In my recent shop my stash I was using this cheek duo by Natasha Denona every once in a while. I really liked the look of this when it launched. From the stunning packaging to the products inside: after only having tried Natasha Denona eyeshadow palettes, I thought it was time to branch out and try some more products from the brand. I ended up going for cheek products first because I love me a good blush and this comes with a cream blush and a duochrome highlighter. I was intrigued enough and finally busted it out enough to really put it to the test.
Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo review
This Natasha Denona product is in line with the rest of the brand and not exactly a cheap product. You get 8 grams of product for the blush and 6 grams of product for the highlight so that is a regular blush and highlighter size, which is nice. Yet, this still retails for over €40 which is quite a bit of money. True, you get two products for the price of one, so that makes this a slightly better deal, but with products at this price point the question always is: is it worth the money? And this case I’m a little bit torn.
What does this product have to offer?
It’s not just about quantity it is also quality that matters and both of these products look absolutely stunning in the pan. The packaging is on point, with the glittery front that moves as you move the compact around. Inside, you get a bright coral blush in a cream formula and a pink and gold duo chrome highlighter. Gorgeous packaging aside, the brand could have been more mindful of the way the packaging was designed. The highlighter is a gel to powder formula and the blush a cream. This means that potentially some of the highlighter might end up in the blush pan since there is nothing to cover up the cream to keep it nice and clean.
How does the blush and highlighter duo perform?
While these shades are gorgeous, it’s in their performance that I take issue. The cream blush is lovely but it feels quite thick when you stick your fingers in. The shade it blends into is lovely though: a very fresh looking face. The highlighter is the worst offender though. It barely picks up with a brush and on my fair skin it barely shows up. It really has to catch the light to be visible and I feel the pink undertone totally disappears once applied to the face. So while this looks very stunning in the pan and also in a full on finger swatch, I don’t feel it translates well once applied to the face.
How do these two products swatch?
Apart from the highlighter having trouble showing up, there isn’t much here to critique the actual quality of the product. The blush blends into the skin beautifully and effortlessly and a little goes a long way. In a finger swatch the blush actually looks less intense than it does once applied to the cheeks. The highlighter is quite the opposite: it looks very intense in a finger swatch, but it barely shows up on the face. I have been told that a natural haired brush might do the trick, but my usual highlighter brush (a Sigma F03) has trouble picking this up while it is a brush that usually does well with all of my highlighters.
How does this duo apply to the face?
In the pictures above you can see my bare cheek with just a bit of bronzer applied. Then I applied the highlighter (middle picture) and then the blush (bottom picture). Now taking pictures of highlighters on your cheeks can be difficult (especially if they are on the subtle side) but this one is truly undetectable. Under studio lighting it barely pops and I feel I just wanted a bit more from this product. The blush is more than fine and as you can see here it really lifts up the face by adding a nice bright pop of something vibrant to the cheeks that I feel can be flattering on many different skin tones.
My final thoughts
I really had hoped the Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo would blow me away. But alas, it didn’t. This product is nice, but I can’t confidently recommend this and say this is worth your hard earned money. It is pretty, it is something different and I am very glad I got to try it. However, I found the overall experience a bit overwhelming. Yet this is pretty and the shades combine very, well do not fade throughout the day and go well with many different skin tones. However, I feel the quality just isn’t there for how much you’re paying.
Would I recommend the Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo?
That depends. While I was disappointed, I don’t think this is necessarily a bad product. It’s just that I have tried lots of blush and highlighters over the years and this just isn’t anything that wowed me. Is it a nice product? Sure. Would I pay this kind of money again for this type of product? No. But if you like what you see here, love a very subtle highlighter and a more vibrant blush then I think you might still like this in the end. To me, this product is just greatly underwhelming and from a brand like Natasha Denona I would just expect more.
2 responses to “Natasha Denona Love Cheek Duo review”
Hmmm loved that blush on you so much but upon looking more carefully, hmmm 🤔, that highlighter is drab and gosh for the price, it needs to be epic! Great review!! Thank you!
Totally agree with you! It’s pretty but nothing mindblowing, which for ND prices really shouldn’t be the case.