The BOGL 2014 Highlighter & Blush Collection

My lipstick collection overview was apparently useful for both my readers and me. Looking at everything spread out and organized, carefully labeled and considered, I've come to realize that there are a number of great products I'm just not using enough.

That, and I've spent a decent chunk of change on makeup.

REGARDLESS! I'm more apt to be adventurous with my lipstick. Maybe it's because it's "my thing," or perhaps it's because a bad lipstick (if such a thing exists) is easier to remove than a bad blush/highlighter. For whatever reason, I've been reaching for the same 3 or 4 blushes for almost 6 months now, and it's time for that to stop. A little inventory certainly can't hurt, hmmm?

First off, highlighters! A definite weakness/draw for me, I've really managed to clip this collection down to a neat little bunch. I still have my temptations, but for the most part, these are the glow-getters (ah ha ha I made a pun) that get me through.

MAC Strobe Cream -- A moisturizer and highlighter in one. Some people say this product is shimmery and overbearing, but it also looks natural to me; I even layer it under my foundation sometimes. If you're worried it'll be too obvious, apply it to the high points of your face, then layer a little foundation on top.

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer -- The newest addition to both my highlighter stash and my travel makeup bag. This little guy is portable and almost impossible to overdo. It IS a tad shimmery and leans slightly yellow/white-gold, but the base isn't opaque, meaning you'll always see your skin through the product.

Benefit High Beam -- My most "obvious" highlighter, insofar as it is actually frosty. Nevertheless, if I'm in the mood for that hyper-highlighted look, this is what I reach for. It has a slight pink tint. (NOTE: This $10 travel size--complete with doe foot applicator and not the icky nail polish type monstrosity that comes with the full size--is no longer available. Boo, hiss!)

Makeup Forever Uplight #11 -- When people ask for a highlighter that's dewy rather than shimmery or frosty, I push them towards this guy. The only downside is that #11 has a definite pink tint, while #12 has a definite yellow tint; if they could duplicate that dewiness in a more neutral/basic pearl shade, that'd be optimal.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl -- My absolute favorite highlighter! And yet...kinda hard to describe. It has a decidedly luxe texture, and while it isn't exactly natural, it's beautiful and wearable with 95% of my looks.

Now for my hodge-podge assortment. It's supposed to be a collection of berries, but these shades are all wildly different, so hodge-podge it is.

RMS Beauty Lip 2 Cheek in Modest -- A sort of dusky, brown-berry type of shade in an especially emollient formula.

Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon -- My ultimate "I'm not wearing makeup" blush. The formula is deceptively thin; it packs a good amount of pigment, but the watery textures means you'll always see some skin shining through. The color is a muted berry pink.

NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Wild Berry -- This product was discontinued less than 2 years after it came out, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. $3 with a delectable formulation and shimmer-free, uber-bright shades like this beautiful fuchsia? Why would you get rid of that?!

You'd think I'd have more pinks, given my complexion. Truth be told, I think I'm just decidedly picky (my quest for the perfect pastel, shimmer-free, pink cream blush is still ongoing). That, and the pinks I DO have are well-loved. Any time I look at a new pink, I think, "Oooo, pretty!...but I own something better." That's a good train of thought, yeah?

Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Isadore -- Possibly my all-time favorite cream blush formulation. This is a bright pink with a hint of yellow to it, great for spring looks.

Cargo blush in Catalina -- The ultimate soft, matte pink for fair skintones. There's definitely a white/pastel base to this one, but it never applies chalky. That pastel pink cream blush I've been searching for? Yeah, I want it to be this color.

Milani Minerals blush in Luminous -- One of the rare sparkly products in my collection, this product is actually a pink shade somewhere between Catalina and Isadore. The gold shimmer is apparently super-photogenic, however, so it photographs downright golden. The shimmer isn't overbearing by any means, but I definitely skip a highlighter when I wear this; it's glowy enough on its own.

Yves Saint Laurent Creme de Blush in #9 Babydoll -- Who knew this would become my go-to pink? The cream-to-powder formulation is lighter than air and never disturbs my foundation. It's also one of the cleanest pinks I've ever seen: neon in the pan, it applies as a semi-sheer wash of just-bright-enough pink. Gorgeous. I could see myself hitting pan on this guy, and that's saying something.

I don't wear reds and corals too often because they're easy to overdo on my fair skin. That, and it's hard to find one that isn't super-duper-brown or downright orange. But when I find ones I like? Ooooh, never leave me!

Cargo blush in Key Largo -- Although this blush is definitely a coral, it isn't as red as it photographs. It's actually the color of tropical punch, ie "MAC Impassioned Lipstick in powder blush form." And thankfully, it looks just like that on my cheeks. Another knock-out from Cargo.

Sleek Scandalous -- Okay, this one is KINDA orange. But just a tad; I'd actually guess that it's one of the most neutral red blushes I've seen. This is another example of a BOGL unicorn: it's a powder blush and I love the formula. Like the Cargo blushes, the Sleek powder blush singles are tightly-packed and never chalky, very pigmented, and perfectly blendable. This shade is no longer available because Sleek doesn't want us to have nice things, but the Sleek Fire trio has a super-similar shade. Not sure if the formula on the trios is different, however.

Becca Beach Tint in Dragonfruit -- Another new acquisition (ie a gift, STOP JUDGING ME). This is a softer, less vibrant coral, not so much because it has a lot of brown in it, but because it's not quite as saturated. The formula on this tube is creamier and thicker than most of the Beach Tints.

Are you stunned that I own so many peaches? I know I'm stunned. I think it's because they're the opposite of pink for me: I'm not picky about them. As long as they aren't too beige or brown (which translates as nude on many people and "Oh look I'm wearing mud!" on my pale skin), they're cool. This is really a sign that I need to purge at least one of these guys, right? Right. (NOTE: powder peaches tend to lean more yellow, while cream peaches tend to lean more red, as my collection demonstrates.)

Sleek Pan Tao -- Another limited edition product that Sleek has ripped from everybody's fingers. This is a true bright peach, sans the brown tones in their Life's a Peach shade and with a bit more saturation. Pan Tao isn't quite as pigmented as Scandalous, but beyond that, the formulas are identical.

Lancome Blush Subtil in Tangerine Tint -- Lancome products don't usually suit me and I avoid makeup counters like the plague, so my affinity for this blush is unheard of. This shade is similar to YSL Babydoll in that it looks neon on in the pain, but applies with a sheer base, leaving you with just enough color.

Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow in Tansoleil -- My absolute favorite peach blush! It's somehow able to work as both a bright peach and a nude to pair with red lipstick. Don't ask me how; this stuff is pure magic.

NYC Blushable Creme Stick in Plaza Pink -- A peachy-pink without shimmer. It's very similar to Illamasqua's cream blush in Rude, and it's great that you can get a dupe, but ugh these things were $3 and totally portable and WHHHHHY?!

Becca Beach Tint in Grapefruit -- Probably the most yellow of my cream peaches, Grapefruit is on the sheer side and requires a bit of layering to really show up on my skin. I usually keep it in my makeup bag during the spring because it works with an usually wide range of lipstick colors.

Canmake Cream Blush in #05 -- This adorable Japanese cream blush looks like a dupe for Tansoleil in the pan, but it actually contains gold glitter (which thankfully doesn't show up much on my face, but still, it's there) and tends to apply a smidge more "brown." The formula is creamy and blendable. I'd gladly buy more of these if the brand wasn't so intent on tossing glitter in to everything.



And of course...

...the not-pictured MAC blush palette. The 5 blushes in that palette were all purchased/swapped for in my youth (ie, when I was still in college and never lacked optimism). I almost never use it and keep it mainly for nostalgia's sake.