Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop

It's not often that I am interested in Clinique's make-up products, but I think it's safe to say that their Cheek Pop blushes have surpassed everyone's expectations in both texture and execution, and the formula has surprisingly made it into one of my own personal Top 5 favourites. Cheek Pops are described as "vibrant yet natural-looking cheek colour that looks virtually powderless. In a silky smooth, stay-true formula with shades for every skin tone." This past Spring, Clinique finally decided to release some new shades, so being the blush fiend that I am, I ended up picking up six out of the eight. The Cheek Pop Blushes are packaged in clear circular compacts with the Clinique logo on the lid, and a daisy design embossed into the powder. Each blush contains 3.5 grams of product, and retails for $24.
Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop
Melon Pop, Nude Pop, and Fig Pop

Melon Pop is a light-medium warm pink-coral with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky 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 pinker than Clinique Peach Pop, lighter and pinker than MAC Melba, more peach than MAC Rosy Outlook, more peach and less shimmery than MAC Dainty, more peach and less shimmery than NARS Orgasm, and similar though less matte than Hourglass Diffused Heat.

Nude Pop is a light-medium muted warm peachy brown with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky 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 slightly lighter than MAC Warm Soul, more peach and more shimmery than MAC Prism, lighter and more shimmery than MAC Sincere, less shimmery than NARS Madly, more brown than Hourglass Dim Infusion, and lighter and less shimmery than Becca Wild Honey.

Fig Pop is a medium-dark orange-coral with a luminous satin sheen. This is a permanent shade. It has a lightweight, silky 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 more muted and less reddened than Clinique Ginger Pop, more orange than MAC Make You Mine, darker and more muted than MAC Modern Mandarin, darker and more orange than MAC Peachtwist, more shimmery and more orange than MAC Pinch Me, and brighter and less shimmery than Becca Songbird.

It's about damn time that Clinique expanded their Cheek Pops range! I don't know how Clinique managed to only have four shades in this range for over a year, but I have waited with bated breath (I might be a bit dramatic here) for them to release more. And they finally delivered with eight gorgeous new shades! All their new shades perform just as beautifully as their four original — super-silky, ultra-smooth, highly pigmented, and easily blendable. (For those who are familiar with MAC's Extra Dimension Blushes, which were limited edition, these are very similar, if not exact, in formulation.) They've added some more everyday, muted shades, and some fun, unique shades to the range, so there is sure to be something for everyone now. You can build them up very easily to create true-to-pan colour, but buff them out effortlessly to create a soft, natural flush. They have a gorgeous satin finish with a soft luminous sheen that leaves skin looking perfectly luminescent without being shiny or shimmery. They don't emphasize skin texture, so they are great for all ages and skin types, too. The quality is beautiful across the board, so while the shade choice is personal preference, you really can't go wrong with this formula. And blush fiends like me will want all of them.