Bare Escentuals' BUXOM line emphamizes flamboyance, voluptuousness, succulence, sensuality, and a lustworthy bodaciousness. Up until now, these qualities have been channeled via lip plumping glosses and creamy lip pencils, vibrant and shimmering cream eye shadows, volumizing mascaras, richly pigmented smoky eye pencils, and lash-enhancing gel liners. Come February, however, BUXOM will set sail into uncharted territories (in the brand's history, that is), releasing its first-ever complexion offering: the BUXOM True Hue Blush.
Available in eight vivid shades, these paraben-free powder blushes are formulated with rhodiola, a plant that grows in arctic climates and is commonly found in the mountainous regions of Tibet, Siberia, and China. The antioxidant-rich botanical boosts collagen and elastin production, thereby rejuvenating the skin, while the rosavins found in the plant help oxygen-deprived skin, making it appear more refreshed and giving he complexion a healthier appearance.
Packaged in square black compacts with flip tops and built-in mirrors, these blushes feel silky against the skin without being too most to properly smooth and blend. Though richly pigmented, the True Hue Blushes can be customized to create the desired intensity. The Rendezvous shade, for example, a bright plum-tinged pink color reminiscent of coleus plant leaves and magenta-ish Alpinia purpurata flowers, can give cheeks a subtle rosy tint or it can be layered to create a truly robust shade (check out the swatch above). The shade features a sprinkle of pale pink micropearls for a subtle shimmer, but otherwise boasts a satiny finish.
I had the chance to test out four of the True Hue Blush shades: Rendezvous, Luvitate, Swept Away, and Euphoria. The Rendevous and Euphoria shades both fall on the brighter end of the spectrum — particularly the Euphoria color, an intense orange peach hue that actually resembles the darker patches of color on the exterior of fuzzy Texas peaches but infuses a dose technicolor salmon orange. The Swept Away shade, in contrast, is a darling creamy light peach with a rather matte texture — it's the type of feathery soft color you'd expect to find on a spring begonia flower or on a seashell that washed up on a beach shore. Last, Luvitate is a luminous, bronze-y golden pink saturated with fine pink and gold micropearls, therby giving the skin a sunkissed effect while also giving it a subtle, rosy, afterglow-like effect.
Above, you'll find swatches of the Rendezvous, Luvitate, Swept Away, and Euphoria shades. I actually love all four colors, but I've been using Swept Away the most often to balance out dark smoky eye looks. As summer approaches, I'll likely gravitate to Euphoria and Rendezvous for an '80s-worthy dose of color along my cheekbones and the apples of my cheeks, a look that would make Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, and Boy George nod in approval.
All four shades, along with the other four colors, will be available for $24 at Sephora and Sephora.com in February.
Here's a photo of me wearing the Swept Away True Hue Blush. Neat, right?