Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Morale

on
Monday, January 20, 2014

I've always been a huge fan of Illamasqua, so when I finally got a chance to peruse their new boutique at The Bay Yorkdale in November, I jumped at the chance to pick up some new goodies (especially since I had some gift cards that I got for my birthday). I have several of Illamasqua's blushes now, and all of them are matte shades because that's all they used to make, but they've since added a few shimmery options, so I picked up two of them. Each Illamasqua Powder Blusher comes in black plastic stylized square compacts with clear lids, contains 4.5 grams of product, and retails for $26 at Illamasqua boutiques and $32 at Sephora locations.

Morale

Morale is a medium cool-toned cotton candy pink with magenta undertones and gold iridescent shimmer-sheen in a frosted finish. This shade was originally launched with 2011's Theatre of the Nameless collection, and is permanent. It has a soft, finely-milled, almost buttery texture, and goes on smoothly and evenly. It has high pigmentation and opaque colour pay-off. It can be layered and blended out easily. It is brighter and cooler than MAC Gentle Mineralize Blush, cooler and more frosted than NARS Angelika and Tarte Adored, and darker and cooler than NARS Gaiety.

As a blush fiend/hoarder, I like to think that I have pretty much all the different kinds of blush shades out there, but this one is surprisingly unique to me. It's that kind of pink that is definitely cotton candy but has an undercurrent of magenta that gives it more depth. Moreover, it has a gorgeous shimmer-sheen to it that leaves skin looking beautifully illuminated, which isn't that common in pinks like these. In certain lighting, it looks more cotton candy and in others, it looks more rosy or magenta. The best thing about this blush is the texture, which is just so smooth and buttery. It's really pigmented but also blends out like a champ so you can really get a really nice bright pop of colour or a gorgeous diffused "perfect flush" glow. Because of this, it works all on skintones from fair to dark. The gold shimmer gives it a warmth that keeps it flattering for warmer undertones, too (and I find that those with warmer undertones tend to also make cooler shades warmer on the skin). A great shade for the transition into Spring.
10 comments on "Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Morale"
  1. I think their powder blushers aren't paraben-free but the cream ones are (I'm allergic), so I've only tried the cream ones. I like that they put out interesting colors all the time. Do you have their pigments - the shimmery ones? I want one...like Fervent or Ore.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's never occurred to me to check for parabens in products, but you're right, the Illamasqua ones aren't paraben-free. That's never been a dealbreaker for me, though, lol. I've never tried their cream blushes because I don't use them in general, so I've never actually looked at them, lol. :P

      I don't have any of their pigments as I prefer pressed products myself, but Illamasqua's make-up is usually top-notch so it's probably a good bet. :) But Fervent looks exactly like MAC's Blue Brown (which I have). Ore looks stunning, though! I've heard people having issues with the packaging, though.

      Delete
  2. $32 at Sephora -- only $26 at Hudson's Bay! Also, Illamasqua online is having a crazy good sale right now, but I don't want to stockpile on anything right now just to make minimum charge for free shipping. Illamasqua's one of the brands I'm going to delve into this year since it's much more accessible, so I'll just have to pick up this PRETTY PRETTY blush eventually! It looks so good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ooh, thanks, I've edited the post to note the price difference. I forgot how much I bought it for, and I could only find the Canadian price on Sephora, so I just put that one down.

      Yeah, I've been getting the Illamasqua sale e-mails as well, but like you, I don't want to buy £50 worth of stuff just to make the minimum free shipping. There were two blushes and two lipsticks I wanted but they only come up to £30, and the only other regular products I wanted were nail polishes, which they don't ship internationally with standard shipping. I've thought about this thoroughly, LOL. Plus, with all the Spring collections rolling out, I really don't want to spend the money right now. :P

      But yes, you do have to pick up this blush eventually, it's stunnnnning!!! :D

      Delete
  3. See, you're really making me want Illamasqua blushes with this swatch too! And PS I giggled at your bio, because I'm a bit obsessed with Hay Day too, guilty pleasure I guess.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So worth investing in! The formula in Illamasqua's powder blushes is amazing, I'm really surprised they don't get more hype. Maybe because they're not as accessible as some other brands... but still, for the money, it's worth getting. :)

      LOL, I love Hay Day. I'm probably on it like, 15 times a day. It gets ridiculous. I just got to Level 57, and I'm like, "YES OLIVE TREES!!!" I'm such a nerd.

      Delete
  4. Oh dear. Having just said that I am on a makeup purchasing hiatus, THIS SHADE OMG....it's going on the wish list tout suite! I love shades like this! Though I must ask - how close is it in tone to MAC's CCB in Madly Magenta?? I had to swap that shade because as much as I wanted it to, it just did not work on my skin tone. However, it was a cream formula which isn't as easy to work with in such an intense tone...

    Nevertheless, POW! This colour!! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! This blush is amazing, and no, it's not similar to Madly Magenta AT ALL (I only ever used mine on the lips 'cause I hate cream products on my face). Morale is much softer, much more blendable, and much less magenta overall. Plus, it has an iridescent shimmer-sheen that helps it look more glowy than POW IN YOUR FACE. :)

      Delete
    2. EX-cellent ;) The glowy image of this just takes it to a whole new level as well. URGH. I'm in trouble! :S

      Delete
    3. LOL! Don't worry, it's permanent. No need to rush just yet. ;)

      Delete

EMOTICON
Klik the button below to show emoticons and the its code
Hide Emoticon
Show Emoticon
:D
 
:)
 
:h
 
:a
 
:e
 
:f
 
:p
 
:v
 
:i
 
:j
 
:k
 
:(
 
:c
 
:n
 
:z
 
:g
 
:q
 
:r
 
:s
:t
 
:o
 
:x
 
:w
 
:m
 
:y
 
:b
 
:1
 
:2
 
:3
 
:4
 
:5
:6
 
:7
 
:8
 
:9