Zoom In On: Loreal Blush Delice in Fresh Papaya

Before I knew of MAC, Nars, and other mainline makeup brands, I thought that drugstore brands like Loreal, Revlon, etc. were the cream of the crop. After all, they are more expensive than other readily available brands say, Avon. I particularly remember saving up for a Loreal blush delice blush. I wanted to own one because that time, it was hailed by Cosmopolitan Phils. magazine during its annual beauty awards as the best among the tons that they have tried. It was not exactly cheap ( I remember it was around Php 700++ then) and it is the last thing that you would expect a fresh graduate to prioritize. When I finally got one, I remember being so impressed with it. After all, I was not able to try that many blushes then. And the ones I’ve tried were so inferior in quality. I used it almost every day and I felt that it was a part of my arsenal as I faced the challenges of my first job. It was the first makeup item that I finished till I hit pan.

I only have one Loreal blush in my stash now. I have it in “Fresh Papaya” variant. I noticed that Loreal had made some changes in the packaging. Though their current blush is in the same size as before, there had been some modifications in the product that I observed. Anyhoo, despite the fact that I have found better blushes in terms of quality, this brand would always have a special place in my heart.

Swatches: Loreal Blush Delice in Fresh Papaya

What I like:

• Just a few swipes of this blush on your cheeks will make you look instantly perky and radiant. With proper application, its shimmer can be very eye-catching.
•  Its compact packaging makes it travel-friendly. 
• It comes with a mirror and a brush so it can be used even when you are on the go.
• Easily available in major department stores in key cities.
• This would really work as a highlighter.

What I don’t like:

• I noted changes in the packaging as mentioned earlier. Now, there is a transparent layer that encloses the layer with the casing. The shade of the blush variant is reflected through the color of the casing. While I think Loreal is doing this to make the item more secure, it has now made this blush very difficult to open. In fact, if my friends would want to use its mirror, they would always let me open it because they just can’t seem to.
•  Its staying power is not much. So if you’d expect to be on field work the entire day, this is not the best blush to use.
• IMO, this is expensive. It now retails around Php 975 if I’m not mistaken. For a drugstore blush, I think that is too much. A few hundreds more and I could already afford a MAC or Nars blush which are way better in quality.
• I noticed in the product label that the item is made in China. I don’t want to come off as a snob and I don’t want to disparage China but there had been many lapses in the standard of quality that they observe ( melamine scare, etc.)

Thanks! Hope you would find this review useful.