Makeup Revolution VIVID Baked Blusher

In the Makeup Revolution blush review series, I have shared my two cents on the VIVID Lacquer Blush, Powder Blush, and Cream Blush ranges. Next up are the gorgeous-looking VIVID Baked Blushes. What's up with blushes (or even eyeshadows) being "baked"? Those of you who're curious makeup junkies would already know the answer to this. For everyone else, the "baked" blushes are different from regular ones by their preparation method. While normal blushes usually have their ingredients mixed and pressed into the powder compact form, the baked blushes are literally baked after mixing more concentrated color pigments with the terracotta base over a period of time. The mixing and baking gives a beautiful marbleized finish to the dome-shaped blush. The baking method is meant to translate to bolder color payoff and longevity of the application. Let's see if Makeup Revolution VIVID Baked Blushers live up to the hype:

Makeup Revolution VIVID Baked Blusher retail for PKR 550 at Reforma.PK and Daraz.PK. They are available in 6 gorgeous shades. I could honestly sit and stare at their surface marble and veins for hours - such beauty! *sigh* The official claims say that these blushes are "highly pigmented for a natural soft effect. The color is easily buildable with a hint of shimmer to enhance cheekbones." It takes me a while to digest the description because I feel the wording could have been a bit better. That's me being super into stupid fine details. 

The VIVID Baked Blusher come in a standard black-pan-with-clear-lid packaging. However, in comparison to the cream and powder blushes, the baked blushers have slightly smaller, sturdier packaging with the clear lid is a little concaved. The shape is meant to fit the dome-shaped blush inside, of course. The new product comes with a little clear tape sealing the lid to the base (like in other blushes by Makeup Revolution). The lid snaps shut properly in all these blushes - which I find reassuring in case of traveling. Makeup Revolution scores marks in paying attention to the detail by naming these blushes well. It might be a mouthful for people to remember exactly, but to each his/her own. 

Before these, I barely owned one or two baked blushes. Since they had glitter chunks, their usage was minimal in my daily routine. It made me skeptical about these too. I took a good hard look at these up close  when I opened them - yeah, talk about being psychotic. I could have swatched to check for the glitters, but no, I "looked" :-D The surface looked so pretty and marbleized that I didn't want to spoil it by touching. The previous two baked blushes I had were very buttery in texture, but it made the fallout IN-SANE! Fortunately, the Makeup Revolution Baked Blushers remained very much in place and didn't fall out noticeably. Being the hard surface they had, I didn't expect the color to be so pigmented. One finger swipe and the smooth textured blush was on my finger with very fine shimmer that became a nice sheen when I swatched on my arm. Let's check the swatches now :-)

Indoor Light - With Flash

Natural Light - No Flash

HARD DAY - Pale brown & off-white in the pan, looks rosy-brown with colder undertones on the skin.

BANG BANG YOU'RE DEAD - Pale pink with a few darker marble veins, looks fresh barbie-pink with cool undertones on the skin

ONE FOR PLAYING GAMES - Washed out lilac-pink in the pan, looks sheer lilac version of Bang Bang on the skin

MAKE LOVE INSTEAD - Shimmery peach with deeper orange veins in the pan, rosy-peach with warm undertones on the skin

ALL I THINK ABOUT IS YOU - Cool-toned rose color with pink marble surface in the pan, medium rose-pink with cool undertones on the skin

LOVED ME THE BEST - Deeper pink-peach marble on the pan, warm-toned pink with brown undertones on the skin

I'm not the best in describing colors, but here you go. The swatches were more pigmented than what my camera captured. I used a small brush to build up the color by multiple swipes to show in the swatches. The blushers overall do live up to the claim of soft natural glow. However, the color selection will flatter pale-medium skin tones more. Anyone beyond the medium-wheatish complexion might find lighter shades not be not so flattering. LOVED ME and MAKE LOVE would be more suited for darker skin tones, in my opinion. My first impression about baked blushes was that they're more appropriate for the evening due to all the bling. These ones bring a natural glow-from-within flush to the cheeks. It's luminous without being overpowering or shimmery. You can comfortably wear them in the day-time as well. The lasting power varies across these blushers, but you get an average wear-time of 3-4 hours with light-handed application. The color fades a little after the 2nd hour, the luminosity remains for another hour or two. LOVED ME remains for longer time period. I must mention that I apply the blush very lightly. The color is surely buildable for the evening. Around the winter time, I do have slight dry patches appearing on the cheeks. So far, it has not clung to the skin because I always moisturize my face before wearing any makeup. This has been my pick-me-up blush on the days when I am skipping foundation or other makeup, but need some glow & color. I would not call it a replacement for highlighter in the evening because its glow is subtle. To up it a notch, I apply cream or lacquer blush as the base and lightly pat the baked blusher on top. It works to make the blush and the sheen more long lasting!

The colors look similar once applied lightly on the cheeks, so in my opinion, you don't need all the shades. There should have been more variety in the colors, I believe. Since the other blushes have packed the pigment punch, I really don't doubt Makeup Revolution's ability to make a good color range. Since they're expanding their market, I'd love to see more products catering to South Asian skin tones.

It is easier to be overwhelmed by the swatches and reviews, so let me break it down for you:

- Most Pigmented - BANG BANG and LOVED ME

- Most Fallout - ALL I THINK and LOVED ME

- Best Suited for Cool Toned - BANG BANG and HARD DAY

- Best Suited for Warm Toned - MAKE LOVE and LOVE ME

- Most Used By Me (NC20-25) - ONE FOR and BANG BANG

- Least Favorite - HARD DAY

Here comes the verdict on these babies:

Makeup Revolution VIVID Baked Blushers are exclusively available at Reforma.PK and Daraz.PK for PKR 550.

Have you used baked blushers yet? How do you compare their performance with the regular counterparts? Let me know your opinion in the comments below!

Cheers,

Bia

Disclaimer: This post may contain PR samples given for review. The opinions expressed are unbiased & honest depending upon my experience.