The underrated Chanel blushes

My, my, you say you're a blush fanatic? Well, sorry (I'm not sorry), you don't know blushes until you've tried Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blushes. As much as I love cheek products, there's not much hype over the ones by Chanel, but mostly what I've heard is that they're quite underrated; most people preferring to pick up the (slightly) less expensive NARS or Tarte. But I've owned both NARS and Tarte blushes, and while I do quite enjoy Tarte with a light hand, I've never quite been able to pull off any of my NARS blushes properly. In fact, dare I might say that I find them to be overrated. Either way, a few weeks ago, feeling in need of a pick-me-up, I thought I would listen to that ebbing of try out the Chanel blushes, you'll be pleasantly surprised, and off I went to Myer to pick up two from the Chanel counter, a pretty pink shade in Rose Initiale (72) and a more everyday, nude shade in Espiegle (65). 

rose initiale

espiegle

Rose Initiale (72)

A lovely slightly blue-tone pink, I can see this shade working on a number of skintones. On the cheeks, it's a lot more subtle than it looks in the pan, but these blushes are easily buildable or you can have a gentle flush. It's the type of shade that looks like you're actually blushing, rather than having, well, blush on your face. I'm not the type to wear this pink blush everyday, but the season is right for it, so I've been a bit more rosy than usual. I haven't tried the included brush, instead prefering to use a soft stippling brush to apply it; these blushes do kick up a bit of dust, so a firmer brush would be a bit harsh. Oh, and it smells like roses! I wasn't expecting that, but it's not too overpowering, only when you actually go in for a little sniff of the product.

Espiegle (65)

This blush I've been wearing a lot more often, as it is quite the nude/neutral everyday shade. It looks a bit frosty, a light orange-y shade, but don't let that alarm you. When applied, it adds a nice touch of subtle colour to your face, with a gentle, overall glow. No frosty, orange cheeks in sight. You would think that this blush would be harder to pull off than the Rose Initiale, but I absolutely love it, and it looks wonderful on my slowly tanning skin (approximately an NC30). This is a really good shade for Summer coming up (well, considering the weather, it might as well already be), perhaps I might use it more as an illuminator when my skin deepens further. This blush also smells like roses, but, and this may just be me, maybe not quite as strong as Rose Initiale. 

left to right, without flash: rose initiale heavy swatch, rose initiale blended, espiegle heavy swatch, espiegle blended

With Flash

Sunlight

God, don't those colours look so pretty? I know arm swatches can prove quite different on the face, but these are so easy to apply and blend out, there's no way that you can look clownish with these. I think my favourite thing about Chanel blushes is that, somehow, they just have a very flattering way of making your skin glow. As the weather is warming up, I'm finding that I'm starting to get a bit more shiny, not oily, but a little more than I would like, yet these blushes look wonderful with a slight dewy finish. From what I've heard, there are two formulations of this blush (one in the circle pan like I've got, and a square pan in Europe, though correct me if I'm wrong), with one being softer and the other, obviously harder. I'm not entirely sure which one I got, but these are smooth and lovely, they may kick up a bit of dust, but not too much, either way, they apply beautifully.

I can see myself getting good use out of these blushes, considering the use I'm getting out of them currently. They are just so easy to apply, and, oh, do they add that nice healthy glow to your face. I'm slowly delving into Chanel products, but I have not been disappointed so far, truly what a luxury brand should be, I think. 

I purchased these Chanel Joues Contraste powder blushes from Myer for AU$71 each.