Illamasqua Powder Blusher - Lover

I kick myself for not purchasing more Illamasqua powder blushes when they were widely available in the US. Lover is a great shade. The quality is great; the powder is extremely finely-milled and silky, and it blends out beautifully. It's a pigmented light apricot color that looks amazing on light, warm-toned skin. There's nothing else like it in my collection.

My only complaint is that the powder is SLIGHTLY messy. Swirling your brush in it kicks up a significant amount of product because it's such a soft texture. But that's a small price to pay for an otherwise beautiful blush.

As the color is very intense, there is no problem with getting the true-to-pan color on your cheeks. One tap on the blush gives you quite bold color on the cheeks. For an even bolder look, 2-3 swipes of blush is more than enough. The blushes are easily blended so if you do over-do it, there is still hope. The only annoying thing with Illamasqua powders, since they are extremely dry, is that they easily crumble, so there is a lot of dust all over the pan.The shade Lover is a beautiful orange-apricot color. It is flat matte without any glitter or sheen. The only similar shades I have are MAC Melba and MAC Style. When I was purchasing Lover I already had Melba so I wasn't sure if I really needed Lover. In the end I ended purchasing Lover as I was in love with Melba, and am happy I did. While they do look similar in pan and on cheeks, depending on your eye and lip makeup you can notice how they act differently. Lover has a much stronger orange undertone in it making it a more daring blush. Melba is a good for those who are starting with apricot blushes, but Lover is a bold apricot color. If paired with brown or neutral makeup, Lover stands out more. You won't find a similar shade to Lover! There is no prominent red in it so it won't make you look redder than you already are (those who suffer from rosacea). When I swatched Style, Melba and Lover side by side, Lover was the boldest color among them. It is a true apricot, while Melba, next to it, looked toned down and more neutral; like a "down on earth" version of Lover. Lover is more pigmented and much softer to touch than Melba. Style, which is orange , has a metallic sheen to it and is very sheer and needs building-up. Because of the sheerness, it is more like a wash of orange color on cheeks. From all the shades I have, I think Lover is THE shade someone should have in their collection, especially if you like orange or apricot shades. The shade is quite unique and I haven't came across to a similar one. Most of apricots have a red undertone to it making them look coral. The blush is best suited for those with fair, light and/or medium dark skin. Those darker than medium may need to build the color up a little bit, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Shade: apricot, wear:long wearing, pigmentation: extremely pigmented, buildable (Y/N): yes, dupes: MAC Melba

For swatches visit: https://bronzedandelion.wordpress.com/

I ran out of my fav blush, MAC's utterly Game, which has been discontinued. This is a fine replacement, and the tone is flattering but it's not a HG blush simply because it just looks a bit flat- maybe because it's so matte. It's a lovely shade though- fresh looking- you can actually pile this on, despite it being hyperpigmented because the shade is so delicate

I love Illamasqua blushes! Love is peach coloured matte finish blush. The texture is soft and buttery and no shimmer at all. It brings life to your face. It's a really great spring and summer blush for my Nc40-42 skin tone. Illmasqua blushes are so pigmented that you need a light hand with most of their blushes. However it's great for us medium to dark skin toned gals as we can build up the colour to show up on the skin. Lighter skinned gals can also use it but with a lighter hand. Basically all skin tones can use Illmasqua blushes. The packaging is quite bulky so I depotted the blush onto my z-palette. I also have Illamasqua blush in beg for winter. I paid ~$30 CAD for this blush at Sephora, but I believe Sephora no longer carries the brand. I found out that it is much cheaper at the Husdson's Bay at $26 CAD and they carry the full line of Illamasqua blushes. Lastly, I'm very acne prone. Nars blushes break me out and I've been using Illamasqua blushes for half year now and no issues with breakouts on my cheeks.

I'm not normally a blush person, but since my skin has gotten better over the last six months, I've kind of gotten into it. Lover is one of my more recent blush purchases, and it is so gorgeous! It's a matte, clean apricot that somehow does not look chalky at all when applied. The color is very different fom blushes I've stuck with in the past (boring nudes and pinky-peaches), and I love it. The texture is so soft and blends easily. I'm a yellow-toned NC25/30 (winter/summer), and I feel I'll be using this blush a lot this summer! The main drawback is that the case is overly bulky: I like that the pan is very wide, but not the excessive height and kind of cheap plastic feel of the case. I appreciate the clear top to see the product, though (there should either be a clear top or a mirror inside). The snap closure could be a little smoother to use, as well. For a $26 blush, I'd like nicer packaging.
[Edit: I got this at the Bay. I don't know why but it seems to be a little cheaper there than at Sephora, in Canada.]

This is what a peach blush is supposed to look like. It's not orange nor is it a coral, it is just straight up peach. Illamasqua has the best texture right next to Chanel blushes except these are more pigmented. It's so soft to the touch. It might look scary and chalky from the pan since it is a matte but it just melds nicely onto the skin. It blends effortlessly so it's perfect if you tend to be heavy handed. The packaging makes it easy to see which blush is inside.

Hands down. The most beautiful peachy pink color ever discovered. It's matte, it's long lasting (from 6 AM to 4 PM), it suits and adjusted your skin tone very well. It's soft and finely milled, easy to apply, doesn't dry out and flaky, doesn't accentuate large pores. I am so in love with this. However, it still has some downsides; packaging without mirror, and it's oh so pricey. But if you are fan of blush and looking for a warm soft peach color, this is highly recommended as long as you don't mind spending a lot of your money for this.

NC 25/30. Adding another yay vote for this lovely peachy blush. Super soft (and it does kick up a bit of powder if you swirl brush too hard, but doesn't look powdery or cakey on face), pigmented and applies like a dream. Very impressed w/quality and I'm definitely paying attention when Illamasqua comes out w/new blushes. As to color, it's not that unique -- and frankly I can't see much of a difference on my cheeks btw this and Milani Luminoso, but it's so lovely that I don't mind having spent $26 for it. This line of blushes is definitely worth a look if you're willing to pay Mac, Nars etc prices.

I would repurchase this over and over again if I needed to but I doubt I ever will because the pigmentation is extraordinary. You only need the tiniest amount to dust over your cheeks & it just brightens up the complexion. I love the soft vanilla scent too. This is really finely milled and I love that it's matte. This is no doubt my favourite powder blush from my collection.
It looks huge in the pan & there is 4g of product. Stays on all day for me, and doesn't dry out my skin or make it feel tight.
The packaging is simple & classic, but I sometimes wished it had a mirror with it. I have had mine for over 6 months & the packaging is still very study.

This is a beautiful apricot colored blush that goes on the exact same color as in the pan! It is really amazing how pigmented Illamasqua products are. I am pale, and this blush looks great on me. I also have a friend who looks beautiful with this on and she has pretty dark skin. Totally recommend this blush for every skin tone and everyone!! You won't regret it.