This is not my first review for Essence’s The Blush. I already reviewed one last summer when this line was first released. But because I love Essence blush and because I thought this shade was unexpectedly pretty, I decided to write another review for the shade 30 Breathtaking as well. These blushes are cheap and cheerful yet some of the best blushes on the market. So let’s review another one of these.
Review: Essence The Blush in 30 Breathtaking
We all know I love a good Essence blushes not only because of their quality but also the price point. At just €2.59 these are a great bang for your buck. They come in 5 different shades that are sadly all quite similar, so really you only need one of these and you’re good to go. That’s the only thing I feel Essence could improve on with this products is the shade range. It would be rad if they could do some other shades than 5 shades of nude with different undertones. I would love for them to do a red, a darker peach shade and for instance a good plum.
What does this blush have to offer?
So what makes the Essence blushes so great. These are affordable and some of the most blendable blushes on the market. No matter how much you put on, you can never go overboard with this and it still looks good. These last well on the cheeks and they are very pretty, easy to wear blush shades that appeal to a large range of people. The formula is just so easy to use, the packaging is slim and simple and you get a decent amount of product too. At this price point, this is simply unbeatable and I have never found a product this cheap that is this great.
What is the shade Breathtaking like?
The first shade I tried was 10 Befitting as that looked like a pretty mauve and those are usually my favorite shades of blush to wear. I ended up decluttering that as it was too similar to an older Essence blush I just love a touch better. 30 Breathtaking was a bit of a surprise to me. It’s a peachy pink shade that I wasn’t too sure about. I bought it because I wanted to do a video on older products from Essence and Catrice’s lines that are still great even if they haven’t changed them much. The Essence blushes have been great and consistent in quality over the years, no matter how many changes these go through. Breathtaking ended up being a great go to, easy to wear shade that goes with everything.
What does this blush swatch like?
Where some blushes do not show up in a finger swatch, this blush is a great one to swatch. On me, this blush has quite a bit of warmth and when I first tried this I wasn’t sure. I had hoped it would look a bit more pink on me. Luckily for me, finger swatches only tell us part of the story as I felt this looked much better once applied on the cheeks. It goes on quite sheer, but adds just enough color and in the winter time it works really well on my paler than pale skin.
How does this blush apply?
As you can see in these before and after pictures you can see just a hint of color on my cheeks. There is just enough color for it to give me a bit of a flush. However, as strong and warm toned as this came across in a full on swatch, that’s how natural this looks once sheered out when applied with a brush. Because of this shade being in between a pink and a peach this is very neutral on my skin and it really complements my complexion. It therefore goes with any look I do where I want to put something on my cheeks but don’t know what to go for. The texture is matte, but this never makes my skin look dry or cakey. It still looks fresh and natural on the skin.
My final thoughts
The Essence The Blush in Breathtaking is a bit of a surprise for me. I knew I loved this product already but I wasn’t sure on the shade at first. Now that I have tried this more often through the month it’s been an unexptected love and I have been reaching for this a lot in my Shop My Stash. This is one of those non-offensive blushes that just goes with everything and just works if you are looking for something that is a great allrounded. If you own this shade you can wear this every day and it will just work.
Would I recommend Essence The Blush in Breathtaking?
In terms of blush it just doesn’t get any better than this. At less than €5 you get a product that has rivaled some of my more expensive, high end blushes for years. For me, Essence blush is up there in the top 5 along with my Hourglass, Urban Decay, The Balm and Tarte blushes. I love these and where I was expecting to declutter this shade immediately after using it in my video, I think I will actually be holding on to this as it is such a great universal blush shade and it is a bit newer to me than my older Essence blush.