little white truths

Well, I'm sad to report that I have another Burberry powder that's destined for my 2017 'disappointing products' list, and it's this Light Glow Blush in 07 Earthy.

If you're anything like me, you will have seen this blush raved about something chronic in the beauty community, and after swatching Burberrry powders in-store and feeling how silky smooth they were, I went ahead and ordered this one in 07 Earthy, 06 Tangerine and also one of the Complete Eye Palettes (see my review of 07 Pink Taupe here).

Sure I got them all for 20 per cent off, but they are still some of the most expensive makeup products in my collection and sadly I just don't think they're worth the price tag. More on that below.

Each blush compact comes complete with a little dust jacket and a brush that I haven't used yet (see below) so I can't tell you if it's any good.

What I can tell you, however, is that Burberry packaging is my absolute favourite of all time. It's sleek, it's elegant and it just looks good - plus there's a nice weight to it so you feel like you're holding something special. 

And even though the products don't float my boat (the ones I've tried, anyway), at least I have three pretty Burberry compacts on my display shelves. I look at my display shelves several times a day and feel happy whenever I do, so we can say that some of the 'value' has been made up because I'll likely keep looking at these compacts forever. That's worth something.

There's the brush:

And there's the pretty packaging below. It's beyond gorgeous.

Honestly, if I compare the packaging of these products to that of my two Laura Mercier powders (which also weren't worth the price-tag for me personally), at least I can say that I'll be keeping my Burberry compacts after I've panned the powders, whereas the chunky, cheap-feeling Laura Mercier packaging is heading straight for the bin. So I guess all is not lost.

Burberry claims/product details:

• Enhance cheeks and instantly boost complexions with this lightweight powder blush for a subtle, healthy radiance
• The fine powder is ultra-blendable and buildable for effortless, mistake-proof application
• A collection of complexion-enhancing shades, complete with a brush applicator and mirror case
• Earthy Blush No 07 is one of our runway icons 
• To use: apply the multi-use blush shade to the hollow of the cheeks to gently slim the face and across the eyelids to sculpt and add dimension
• RRP $72 AUD for 7g

Below you can see the compact when you remove the brush. It just looks like a whole lot of wasted space for a brush that most of us won't use, yes?

I'm surprised that Burberry designed things this way: the brand does so well with the rest of its packaging that this just seems odd and out-of-place.

There's a shot of the pan in direct sunlight:

And in natural light (indoors):

And in natural light (outdoors):

Below I've given you light and heavy swatches of Earthy in different lights, and then I've given you some comparison swatches so you can see how it looks next to Tangerine (I've also mixed the two shades because I like the colour when mixed).

Direct sunlight (outdoors):

Natural light (outdoors): 

And indirect sunlight (indoors):

Below we have Earthy (left), Tangerine (middle) and the two shades mixed (right), direct sunlight: 

And indirect sunlight (indoors):

Verdict

So, here's what I think: these blushes aren't worth the price-tag and while I enjoy the colour of Tangerine, Earthy doesn't show up on me as a blush so I have no choice but to use it as a contour - which isn't what I wanted.

As a contour, yes, I can really build it and get it to show up on me, but by then I've put down too much powder so it looks powdery and ageing on the skin. Note that my skin sits somewhere between light/medium and medium - so I'm not that dark and in theory Earthy should have worked on me because I've seen it work on lasses who are even a hair darker than I am, but alas it does not. Perhaps it's got something to do with my strong yellow undertones. Who knows.

On that, this should technically work as an eyeshadow on me, but alas again, it does not. Why? It's too damn pale and it's not pigmented enough to show up, so while I can use it as a base shadow (as you would use a cream shade), I can't use it to give me any colour. Yes if I lay it on like cement I can see it, but again, by then I've added too much powder to my face so my eyes shrivel up like prunes.

Let's talk about expectations for a moment because I think that's important. Blush is my weakness and I've tried many of the 'big hitters' in the blush market because I'm more likely to wear a range of different blushes than I am eg eyeshadow palettes or lipsticks. That's why I have so many of them.

With high-end blushes, I expect a build-able formula that's pigmented but not overly so, I expect quality packaging, I expect something that feels silky smooth, and blends and applies well, and I also expect something that makes my skin look air-brushed (and therefore younger). That's what I'm paying for with fancy blushes. Surely that's what we're all paying for?

These Burberry blushes are the most expensive blushes I own, let's make that clear. Even though I bought them for 20 per cent off, they are still the most expensive blushes in my collection.

They come in nice packaging so that's a tick (although I still wish we didn't have that wasted brush compartment - and I'm not the first person to have mentioned this). They feel silky smooth to the touch and they apply and blend well, so that's another tick.

When it comes to pigment, I don't think these are pigmented enough. And that's coming from someone who prefers a natural look and always opts for a lighter coverage, so if I'm saying they're too sheer, then chances are that others will too. But let's assume that this is mainly a problem with my skintone and Earthy, since I don't need to build Tangerine as much as I do this one.

Even if I give Burberry a 'pass' on the pigment issue (and let's call it 'buyer error' for buying the wrong shade, although note that I had pigment problems with my Burberry eye quad too), let's talk about the air-brushed aspect.

My Hourglass blushes take years off my face because they air-brush the skin, with my Marc Jacobs blushes coming in a close second in terms of air-brushing, and my Kevyn Aucoin and Becca blushes coming in tied for the bronze medal.

These Burberry blushes do not do that. They don't lift the face; they don't blur texture; and they don't make me look like I'm younger and glowing from within. So what am I bloody paying for? Packaging?! Geez I hope not.

Worth noting, too, is that when I swatched these blushes this morning for the purpose of the above photos, both Earthy and Tangerine developed hard-pan. Christ. If anything breaks your heart, it's having to take sticky tape to something that cost this much.

So in sum, I don't recommend this blush and I've given it a 'disappointing products' tag. It retails for a whopping $72 AUD and it doesn't deliver on pigment or how it looks on the skin. While I'm all for sheer, this takes things too far and it doesn't look like a high-end blush should on the cheeks. Or at least that's my opinion.

Foo. Honestly, I could pan this as a setting powder - that's how bad the pigmentation is. Problem is, it doesn't air-brush the face or blur texture, so why would I?

Overrated.