I feel like every time I do a review, I start it out w/ "So, this is going to be a review on *blank*," which is hysterical and redundant, since I always title the posts w/ "*Blank* Review". I need to come up w/ a new opening line or something. But until then...So, this is going to be a review on the Stila Custom Color Blush in "Coral". I guess the "Pink" color came out a while ago as an LE product? (Correct me if I'm wrong here!) I am not 100% sure if these are going to be permanent line, but I hope so, because this blush is pretty fantastical. Stila was always one of those brands (much like Smashbox and Lorac, TBH) that, while they had quality products, was always something I browsed and then passed over. They have very unembellished packaging and their product tends towards a more natural look. I've never owned a product from Stila that I didn't like but it just seemed too expensive to pay for basic products.
That being said, they've gotten a lot more hip lately. Plus, the quality of their products has always been really good. I will say; spending $20 on a blush was not the easiest thing to do. It just seemed like a gimmick...custom color skin matching technology always seems to feel gimmicky to me but I had tried out the sample out of skeptical curiosity and fell in love w/ the color. I tend towards peachy blushes anyway; they seem to flatter my skintone more. But what was crazy about this blush is that when I had my friend swatch it on her hand, it looked different. Now, this could be lighting or the amount of product we had each used or just sheer insanity and blindness, but that alone sold me on it.
The packaging is sleek looking but it does feel a little cheap. Not that I really care about blush packaging, but it is something to note...I mean, this blush IS $20 and all. You get 0.17 oz of product, which is less than a MAC blush (0.21 oz) but more than a NARS blush (0.16 oz), so all in all, not bad. Another thing to note is that this blush DOES contain a noticeable shimmer. It's not as crazy as, say, NARS "Super Orgasm" but it DOES show up on the face, so if shimmer isn't your thing or if you're iffy about it highlighting large pores (I admit this is what keeps this blush from being my everyday blush color 'cos I have pores of DOOM), then I would definitely pass.
Stila's website says:
This shade extension of the best-selling Custom Color Blush includes a hint of golden shimmer, and gives your cheeks a youthful flush. This perceptive one-shade-fits-all powder blush reacts with your skin tone to create a one of a kind customized glow perfect for you.
The weightless powder can be layered to achieve just the right amount of color and coverage.
Key benefits:
- No more guessing or wearing the wrong color blush
- Reacts to the wearer's pH levels to create the perfect shade every time
- Harmonizes with your own skin tone to enhance your natural beauty, not overwhelm it
- Leaves skin with a luminous, flawless flush with a touch of shimmer"
I think the biggest difference is going to depend on whether or not you have light or dark skin. I've noticed a lot of reviews say that it doesn't go on as intense as it looks and I've noticed this...it actually looks slightly more pinkish on me but more orangy on my paler friends. Again, I might actually just be crazy, haha. This blush is definitely pretty as all get-out and I don't really mind the shimmer because it doesn't seem to fall anywhere. This blush is a bit softer than some MAC blushes I've tried and you can pick up more on the brush than you may have intended. It does blend into the skin nicely and overall I really do like this blush, whether it ACTUALLY does what it claims or if it doesn't.
This is what it looks like swatched on my hand. When I tried it out in the store, under direct sunlight it looked a bit more pink on me. Not sure if that was just my bad eyesight though (I do wear glasses after all!)
Blended out, it does look a lot more faint, so I can actually understand why people would say that it doesn't leave too much color on their cheeks. It also looks a bit more coral. I don't even know w/ this, haha. This blush, despite the shimmer and intense appearance, is no "Exhibit A".
This is how it swatches on my, admittedly, much paler friend. Again, it looks more peachy on her (to me, at least). I imagine that this blush would appear more vivid on a lighter skintone anyway.
