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Make Your Cheeks Glow

My love of DuWop's Lip Venom (in all its forms) is well known.  I seriously make everyone I know try it when they're around me.  So I was super excited to hear that DuWop had come out with a cheek version and couldn't wait to get my hands on it.  Cheek Venom is a cream blush that comes in a little pot - you apply it with your fingers (you can use a brush too, but I think fingers work better).  It uses a blend of silicones and hyaluronic acid to hydrate and condition your skin, and it also firms and tightens your cheeks.  I was a little scared when I put it on the first time - I don't mind that tingling feeling on my lips, but I wasn't sure how I would like it on my cheeks.  The good news is - it's a lot less intense on your cheeks.  You can definitely feel it working, but it's not uncomfortable at all.  Once it's on, the mix of essential oils in it warms up your cheeks and stimulates your circulation, giving your cheeks a natural flush.  And as a bonus, there are long lasting pigments in the formula that will leave a little bit of color on your cheeks all day, so you don't need to reapply to look good.  Also, I love that it's a cream because it's totally portable.  No need to take up space in your bag with a big brush - just apply and go.  Cheek Venom comes in two shades - Sidewinder, a nude flush, and Diamondback, a hot coral pink.  I tested out Sidewinder and loved the color it gave me - it looked like I'd just run a few miles around my neighborhood.  (And any makeup that can make me look like I've been working out when I've really been sitting on the couch watching "Gossip Girl" definitely gets my seal of approval).  Now if only it could actually DO the exercise for me, I'd be all set.

Cheek Venom retails for $24 and can be found wherever DuWop is sold.  To order online, go to Sephora.com or Beauty.com.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

I've Got A Crush On You

I'm loving Stila's Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain at the moment.  I've been wearing it almost every day on my trip because it's so basic and versatile.  It comes in a really cute lipstick-like applicator with a cherry design on it (adorable!) and delivers the perfect reddish tint to my lips and cheeks (I like products that multi-task when I'm not at home because, uhm, it's just easier to carry one thing than two.  I should probably use that philosophy at home too, but...)  The stain adjusts to your body's PH levels so it looks different on everyone - I can attest to this because every time I take it out here, someone else asks to borrow it.  Cherry Crush has both cherry and pomegranate extracts, which gives you antioxidant protection, plus it contains Vitamins A, C and E to moisturize and make sure your lips and cheeks don't get dry when you use it.  Also, it smells exactly like freshly picked cherries - the perfect summer scent.  (Although I will admit that it's very, very odd that I love the smell so much because I hate actual cherries.  HATE.  It's the only part of my Friendly's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae that ever gets left behind - that should tell you something).

The Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain is $24 and available exclusively at Sephora.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

What I Want Right Now

I was walking around Manhattan tonight and even though I was running a little late, somehow got sucked into the glory that is one of the (bigger than usual) NYC Sephora stores.  I didn't buy anything, which I am very proud of myself for, but I did find a bunch of new things that I'm going to need to own soon.  (How much do you think I could get for a kidney anyway?)  If I could've walked out of the store with one item, it would've been this Smashbox Shockwave Fusion Eye & Cheek Palette.  It's so, so adorable in person.  It's a two-tiered palette with one tier of cheek color and one of eyeshadows in a chic little compact that you won't mind taking out of your bag in public.  I completely love the design that the shades are assembled in - the pattern reminds me of a Missoni dress, with the stripes of color.  (And any time my makeup can remind me of high fashion, I'm happy).  The colors themselves are great too - I especially want to play around with the sage green and turquoise eyeshadows because they're so gorgeous in the compact, I can only imagine how good they'll look on.  You know, as I'm typing this, I'm remembering that I have a gift certificate for a beauty site I've been waiting to use on on something that I really, really want (as opposed to something I just really want).  If they carry Smashbox, I think I have my winner.  Off to check!

The palette retails for $39 and can be found at Smashbox.com and Sephora.com.

Photo courtesy of Sephora

Rosey Complexion

I went into Sephora desperately seeking blush and came out with a product I didn't realize I would like so much.  I bought All-Over Color by BareMinerals (the people who make the mineral foundation that everyone raves about but I have yet to try) and it's really fantastic.  I bought Rose Radiance which leaves a lovely sheer pink color on my cheeks, as well as a small amount of glitter.  You can use it all over the face (which I believe is its original intent), on the cheeks (which I'm currently obsessed with), on the eyes (very sheer so I would layer over another color) or on lips (too drying for my taste).  It lasts the better part of the day (I applied at 8 am and re-applyed around five before I met people for drinks) and the color is so sheer you can add a little or a lot.  You can also layer over another blush to give a little more color and shimmer (I suppose that's pretty high-maintenance to worry about two blushes) but even alone it gives cheeks a wonderfully healthy glow.  While it comes in twelve shades, there are a few colors that Sephora does not carry instore and are only featured on their website (boo!).  But, if you visit an Ulta store or a BareEscentuals store you may be able to see the entire twelve shades in person.  Don't quote me on that, though, I'm just guessing.  Actually, I really should use this as an excuse to visit the Ulta and BareEscentuals stores near me tomorrow... purely for research... I swear... 

O-Glow

While browsing at Sephora yesterday, I stumbled upon a new product from Smashbox called O-Glow. Normally, I'm not one to get all excited about a cheek color because really, it's not nearly as fun as lip gloss or eyeshadow, but even I thought this one was really cool. It's a clear gel that comes in a small tube, so at first I was really skeptical, but when you smooth it on your cheeks, it turns into a really natural looking blush. It's kind of spage age - I love makeup that doesn't seem like it's going to work because it's twice as exciting when it really does. According to the Smashbox website, it "reacts with your personal skin chemistry to turn cheeks the exact color you blush, naturally." It contains Goji berries, which sound like something poisonous that you would try and avoid on a nature hike, but apparently, they're actually good for you. Who knew? I will say that the box was right - my two friends and I all tried it on and our cheeks all turned different shades that looked completely right on each of us. It was very cool. Since it was late when we tried it on, I can't vouch for their claim that it lasts all day, but it was still there when I washed my face a few hours later, so I know that it doesn't disappear immediately. I'm kind of regretting that I didn't buy a tube, but it's fairly expensive at $26, so I decided to wait a few days, then if I'm still thinking about it, I can go back out and get it. It's my new, mature (okay, unemployed) way of shopping. We'll see how long that lasts...

A Royal Flush

Blush is hard. If you wear too much, you look like you're auditioning for the circus, but if you don't wear enough, you run the risk of looking pale and sick, like you're one cough away from spending the next week in bed with the flu watching reruns of "Dawson's Creek" and wondering what the hell happened to Katie Holmes. I can also never quite figure out where to place the blush to maximize my cheekbones, like all the makeup artists recommend in magazines. I was really close to just giving up on blush entirely, but then I tried Tarte cheek stain. This stuff is awesome. It's a gel in stick form, so I immediately loved it, since that makes it portable AND impossible to spill. It gives my cheeks the perfect amount of color every time - like I just spent the last thirty minutes running on the treadmill (or more likely, speed walking through the mall so I can make it to Sephora before it closes). The cheek stain comes in seven different colors, but my favorite is Flush, a deep berry shade. Remember that tip your grandma used to give you about pinching your cheeks to look healthy? This stuff does it without hurting, although the fact that it costs $28 is a little painful to my wallet. It does last forever though, so I'd be willing to bet if you measured it against powder formulas, it probably works out cheaper in the end. And who doesn't love a bargain?