killing me. It's the blush of Dr. Caligari.

I carry it in my purse, even though it's made of cardboard and insanely bulky. In short, this is true love.

9. Favorite blush brand

HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN MY CHILDREN?

Not to mention that at last November's Sephora 20 percent off sale, I bought palettes from Smashbox and Nars featuring several shades of blush, and I've barely used them. Maybe one of them will become my favorite. I DON'T KNOW.

(I started this post thinking I didn't own that much blush, but I'm ending it feeling like Michelle Duggar. "Oh my lord, there's another one!")

10. Your greatest blush discovery of the year

Formerly a Sephora exclusive, now available from 3rd party sellers on Amazon

Nars Steven Klein One Shocking Moment blush/bronzer/highlighter palette ... this is one stop shopping for everything except lips. (And lashes. And OK, fine, my under eye circles require concealer.) But pretty much everything else. And the blush shades—they're so soft! So pigmented! So blendable!

11. Most practical blush

Using lipsticks as blush. This is a makeup artist secret that has been around forever. I mean, I've known about it since before I wore makeup.

Of course, there would always be the comments, "Ew, that would be greasy! It would probably make me break out!" Even though I have dry skin and want more, rather than less oil in my makeup, and even though I don't break out, I might dab a little lipstick on my cheeks ... in makeup emergencies. But I'd do it furtively. On the down low.

Well, not anymore. I recently watched a video in which makeup artist Dustin Hunter said he kept Revlon's Cherries in the Snow around to use as a blush. And it was a lightbulb moment! I can come out of my lipstick-on-my-cheeks closet!

And just think--all those pink lipsticks that look kind of dated (even to me, and I am old and love all things retro) that I was ready to throw out. Now I'm recycling them as blush! I feel so earth-friendly.

12. Least practical blush

Chanel.

It's not Chanel's fault, but I tend to store my compacts in their little velvet pouches. Sometimes (OK, most of the time) in their boxes, too. Each pan of color is covered with a protective sheet of plastic, and who am I to declare "These are useless!" and pitch them? So I keep them. And I hate the brush Chanel includes, so I have to use a different brush.

There's just so much fumbling around.

13. Most expensive blush

Chanel Joues Contraste retails for $45.00. But! If for some reason I wanted to buy a back-up of Fleurs de Lotus, I'd have to spend $119 on eBay. And my Rose Tourbillon would cost me $69.00

Honestly, I should just sink all my money into Forever Stamps (people, the price of postage will only go up) and Chanel blushes. Who needs an IRA?

14. Your least expensive blush

Aside from a GWP lipstick dotted on my cheeks and blended?

I'd say Bourjois blush in their cute little hatbox-shaped plastic-the-color-of-the-product pots.

So of course, Sephora and Ulta stopped selling them. 

Tag, you're it 

Ok, you're not really. I don't expect anyone who reads here to actually do something this silly. Perhaps go through your blushes and think about them? And if you only own one, do not leave a comment saying so. I feel bad enough.