Loving: Shiseido Luminizing Face Color in RD103 - Petal

Edit: I just realised from Syen's post today that this costs as much as a NARS blush. Whoa. 

This is one of those impossible to swatch and / or photograph blushers. See how peachy it is in the photo above? Well... it's not really that colour, but no matter what settings I used or how I tried, or what lighting, the pictures never turned out any better. So I went online and found this photo of the blush's shade:

It's not really that colour either. This one's too pink. The first is too peachy. I'd say my best description is that in the pan it's somewhere in between - a mix of both pink and peachy tones.

When I first got this blush my reaction was "meh, another Orgasm dupe", and besides the fact that it isn't as shimmery, my first impression wasn't that far off. Yet day after day I found myself reaching for this blush increasingly because it's one of those "no-blush, blushers". What am I nattering on about? Well, it gives you a pretty flush, makes your cheekbones pop, and yet you won't notice the blush, you'll notice YOU.

Packaging & Texture

I was surprised and a little disappointed at the cheap, light plastic feel of this blush. After the hefty weight of the lipglosses and lipsticks, I expected this blush to have the same, luxe feel. Although it looks sleek and pricey however, the case is light and flimsy.

The blush however is top quality, very finely milled and not in the slightest bit powdery.

Luminizing finish

This is where the blush really gets special. At first, I thought it was a straight up matte blush, but then I realised that wasn't it either. It does have some sheen - but no more  than the natural sheen of healthy skin. You know, that elusive finish we've all heard of, seen on girls we envy to death, but can't actually achieve. Well this blush brings my cheekbones one step closer. It is, in a sense, a "luminous finish".

Colour

Ah, once again we run into a problem. It's (as the pics show) an inbetweeny colour. One that goes well with red, berry, pink or peach lips. It's more warm than cool though, and will not go with very cool pinks or mauve  lippies. 

It looks pigmented but is actually quite sheer and hard to overdo. It's not so sheer though that you find youself swiping your brush on pan and cheek with frustration. This makes it great for those mornings when you're in a rush and can't afford mistakes but at the same time, are too rushed to be careful. This is a natural look:

Despite its sheer finish I find the blush does last through the day easily when layered over Revlon Colorstay.

Conclusion

Much as I love this blush, I'm not convinced it's worth its RM105 price tag. Yes it's a lovely blush, yes it makes my cheekbones pop and looks pretty and natural, but I'm sure you can find similarly great blushes in the RM70-90 range. RM105 just seems, rather high. However I do love this blush and it's earned a place in my daily stash.

I was provided this product for review by Shiseido