So, as usual, I am tardy to the party once again. This is going to be part two out of two reviews on the Maybelline Fit Me™ range. (For the review on the foundation, concealer, and pressed powder, click here!) I've decided to divide up the review because, well, there's a lot of stuff to talk about! In this particular post, I'm going to talk about the blushes and bronzer that come in this line. For reference, you could honestly use this review as a reference to any pressed powder blush or bronzer that Maybelline releases in this type of compact because they're pretty much the same thing. There are some cream blushes and some limited edition baked products that are different, but for the most part, all of the blushes that come in this type of packaging are very similar - the only difference is, obviously, the colors.These products can be found anywhere the full Maybelline range is sold, like Walmart, CVS, Rite-Aid, etc. It has its own display in the Maybelline line and can still be found in some random end-caps. It will be cheaper at places like Meijer and Walmart in general but when drugstores or Ulta have BOGO sales, I recommend checking those out. These products are typically about $5.50 a pop. So they're not super expensive but they aren't the cheapest out there, as far as drugstore goes.
Maybelline has this to say:
Flawless that lets the real you come through. Natural, fade-free color.
Why You'll Love It
• Lightweight pigments blend easily and wear evenly
• Provides a natural, fade-proof cheek color that leaves skin the way it was meant to be...fresh, breathing, and natural"
These blushes have replaced their normal blushes. They still have the Dream Mousse blushes, and sometimes release some cool limited edition ones, but for the most part, they've relabeled all of their blushes and bronzers to be part of the Fit Me™ line-up. Unlike some drugstore blushes, these are pressed pretty firm. They're not going to be super chalky or dusty and they're also the type of blush that shows up more on the face than in swatches. There are 12 blushes in total; four for each skintone - "Light", "Medium", and "Deep". The "Medium" blushes are the ones I own and this skintone group is the only one that has a coral blush. The other two have rose. The naming system is simple; "Medium Pink", "Light Rose", etc. There are three bronzers and, again, I have the one for medium skintones.
I don't reach for these all that often. They provide a very natural flush and aren't going to be super pigmented, which a lot of people will probably appreciate. I don't think the skin color really matters; medium girls can wear the deep blushes and so on but since they aren't intensely pigmented, there might be a problem w/ anyone besides people who fall into the "Light" category wearing the blushes meant for light skintones. These do blend into the skin but since they're so light, it's easy to blend them away completely. They are buildable. As far as the blushes are concerned, I think it's at your discretion - if they're something you need or if you like the color, go for it. They're nice enough.
It's the bronzer I dislike. I don't like shimmery bronzers to begin w/ and all three bronzers are shimmery. The other problem is the one for medium skintones is way too light for my face. It makes an okay highlight but I could never use this as a bronzer. The other issue I have is that it's a bit too orange. It reminds me of terracotta and I don't want that on my face! Since these are meant to be lightweight and natural, the bronzer just doesn't have enough OOMPH! to work for me. While I think the blushes are decent, the bronzer I would, for sure, pass on.
You definitely want to invest in a blush brush if you don't already own one. The applicator that comes w/ these blushes is disgusting - it's too small and flimsy and is cut very blunt. The bristles are very poky and it doesn't feel nice on the skin AT ALL.
"Medium Nude". I recommend this blush out of all of them - it can double as a highlighter. It has a shimmery finish but it's not overly frosty and it shows up on the skin. It's incredibly natural looking and I think nude blushes are one of those things everyone should have in their collection.
"Medium Coral". This is the most disappointing to me because I love peach and coral blushes. It looks beautiful in the pan but has almost no color payoff. It's really shimmery but looks very close to the pink blush on the cheeks. I would skip this one.
"Medium Mauve". Mauve is one of those shades you don't often see in the drugstore. Out of the four medium blushes, this is the closest to a matte finish. I would say it's more of a satin. It is very pretty on the cheek and is the other color I would recommend out of the four blushes.
"Medium Pink". This is the brightest looking out of the four and has an okay level of pigmentation when applied to the face. I would pass on this one; there are better and more pigmented pink blushes at the drugstore.
From L-R: "Medium Nude", "Medium Coral", "Medium Mauve", and "Medium Pink". As you can see, these all swatch poorly. The nude blush is the most visible and I think that's due to the high level of shimmer. The coral and the pink hardly show at all, but the pink one does show up on the face. Out of the four, I recommend the nude and the mauve.
As you can see, this bronzer is seriously lacking pigmentation. It would make an okay highlighter...if you didn't mind orange highlighters. I would skip the bronzer - again, so many other drugstore brands make better bronzers than this one.
In closing, the nude and mauve blushes are worth trying. As for the pink, coral, and the bronzer, I would completely pass on those products. In fact, I suggest that medium toned girls try out the blushes made for deeper skintones; I know I will be. These products are great for beginners or people who don't like a lot of color on their cheeks. Some of these products make much better highlighters than blushes or bronzers. While there is a bit more color when applied to the cheek, I would just prefer something w/ a bit more color.
