From Generation Q ~ Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE : Review, Swatch, FOTD

Hey everyone!

Powder blush SOPHIE is part of Illamasqua’s latest collection Generation Q (A/W 2012) and perhaps the prettiest coral in my collection! I wanted this the moment it was launched and I finally picked it up when Illamasqua had a free international shipping offer few weeks back!

Price : £18.00 (approx. Rs 1600) + shipping

Buy Online HERE.

Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE – Review, Swatch

What Illamasqua says about powder blush :

Illuminate, radiate, make your face come alive with the colour and drama of Illamasqua Powder Blusher. Colour-intense and highly pigmented, use it to shade, brighten, enhance and define the shape of your face. Be bold, be daring, be the centre of attention.

NET WT. 4.5 g 0.15 OZ.

Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE – Review, Swatch

My take on the Product

Illamasqua blushes come in the signature black packaging with a transparent cover. While the transparent cover makes it easy to locate the shades, I find the packaging a little bulky considering the fact that it only contains 4.5 g of product. While traveling with limited space for a makeup kit, these are not the most space efficient blushes. The packaging comes without a mirror or applicator.

The blush has a soft, smooth texture, is slightly powdery and can be a little messy in the pan. I’ve not cleaned up the sides of the pan before taking the pictures so you can see that there is a little bit of fall out especially the shimmer. It doesn’t kick up product during application though as long you don’t use an overly rough/scratchy brush. The pigmentation is very workable – neither too sheer nor too intense. I typically need 2 swipes to get a healthy dose of color on my cheeks. It blends with barely any effort, no patchiness or powderiness on the cheek and that is something I love about Illamasqua blushes! The staying power is excellent – it stayed a full 8 hours on my cheeks with minor fading. This particular shade contains shimmer but it is well integrated into the formula and doesn’t travel all over the face. Formula-wise, this is a stellar product!

Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE – Review, Swatch

SOPHIE is described as ‘golden coral shimmer‘ and it is an apt description. While coral blushes by themselves give a healthy glow to the face (for all skin tones), the added golden shimmer does the work of a highlighter. With a lovely warm flush of color and faint shimmer on the cheeks, SOPHIE is the perfect brightening blush for me. The shimmer is very finely milled and is not chunky or gritty at all. In the blended swatch, you’ll notice how nicely it blends without standing out. I have large open pores and I feel the shimmer slightly enhances them but not in a very pronounced way. Overall, I think this is a gorgeous shade for all skin tones and would look stunning on warmer skin where the warm tones and gold shimmer would bring out the natural glow!

Possibly one of my favorite blushes, highly recommended!

Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE – Review, Swatch

The GOOD about Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE :

Transparent lid ; sturdy packaging
Soft texture
Finely milled powder
Workable pigmentation
Blends effortlessly
Excellent staying power
Non-gritty fine shimmer
Doesn’t get powdery/patchy on the cheeks
Shimmer doesn’t travel all over the face
Beautiful shade!

The NOT-SO-GOOD about Illamasqua Powder blush SOPHIE :

Bulky packaging
The shimmer may *slightly* enhance open pores ; may get messy in the pan
Shipping expenses

Overall Verdict

SOPHIE is a shimmery golden coral that combines excellent formula with a lovely brightening color. The powder blush is finely milled, very easy to use as far as pigmentation/blending goes and stays for 8+ hours. The shimmer is fine and eliminates the need for a highlighter, it doesn’t travel over the face but may enhance large open pores slightly. With Illamasqua blushes, you get the quality you pay for and I’d definitely recommend this shade to everyone!

Rating : 4.25/5

Illamasqua has free UK shipping and free International shipping over £35 till Dec 21 You can buy this shade Online HERE.