The Perfect Autumn Coral | Deborah Milano Natural Blush in 'Spicy'

Deborah Milano | Natural Blush in '04 - Spicy' | £6.90* | Link

I'm partial to a peach blush or two, me.  I find that I suit warmer peach and coral tones much more easily than cooler pinks, even throughout winter.  My new go-to blush is this little beauty from Deborah Milano and it's been the perfect addition to my collection.   I've previously had the chance to try one of their Moisture Shine lipsticks (review here), so was really looking forward to trying their 'Natural Blush' in Shade 04 - 'Spicy'.  I would describe the colour as a mid-toned dusky peach with a slight orangey pink tone throughout. The photographs pick it up to be slightly brighter than it is due to the lighting - but the swatch is a little more true to colour.  I'm a big fan of Illamasqua's 'Lover' blush, but I sometimes find that it can be a little too bright for my autumn/winter skin, and the orange tones in it bring out any dark circles I might have - this is why I've been loving 'Spicy' just recently.  It's a little more forgiving on paler skin, isn't as bright and looks that little bit more natural due to it's slightly pink undertone. Really flattering and the perfect compliment to any makeup look.

What I love about the blush is how soft and smooth it is - it blends out effortlessly and gives the skin a lovely gentle flush of colour.  The subtle contours of the product in the pan make it easier to pick up on a fluffy blush brush, and even the tiniest amount transfers as a lovely, even colour on the cheeks.  It looks fabulous with a subtle highlight and contour, and finishes off my every day makeup perfectly.  The blush contains a tiny bit of sheen - as you can see in the close up shots - but it doesn't transfer much onto the skin - giving it a satin/almost matte finish that looks lovely and natural - not a hint of 'glitterball' in there whatsoever!  My perfect kind of coral blush.

Deborah Milano say that their 'Natural Blush' is enriched with precious gem dust and contains minerals that are good for the skin (including Mother of Pearl, Coral, Amber and Jade to name a few) whilst being suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types (that's me!).  It really has become my go-to blush and can imagine I'll be wearing this well into autumn/winter - it's not so bright that it belongs solely in your summer makeup bag but gives your skin a warming pop of colour that brightens the complexion and looks flawless in finish. A very good little all-rounder that will be perfect for all seasons, in my opinion! The compact does come with a little tiny brush - it's always a nice touch for on-the-go but personally I find it blends better with a bigger, fluffy blush brush (the Real Techniques one works extremely well with it!).  For £6.90, it easily beats some of my drugstore favourites and the quality and wear time are up there with the best.  Totally worth the price tag and I won't be hesitating to pick up another shade in the near future!

You can find the Natural Blushes on the Deborah Milano website here. 

What shade have you got your eye on? Do you like the sound of these blushes?

Stargazer Cosmetics | A Coral Obsession

Above: Wearing lipstick in shade '124' and Blusher in '8'

Well. First let me just apologise for that ridiculously posey photo there (oo - we've got a duckface up in here!).  Moving on swiftly... Stargazer is a brand that I've been familiar with in the past - they were around a good couple of years before I started getting into makeup and I always remember them as being one of the first cosmetic brands I ever delved into as a young'un.  When I was contacted to see if I wanted to give a few of their products a try, I was really intrigued to see what they were all about and whether or not my 23 year old self would enjoy experimenting with them just as much as I did in my school days.  What I will say about Stargazer, is that they're quite 'out there' - if you're looking for striking brights or an unusual colour of an kind at a fraction of the high end price, then they're the brand for you.  That being said, they offer a little something for everyone - even a run of the mill neutral obsessive like myself. When discussing the products, I explained to them how much of an obsession I had for anything coral - I thought it was really nice that they sent me over a little selection tailored for my own personal preferences. Let's kick off the reviewing sesh...

Stargazer Powder Blusher | Shade 8 | £3.50*

Firstly, let me just say this blusher is amazing for £3.50.  The pigmentation is the selling point for me - it's incredible.  You only need a quick tap of a brush to get an intense pop of colour which is easily blendable.  The colour is a beautiful orange shade - not for the faint hearted but one that looks beautiful with a bit of a tan.  I'm determined to make it work once my skin tone turns a little paler, but we shall see! Consistency wise, it's quite soft and I don't find it to be chalky at all.  This one is a little winner for me - even the shade selection is impressive (link). 

Stargazer Lipsticks | Shades '124' and '206' | £3.50*

I actually like these more than I thought I would.  I will get the negatives out of the way first and just say I'm not a massive fan of the packaging - if you're not careful when you're replacing the lid you're in tremendous danger of chopping the top off, and it's also quite plastic-y.  Not a massive problem for me as I don't expect gold encrusted tubing for £3.50, but it's worth mentioning for those who are specific about their packaging preferences! The lipstick also has that 'cometic' smell - doesn't put me off but again, preference.  It's easy to overlook these things once you've applied them, and for the simple fact that they aren't your 'everyday' kind of shades.  They're extremely well pigmented and the shape of the lipstick itself makes it really easy to get an even line around the edge of the lips.  They provide a satin/matte sort of finish once on, but don't feel overly drying.  As for longevity, they stay put very well - wearing off to a stain.  The colours are simply stunning and I'm a big fan of the lighter shade (worn in the photographs above) - it reminds me of a slightly more orange version of Mac's 'Costa Chic'.  Again, I'm really tempted to grab a couple of these in more winter-y shades... they're great for a purse friendly lipstick treat if you're a fan of intense colour.

Stargazer Nail Polish | Shade '205' | £2.00*

Stargazer Nail Polishes actually happen to be an old favourite of mine.  I have a little stash of them in my nail polish box and have always adored them. £2 is pretty damn cheap for a nail polish these days, and the quality is really good - I've always found them to resist chipping rather well.  The shade '205' is a gorgeous pearlescent coral/pink - I adore it! I've worn it countless times since I received it and it's become a firm favourite.  Again, it does look stunning with a tan but now I'm a little paler it still looks really pretty.  Usually, with pearlescent finishes, it takes a good number of coats to get the desired effect - as you can see on the nail wheel above, it only took me 2 coats to pretty much get the colour shown in the bottle - a 3rd coat finishes it off nicely but I wouldn't say it's needed.  This has to be my favourite of the bunch - simply because of how much I've loved them in the past.  I think some of the colours they offer are really unique and they're worth every penny.

And there we have it.  Although these products are undoubtedly tailored towards more of a summery makeup 'wardrobe', there's no reason why I won't be wearing these colours throughout the year - the blush especially (i wear coral blushes all year round despite the less than colourful weather...)  I know summer is a little bit of a distant memory for the majority of us now, but my coral/obsession doesn't go away with the sunshine let me tell you! I wasn't expecting to like the lipsticks, but I did - in fact, I loved everything I tried and I'm so glad I've been re-introduced to Stargazer.  For the price, they're very good and if you're a fan of brights, bold colours and statement shades then they're worth having a look at.  They even have some crazy colours for the more daring and 'out there' amongst you (blue lipstick anyone? - I don't think I could quite pull that one off but if you're ever in the market for a blue lippie to embrace your inner smurf - you know where to go...) You can have a look at the Stargazer website here - I have my eye on a few of the deep red lipsticks and neutral blushers...

Have you ever tried Stargazer? Which product tickles your fancy?