MAC Beauty Powder Blush Collection: Swatches and Review

So I finally laid my hands on these beautiful beauty powder blushes that were launched yesterday, I believe? These are the perfect blushes for me because they are an excellent marriage of color and sheen, not shine. I first fell in love with beauty powders during my MAC Barbie phase. Although I still love my Pearl Sunshine and Pearl Blossom beauty powders up to now, the new beauty powder blushes are different in the sense that there is more pigment to make them technically blushes, but the slight sheen that gives your entire complexion a lift is so out of the ordinary. They are not like mineralize skinfinishes either. MSFs radiate a more intense glow, and some of the less popular ones are kind of glittery. Beauty powder blushes, however, just emit the subtlest glow, just a whisper of sheen to your skin to de-flat your complexion. My favorites would be Feeling and Shy Beauty, but in fact, every one of these is very wearable.


EDIT: 119 should read 116.

These are my new tools and I love every one of them; they immensely improved my blush, contouring and eyelining application. Let's start with the 116. This godsend of a brush is perfect in tandem with the beauty powder blushes. It has a generally flat but uber-soft head that deposits pigment exactly where you want them to be, not all over the place. Thus, your blush ends up beautifully applied and not splotchy or clownish. I apply color using the side of the head, and moving up from the apples of my cheeks toward the direction of my temples, and it just creates a soft, gorgeous blush but precisely angled. If you are looking for a blush brush to use with your regular and beauty powder blushes, go grab this, you won't regret it.

I got the 169 to use in my more serious contouring tasks. I asked the MA what she thinks of the difference between the 169 and the 168 (both are MAC's angled brushes). She said that the 169 is made of synthetic hairs (as a side note, these synthetic hairs feel nothing like the synthetic ones from Lumiere or EcoTools; this feels and applies like natural hair). The MA further explained that the 169 will deposit color a tad heavier than the 168 because the latter is made from goat hair, and synthetic hairs tend to apply pigment a bit heavier. It's just perfect for my heavier contouring tasks. The 138 "rosebud" brush contours subtly, but if you really want to emphasize your cheekbones by hollowing your cheeks, the 169 is the way to go. I used this on my cousin when I roadtested some makeup for her wedding, and the contouring was just amazing. Also, I believe the 169 has a bigger head compared to the 168.

Lastly, the 209 eyeliner brush is perfect for my gel liners and for applying pigments wet on the lashline. It makes lining so much easier, and you can control it easily to line as heavy or thin as you wish.

All in all, the beauty powder blush collection was thrilling for me. I can honestly say that I like these blushes better than the regular MAC brushes. Why? I love the absolute subtlety of the sheen in these powders, and yet the very softness of the glow elevates the look to another dimension. The pigment doesn't look garish on the skin either, maybe because the sheen of the powders diffuses light to soften the look and the color. I also love the 116 brush because MAC couldn't have made a better brush to go with these babies. I have provided swatches so you can check out the color and the glow, but the effect on your cheeks is something which you have to see for yourself. Go try these blushes at your nearest MAC counter; it's well worth the trip.