Clinique Soft-Pressed Blusher-The Au Natural Blusher

You’d think from all the beauty reviews that I write, I probably resemble Tammy Faye Baker. Just the opposite. My “look” is a natural one. Just a touch of color amongst a cleansed canvas. I probably spend most of my money on cleansing and moisturizing products, versus actual makeup. And not only that, but I don’t have many color varieties. When I find a color that looks good on me, I stick with it and only it. I’m not much on change.

It’s very hard for me to find blusher. And I’ve all but given up on buying it from discount stores the color is normally wretched once applied on my cheeks. But being able to try on colors at the Clinique counter paved my way to the product at hand.

The Product:
Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher is an ideal blusher. It’s very natural looking, as are many of Clinique’s products. If you looking for POW and ZING, you’re looking at the wrong counter. Now of course you’ll get POW and ZING if you apply the wrong color to your face, but Clinique has sales people to help you find the color that’s right on your skin.

I prefer the Honey Blush color. It’s a warm natural color with a touch of peach and brown to it. It looks perfect on my light skin tone. I use this color in the winter only though, as it’s a little to peach looking on my summer, sun drenched skin.

Some of their other colors to choose from are:

•Chestnut Blush
•Nude Nude
•Fig
•Honey Blush
•Rhubarb
•Totally Tawny
•Mocha Pink
•Pink Blush
•New Clover
•Plum Gorgeous

These colors range from browns to pinks.

You can purchase Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher online at www.clinique.com or at any department store that carries Clinique. And like all Clinique products it's allergy tested and 100% fragrance free.

The compact of blusher is in a “Clinique” green box with a strip of blusher that’s three inches by one inch long. It also comes with a brush, but I find the included brush is way to small to apply the blusher correctly. The compact also has a mirror, which covers the whole top of the compact lid. The blusher usually lasts me approximately 9 months, provided I don’t drop the case and cause breakage.

The texture of the blush is very soft and smooth. You don’t need much on your brush to get a nice natural effect on your cheekbones. Some of the colors have a slight sparkle to them also, which is very popular right now.

The staying power is great! I know I can apply my blush in the morning and at 3 in the afternoon it’s still there. If you were going out on the town in the evening, you’d want to reapply though. For $16.50 I feel Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher is a great buy.

My Experience:
I’ve been using Clinique Blushers for years. I’ve tried a few of the other types of blusher Clinique makes, and also have discontinued, and I keep coming back to the Soft-Pressed. The reason is its texture and staying power. My skin can be slightly oily at times, and I’ve found some blushes I wear just add to that oil and causes unevenness in the blusher. Soft-Pressed has a dry powdery texture which I feel comfortable contouring my whole face with.

I like to blend my blusher a little bit. I not only put it on the apples of my cheekbones and glide it gently back to my temples. But I brush a little down my nose, and some under my jaw line too. Soft-Pressed is natural enough that I can contour without it looking like my face has been streaked. It blends easily and naturally.

The only problem I’ve found with Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher is once you get down to the bottom of the compact, you get breakage very easily. Sometimes when I just gently throw the compact into my makeup drawer, a piece will break off that I’ll have to throw away. And you can pretty much forget dropping it on the floor. If there’s not much blush left in the compact and you drop it, plan on making a trip to the Clinique counter to get another one, as the blusher will be in a million pieces. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this!

I also wish they had a bronze color that I could wear in the summer time. I like to wear a light dusting of bronze in the summer rather than a face full of makeup, and I have yet to find a summer bronze color in this brand of blusher.

If you’re looking for a natural look, or even starting your young teen with some light makeup I think you’d be quite happy with Clinique Soft-Pressed Powder Blusher. But be sure to get a Clinique representative to help you in deciding which color will be best for you.