E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer Review & Swatches
E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer ($6) is a new hydrating blush and bronzer duo infused with Purified Water and Vitamin E with a creamy, cushion-y formula that recently launched with the E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Collection.
When these launched earlier last week I immediately placed an order as E.L.F. seems to sell out fast with these limited edition releases they do. I remember last year’s Beautifully Bare Collection was out of stock very quickly. I guess combining the cheap factor with limited edition makes everyone a little frantic to own it.
Let’s have a look!
Each palette comes housed in a black compact that’s about the size of some of the special edition NARS Blush Palettes we’ve seen in the past such as the Pierre Hardy for NARS ones that launched in Summer 2013. And of course, they are very reminiscent of the NARS Blush/Bronzer Duo. Each compact holds 0.29 oz of product.
Don’t kill me beauty budget lovers but these are a little over marketed. E.L.F. promises a hydrating formula that provides a “dewy flush” but I honestly got nothing in the ways of hydration or dewiness.
Here’s what you do get….
These do in fact, as promised, have a cushy consistency! Mind you, not a cushion, just a cushy clay-like consistency that reminds me of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush. If you press on them they do not retain their shape but they have a kind of a molding clay consistency that’s a little denser and a lot less soft than Dream Bouncy Blush. The density isn’t an issue as you can pick up color very easily with fingers or a brush.
I thought they applied a little patchy! I used them on well hydrated skin and I still felt they dragged a little during the application. I had to blend very, very well to get a smooth, even finish that wasn’t spotty and patchy on my cheeks. The dewiness which was promised wasn’t quite there as these seemed to set to a satiny, powdery finish. They do wear like a champ which surprised me as creams tend to wear away very quickly for me but I got about 8 hours of wear from each shade. Granted, at hour eight the color wasn’t as vibrant as the initial application but it still was very much on my cheeks. The colors are very bright and vibrant which was nice but since the application is a little tricky I did have a little clown cheek going on so remember to blend, blend, blend for a more natural finish!
I do fear for their freshness though. E.L.F. cream products tend to dry up quickly! I imagine in a month or two these will likely dry out but hey, I only paid $6 is my mentality.
E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer are a fun if not slightly over-marketed product. They aren’t going to win any major awards in the cream blush department but if you want a little splash of long wearing color on your cheeks and don’t mind babying the formula during application you might enjoy these.
E.L.F. Aqua Beauty Blush & Bronzer are available for a limited time at www.elfcosmetics.com.