Hey Beauties!
When H&M new beauty line came out, it was all over the blogs. It was well raved about and I too wanted to get on board. Opportunity finally arise that I could actually go to the one and only store in Slovenia that carries it. (Seriously H&M, I know we're a small country, but maybe you can add at least second largest city to your VIP treatment?!). I would love to get some more, but that would require me to drive half a country to get to it.
In the store I was astonished by the prices. I always saw H&M as an affordable mass produced products, but the prices were pretty high. Here is the only turn down for me - the prices. The range is huge actually and anyone can find something for themselves. I fell in love with their single eyeshadows, but the price was a bit too high for me to get it at the time. Now I would probably go back. Instead I decided to only take one of their blushes. I choice it over the internet and in the store I confirmed that my decision was right. I got Pure Radiance Powder Blusher in Brown Sugar.
It comes in a black and white paper box.
The packaging is mix of black and gold. On the top it's black plastic, on the bottom gold and the writing is gold as well. May I say, my favorite packaging colors. It's in the shape of a honeycomb. Very thin and lightweight packaging. Great for storage and travelling.
It costs 7.99€ and you get 5 grams of product. When you take in consideration that Milani blushes contain 3.5 grams and MAC brushes contain 6 grams, the price doesn't seem so high. But still, it's H&M and I expected lower prices from them.
The blusher seems tiny in the pan, although it's just the packaging that makes it seem this way.
Brown Sugar is a very unique shade in my collection. It's brownish peach shade and it looks matte in the pan. Once you swatch it, it gives you a very subtle almost unnoticeable sheen, which they call luminous finish. I compared it with some of my other blushes and non have that kind of finish. Milani Luminoso has small shimmer which gives it a glow and MAC Pinch Me (Sheertone) has a true matte finish. I can safely say that I don't have any similar finish in my collection. Saying that, I really like it. It's such a subtle sheen, but still makes it just a tiny bit more wearable and not as dead matte as some other blushes.
I compared the shade with other similar in tone, but found no dupes. Luminoso looked the most similar, but it's a lot peachier.
I love the shade and I love the texture of it. It applies like a dream. It's probably one of my most pigmented matte blushes. I have to knock some of it off the brush or it looks a bit too much. Even though it says that it's sheer coverage, I would say because of the pigmentation it can look bold, so softer brushes might be better option. It is definitely not bright or too in your face, but you will get the color payoff.
Here you can see how it looks like on me. I absolutely love this shade and luminous finish. It's a nice alternative to my usual peach shades and it looks very natural on the face. It doesn't glow and the shimmer isn't seen under the sun, but it still gives you a very healthy looking cheeks.
The thing that surprised me is how well it wears. I think it's one of the most long lasting blushes that I own. I don't notice such things or ever comment on the wear of a blush, but I did notice that it looked the same all through the day. Usually blushes fade on me as the day goes on, not this one.
I am impressed, very. The quality is superb. I like the shade and the luminous finish. The packaging does feel a bit cheap and plasticy, but it's about the content, right? I am still not crazy about the price, but I will forgive them for the blush. It's worth it. Now I have one of their coppery gold eye shadows stuck in my mind and I hope I'll get the chance to go back and get it.