I don’t know if it is because when I started to get into makeup MAC’s Mineralized Skinfinishes were all the rage, but I have a soft spot for a baked cheek product with a marble looking pan. So I had to try Flormar’s version. Even though these two shades are very similar. Hey, at least I can write a review about them (this is becoming a dangerously enabling excuse).
Baked Blush-On in Pink Bronze
The shade is a mauve-leaning, light copper with very sparse shimmer particles that you can barely notice on the skin, but a lot of shine. It does have the typical baked blush sheen that looks like it’s part of the complexion and not something that sits on top of it, but, if you build up the colour too much (and by doing so, build up the shine as well) it does start to emphasise skin texture.
The swatch makes it look subtle, but don’t be fooled: this is quite pigmented, and if you use a heavy hand you will have trouble softening the blush to a reasonable, non rash-y look. It’s not easiest blush to blend out. It’s not patchy, but it’s difficult to move the colour around once you’ve deposit it on the cheeks.
At 10 hours of wear, it was still very much intact (I tested it over a long wearing foundation, but used no setting spray).
Baked Blush-On in Touch of Rose
This shade is neutral pink-mauve with a very shiny finish, not actually shimmery, but not metallic either. Again, that shine is very much the typical baked blush sheen. Unlike Pink Bronze though, I felt that Touch of Rose did not emphasize skin texture, regardless of the amount I applied.
The swatch looks more intense than when applied to the cheeks. To be honest, the swatches look like they are switched (they are not, I confirmed time and time again), because Touch of Rose is more subtle and has less shimmer particles visible on the cheeks than Pink Bronze. This just shows you that hand swatches are not everything, you really need to test makeup on the face.
This shade is quite pigmented as well, but a bit easier to blend out than Pink Bronze. I still wouldn’t recommend a heavy hand, but if that happens, this powder is not that hard to work with and you can diffuse it with a bit of elbow grease.
Like Pink Bronze, after 10 hours of wear, it was still very much intact (tested over a long wearing foundation, with no setting spray).
Final Thoughts
These blushes contain 9 grams of product and they come in really bulky, plastic packaging. I like that you can see through them to identify the colour better. Of the two, Touch if Rose is definitely the best. They are so similar in shade that I don’t think you need both, and I would recommend getting just one – which is tricky because looking at the pans, Pink Bronze looks the sexiest. At least that’s the one I lean towards. But then on the skin, Touch of Rose wins by a long shot: ease of application, easier colour to pull off, and does not emphasize skin texture at all.
Or if you are like me, just get both when there is a 2 for 1 sale.
