I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and enjoyed shopping on Black Friday ^_^ I hauled quite a bit over the weekend and once everything comes in I'll be reviewing them :) Related to this post is that R&R restocked their cosmetics, namely their famous blushes this weekend (Sales post)! The 50% cosmetics coupon code (ROCKCOSMETICS) is still working even if it's not being advertised.
Also if you didn't know already, R&R is phasing these blushes out (arghhh!) so there will be less and less colors available each time they restock (aka they're just clearing inventory now...and I couldn't get Bedroom darn it). Very popular colors like Call Me, Spank, and Kinky are already hard to come by (the former is no longer in even stocked). So if you want any R&R blushes that are still available (a few choice colors, Tease and X-rated are still available), you should get them now. Rumor has it that R&R is planning on debuting a new series of blush colors (yes!!!), which is why they are trying to get rid of all the current colors they have. I don't know if it's true they're debuting a new set of blush colors but it has been confirmed that the current blush colors are being phased out, period. Just wanted to let you guys know :\
Say hello to my babies!! Who does not love these? I don't think I've read a single bad review about the famous Rock & Republic blushes, honestly. I've been sampling these for the past few weeks and I must say, these puppies have not disappointed me at all. They are all very finely milled, richly pigmented, and blend like a charm. Each blush comes with a plastic slip so the powder won't get all over the mirror in case you're wondering what the round things are ^^ I got 2 of these from Beauty Ticket ($20/each) and 2 from the Official R&R online store ($8/each, read post).
The packaging is super luxurious (R&R's trademark) with mirror-like undersides and heavily embossed lids. Everything is just so reflective (even the cardboard case!). I adore the attention to detail from the labeled stickers to the textured pattern on the inside of the round boxes. They all close with magnetic closures.
All these blushes are very pigmented, do not streak nor oxidize (change color on your face) and have minimal fallout. These colors are build-able and it is possible to achieve a sheer blush - just use a very, very light hand. I won't repeat this again to avoid redundancy.
Foreplay - a matte tan. It looked very unassuming in the pan and in swatches but it turns a gorgeous peachy coral on me. I didn't like this color at first but now it's my favorite! To me it's the perfect Autumn blush - it adds just a touch of color. I'd say you have put this on your face to know how wearable it can be. I think this would look best on paler skin colors though. I'm wearing this blush color here and here.
Tease - my 2nd favorite blush color. It's a lovely matte pink-lilac with cool undertones. I can't confirm this because I don't own the MAC Briar Rose (Venomous Villain collection) but Tease looks like a dupe of that color - both are delicate lilacs. This was initially my favorite but Foreplay usurped it just because I'm going through a peachy-coral phase right now. Mara has a good pic that shows what Tease look like here.
Kinky - a matte bright pink with a cool undertone. I think this will be great for spring/summer, especially since hot pink will be "in" Spring/Summer 2011. It's a great vibrant color but it's a bit bright for Fall/Winter, which is the only reason I haven't used it much.
All Nighter - an orange blush with gold sparkles. Since the gold sparkles are very fine, it turns out as a beautiful gold sheen. I think this color is so underrated and that people are afraid to wear it because of it's odd color. If you use a very light hand I think this would be beautiful for summer. I do happen to think this would be a bit more flattering on tanner skin colors though (but I'm not sure). When the warmer months roll around I shall be experimenting with this! To see All-Nighter on a face go here.
And for a look at the sparkles/sheen....just look at the golden sheen on All Nighter! Beautiful! Foreplay and Tease look pretty hideous as finger swatches (mostly because my fingers are really dry) but they are much more accurately represented in the arm swatches above.
Price can't be beat if you pick these up on sale, quality is solid, packaging is impeccable.....and I've said enough compliments about these. Now for some nit-picks: you get a ton of product and the packaging is very nice but that makes them very bulky and a definite no when it comes to portablity. Whatever, this thing is too pretty to keep in a purse anyway - although I wouldn't mind pulling one of these beauties out in a subway just to see everyone's faces ;) Lastly, due to the rich pigmentation, some people, especially those trying these for the first time could find some of the brighter colors tricky to use. It's very easy to apply too much blush so err on the conservative side when putting these on. You really need the lightest amount on your brush, you should barely be able to see the blush flecks on your brush.
For the most amazing collection of R&R blushes and shadows go to KarlaSugar.
Overall
These blushes are a steal whether you buy them for $20 or $8. They come with enough product to last a lifetime (and 2x the amount of NARS blushes) and are of amazing quality. I highly, highly recommend you try these out - you won't regret it.
The most popular color is Call Me (NARS Orgasm dupe supposedly, a color I find to be rather overrated honestly). I personally recommend Foreplay and Tease. I also picked up X-rated this weekend because I could no longer resist the berry color ^_^ It'd be perfect for winter!