New Makeup Geek Blushes: Swatches/Review and Formula Comparison

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Hey everyone! 

I've been a little radio silent on the blog for a few weeks after my graduation but that's because I landed a job! The great news is that it's exactly the kind of setting that I've wanted to work in but the bad news is that I have to move so I've been busy prepping for that. I have four to eight weeks of downtime until I actually start since I have to wait for my license, which gives me some time to enjoy my summer before work starts. I hope you enjoy the upcoming posts while I have some free time!

Today's post is a review of three Makeup Geek Blushes I picked up while at PHAMExpo. These blushes are their revamp of the blush formula. I got Heart Throb, Infatuation, and Summer Fling. I also have Summer Fling from the old formula so I'll also be doing a comparison of the old vs. new formula and share my thoughts on any differences I see. 

Continue reading to see my swatches, read my review, and my comparison between the old vs. new formula.

Before I get to everything, I should note that the website photos for the blushes are not accurate and make the colors look very washed out. The colors are more accurate in my photos, their Instagram photos, and the website swatches. I highly suggest looking at their Instagram and the website swatches to get a better sense of the color until they're able to better capture the true color on the product photos.

Where to Purchase: Makeup Geek 
Price: 4.25 grams/.15oz, $10 as a single pan or $15 in a compact.
Do they test on animals?: The company does not test on animals.
Packaging: The Blushes came either as a pan (in a cardboard sleeve) or in a compact with a magnetic closure.

Each blush have been categorized as being best for a certain skin tone but that's just a suggestion in case you're not sure of where to start with the blushes. I ended up just swatching the ones I liked and picking the colors based on how they looked. 

Most of the blushes in the line have a matte finish; it makes it easier for you to control the amount of shine on your face to make sure you don't look too greasy. 

Heart Throb is described as a "salmon brown with a matte finish. This shade is best suited for fair skin tones.". I think it's more of a muted salmon pink than a salmon brown. This is one of the shades that looks completely different on the website; the website photo makes it look much more orangey.

Infatuation is described as a "true terracotta with a matte finish. This shade is best suited for medium skin tones." When I think of the color terracotta, I think of a rich rusty orange. This is not that shade. In person, it's much more of a pinky brown.

Summer Fling is described as a "deep papaya with a matte finish. This shade is best suited for deep skin tones." This was one of the shades that actually looks the most similar to the website photo. It's a bright peachy orange that pulls a lot more pink on my skin tone when blended in.

Formula: 

Makeup Geek says "Soft and subtle to bright and bold, Makeup Geek Blushes blend effortlessly into the skin to add the perfect dose of radiance to your cheeks. Their finely milled powder guarantees a smooth, buttery feel and a flawless application, every time. Rich pigmentation combined with a fade-resistant formula offers buildable, long-lasting color."

The description of the formula is pretty spot-on; the formula is smooth, finely milled, and each color has great pigmentation. Though pigmented, the formula is buildable if you use a light hand. I found that Heart Throb and Infatuation both blend out really well but Summer Fling required a little more blending around the edges. The formula also manages to be silky, but this can make certain colors more prone to kicking up powder (because it's also finely milled). Summer Fling kicks up a fair amount of powder, even if you tap your brush gently because it's soft and doesn't feel as firmly pressed. Infatuation kicks up a little powder and Heart Throb doesn't kick up much at all. This is a formula you should not swirl your brushes in, you only need to tap your brush onto the blush.

Wear Time: 

The wear time differs depending on what I'm wearing it with. Alone, the wear time is about 4 hours on my oily skin. On top of foundation, I can get closer to 6 hours of wear. By the end of that, I do notice that the blush will have faded.

Swatches:

I swatched using a blush brush for a blended out swatch. All photos were taken in indirect natural daylight. 

From left to right: Heart Throb, Infatuation, and Summer Fling

Heart Throb looks very pink in the pan but really warms up on my skin tone. Infatuation is darker than Heart Throb and looks more orange/brown. Summer Fling is quite orange in the pan and pulls much more pink on me. Summer Fling is really pigmented and my swatch a light layer of the color. Summer Fling is a color that will really differ depending on your undertone.

Comparison of old Summer Fling to new Summer Fling: 

Old Summer Fling is on the left while new Summer Fling is on the right.

From a cursory look, the colors look very similar. New Summer Fling looks a little darker in the pan but when swatched, Old Summer Fling actually looks a little darker. Because New Summer Fling is a little softer and less firmly pressed in the pan, it kicked up more powder when you used a brush than Old Summer Fling. Both blushes ended up applying and blending very similarly on me. For this shade in particular, I think I preferred the Old formula if only because it doesn't kick up as much powder. I experienced a similar wear time with both blushes.

Conclusion:

I really appreciate that most of the blushes have a matte finish, which tends to be more flattering for people like me who have oily skin and large pores. Keep in mind that while the blushes are silky, smooth, and pigmented, some colors are prone to kicking up powder. Tapping your brush instead of sweeping or swirling into the pan will prevent a lot of that from happening. For Summer Fling, I did prefer the Old Formula for that shade but that doesn't mean the New Formula is bad at all.

If you're interested in getting some new blushes, the Makeup Geek ones are worth a try for only $10.00. They have a nice range of more everyday shades while also having more brighter shades. The blushes are grouped into shade ranges to aid your decision but feel free to go outside each range if you like a color.

Have you tried any of Makeup Geek's new blush line? Are there any colors you might like to try?