Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Tremble

 Hey lovelies! I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted, but unfortunately uni and work got in the way and I've had to channel all of my energy into that. However, I'm back with a review of the Illamasqua Powder Blusher in the shade Tremble. I actually received this as a gift from my friend Alice back in February for my birthday, so I've had the opportunity to try it out numerous times with various looks.

(yay for colour coordinated nails!) ;)

This is actually my first ever Illamasqua product and on the website it is described as a "soft lilac pink, matte finish". I disagree with this statement for although in some lights this blush appears to have a lilac tint to it, I'd definitely say it's more of a true pink with a slight coral tinge when swatched. 

The formula itself is perfectly matte which I love. I tend to use my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle as a highlight, so sometimes I feel as though using a blush with shimmer in simultaneously can be a bit much and I can end up looking like a glitterball. The incredible pigmentation of this product is actually both a blessing and a curse. On one hand the colour you see in the packaging is pretty much identical to how it transfers on your face. However, it also means that it is quite easy to apply too much and end up looking somewhat clown-like. That said, once you get the hang of applying this blush with a lighter hand, the colour pay off is wonderful and leaves your cheeks with a really pretty, doll-like flush.

I really like the packaging of this blush as the top is clear, meaning it's really easy to see the product inside and the shape of the pot itself is unique to Illamasqua, meaning it's easy to spot amongst the other blushes in my collection. 

This product is pricey and at £21.50 for just 4.5g of product these blushes are significantly more expensive than ones from other higher end brands such as MAC, whose powder blushes retail at £18.00 for 6g. However, unlike other high end brands, throughout the year Illamasqua have AMAZING sales during which these blushes can be reduced to around £5-£7.50, so if you're set on buying an Illamasqua blush look out for these as they're a great time to pick up some bargains and try out products that you wouldn't usually splurge on. 

To find out more check out the Illamasqua website.

Have you tried any Illamasqua blushes?

Real Techniques Core Collection Review

My lovely boyfriend recently bought me the Real Techniques core collection, so I thought i'd do a little review of my thoughts so far.

The set comes with four brushes; a detailer brush, a pointed foundation brush, a buffing brush and a contour brush, as well as a lovely protective case for the brushes that also doubles as a stand. All of the brushes are extremely soft and seem very well made given the price (in boots it retails for £21.99).

The detailer brush really is absolutely tiny, which makes it great for concealing particular areas, or for neatly applying lip products. However, personally I have been using it to apply a highlight (i'm currently using 'virgin' from the original Naked palette) to my brow bone and the inner corner of my eyes.

The pointed foundation brush is a bit of a hit and miss really. I already have the regular Real Techniques foundation brush, which can be found here and I think it is absolutely perfect, so I don't really have any need for this smaller, pointed version. I've tried using it to apply concealer under my eyes, but I don't find it blends as well as using my fingers.

The buffing brush is great with powder, as it enables you to actually build up quite a full coverage as the bristles are so densely packed together. Normally, I use my Mac Mineralize Skinfinish natural (found here) simply to set my foundation, but when used in conjunction with this brush it builds up, providing a much higher, yet not cakey, coverage.

The contour brush is brilliant, i've been using it to apply my bronzer and its great at defining the cheekbones without picking up too much product and making it look unnatural. Though i've only used this brush with bronzer so far, due to its size I think it could also work really well at applying a highlight to the tops of the cheekbones and down the nose.

I hope you liked my review! Sorry there aren't more photos, but my brushes are covered in makeup at the moment and I fear that wouldn't do them justice ;)
Have any of you tried any real techniques brushes?