Pink Shimmer!

When I did my blush series, I concentrated on offerings from Mac and Benefit but today, I would like to consider a cheaper product from MeMeMe, Pink Shimmer, £6.99.

Technically, the Pink Shimmer palette is not a blush but a highlighting powder. It contains five different shades of pink which you are meant to run your make up brush over and swirl on to your face to highlight.

As you can see, the pallette can get a little messy!

Well to be honest, this little product remained more or less untouched in my draw for more then six months because yes, I had the mega hyped higher end products to show off but also because some of the colours in this palette scared me. A palette that supposedly delivers pink shimmer yet one of the five shades looks pretty much red to me and at least two more of the colours are heading that way. Another one is bright, bright pink. I was never going to use this as a highlighter. Aren't highlighters supposed to be subtle?!

However for whatever reason, I picked this palette up the other day and took a swirl using the resulting shimmer (don't worry, it is a slight shimmer that is delivered not a glittery mess) as a blush and wow, it worked. I have used this product in this way every day since, I don't think I have even touched any of my other blushes for ten days plus.

This product does give a good colour payoff. It adds a subtle, healthy colour to my cheeks without been too much. It is hard to identify what the final colour is on the cheeks (possibly a very muted red) maybe because of the five different shades used to create it. I would say that it is darker then Benefit's Dandelion .
Basically, the resulting flush seems to come close to my natural (red!) blush colour, it doesn't look like make up at all when applied subtly. I would say two swipes or it can quickly, look clownish.
It actually says on the box 'Pink Shimmer for a sassy cheeky look'. I wasn't sure what sassy meant but to be honest, when I see this product on my cheeks I have to admit that MeMeMe may have hit the nail on the head. My cheeks look "sassy" and effortlessly healthy. I wouldn't say that Pink Shimmer is particularly long lasting but I get through maybe four or five hours before I reach a mirror and think that a touch up is required. I have heard that these Shimmer Palettes are renowned dupes for the more expensive Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks (which I have yet to try). I have also heard that MeMeMe are renowned for delivering some good Benefit dupes. As I'm so impressed with the Pink Shimmer as a blush, I think I might be trying the real MeMeMe Blushes next, Blush Me. Ahem, Benefit Coralista, anyone?!

I have been using the ShimmerShimmer mostly in a very natural look with a bit of foundation, mascara - I have a new love:) - and Ambre Rose.

So low price and low maintenance. 
Got to love that!

What do you think of MeMeMe? Any more high street wonders, blush or otherwise, that I am missing out on?

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Blush: Dandelion

Dandelion is one of the 'older' boxed powders from Benefit.

Coralista and Sugarbomb got so much hype when they were released that I feel it is important to remember that some of the predecessors are still out there retailing at the same price (£23.50). I would imagine Benefit have a reason for this ie. Dandelion still sells.

Personally I tend to use this boxed powder as a blush. Benefit refer to the light pink as a powder 'finely spun with delicate mauves and pinks' and somebody else refers to it on Make Up Alley as a ballerina pink. This made me smile as the pretty powder does remind me of my little pink ballet shoes when I was little. This is a pretty blush but in a very subtle, 'delicate' way. I don't think I've ever worn it out as a blush at night before. I don't think it is a party powder and anyhow, I tend to have some kind of tan or glow going on when I go out and I think this pink would be too light to compete.

Dandelion is pink but unlike the almost red Thrrrob, Dandelion is maybe slightly off pink in certain lights which could be due to a very slight peach undertone.

I have never looked at my Dandelion dressed cheeks and thought, 'shimmer' but you can spot some in the box. Even though I'm scared to put this product all over my face, I have found nothing heavy about Dandelion when I use it as a blush. I finds it goes on quite lightly initially and needs building up a little to get any real colour. However even when I think I have applied it too lightly, it seems to add something and indeed the end result is that my skin looks healthier and more awake. I think I said Coralista makes your skin look more alive, I don't think Dandelion has the same 'look at me' impact as Coralista. So rather then making your skin look more alive and up for life, I would say Dandelion makes your skin look more awake. It is a powder I would use on my cheeks whenever I want to look healthy and alert and once built up, I would say that it resembles the powder in the box.

Here you can see my cheek with only foundation.

Here with foundation and Dandelion.

I used about four swipes across my cheek to get this look. It does not appear quite as light in real life and in fact, it should be noted on my other cheek where I have few little marks, my cheek looked pinker a lot quicker. I'm not sure if this was because my skin was irritated further by the powder or if it was just because my skin there was obviously pinker to start with because it is irritated and therefore less colour build up was needed. I really could not tell. However I have seen some reviews that suggest this powder is very sheer. Now whilst I agree that you'll probably get little colour with the very first swipe, you do get some kind of prescence and then some colour builds after one or two more swipes.

Dandlelion was my very first blush from Benefit. Like all of my Benefit blushes, Benefit describe Dandelion as a powder rather then a blush. Benefit suggest that you can use Dandelion wherever necessary to brighten. I don't think I have ever done this. My skin is quite pale and I guess I have always been fearful of looking like a clown. I just do not think that this powder is as sheer as some reviews suggest and I'm still not happy applying to my whole face to brighten.

I've also heard people refer to Dandelion as a highlighter. I get that and indeed, I have used it in this way underneath my eyes to set my Erase Paste. It works but this is something I am reluctant to do unless I have time to blend properly, good light and a slight tan. Generally, I'm going to stick to my High Beam or MEMEME to highlight.

Blushwise, Dandelion can be flattering and lately I have tweaked the look layering it under Thrrrob. I like the effect. I will talk about this a bit more when I review Thrrrob.

Again Dandelion comes in the typical Benefit box with the little brush. I talk about this in my Coralista review here http://essjay23x.blogspot.com/2010/06/blush-coralista.html

Oh and yes, today I can certainly tell that this product has been perfumed.

Have you tried Dandelion? How do you use it? Do you have Well Dressed (MAC), how does this compare to Dandelion?

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