I'm not usually a huge Estee Lauder fan. Not their brand empire in general, just their actual Estee Lauder line. Probably because I started with Lancome and Estee Lauder in high school and it felt like once I branched out I couldn't go back.
I grabbed one of their Pure Color Envy Shine Lipsticks last year and it was a good lipstick. So I figured I'd check out their new Sephora exclusive Estee Edit line while I was browsing in Sephora one day. Most of the stuff was good, basic colors in general. Nothing really jumped out at me as a must try until I swatched the blushes. The Barest Blush is so silky smooth. First Lover was a great neutral shade, that I gravitate to time and time again, so I grabbed it.
Per Sephora: "Create a gorgeous flush of color with The Barest Blush. Infused with micronized pigments and sunflower seed oil, it creates even, natural-looking color. Its powder surface is decorated with a metallic overspray." The retail is $28. First Lover is a matte neutral dusty pink nude. The case is a basic silver metal lightweight plastic that feels a bit cheap. It does get fingerprints all over it for those who hate that. There is a gold splatter overspray on the powder that goes away after a use or two. It has no scent.
The blush is very finely milled, silky, smooth and very pigmented. It applies evenly. It's a touch powdery. Some of these really silky powders can end up chalky, this one does a touch but it's not too bad. It's a fabulous blush overall. I have to use a lighter applying brush, like a wispy squirrel hair brush. I end up with too much blush if I use a goat hair brush. It's a nice, reasonably priced blush and if you like nudes First Lover is a great shade.
It is however like 90% of all the other blushes I own. When I say I gravitate towards shades like this, it's true. I had to compare it against them all as they're all in the same family. None of them were dupes or the same, they all have slight color variations. But they're all in the nude family. First Lover looks like a pink nude but when you compare it to other nudes it pops a bit peachier and feels more in the neutral(warm for some people) category.
Sunlight:
Top to Bottom: Urban Decay Afterglow Blush Video, THREE Cheeky Blush 8 Eternal Traveler, Makeup Revolution Matte Blush Nude, Estee Edit First Lover, MAC Extra Dimension Blush Seduced at Sea, Becca Mineral Blush Sweetpea, Rouge Bunny Rouge Habanera, Armani Sheer Blush #4, Addiction Blush #29 Noah, THREE Cheeky Blush #7 Magical Thinking, THREE Blush #17 Wind Swept Soul:
Top to Bottom: Urban Decay Afterglow Blush Video(pinker), THREE Cheeky Blush 8 Eternal Traveler(sheerer, pinker), Makeup Revolution Matte Blush Nude(more coral), Estee Edit First Lover, MAC Extra Dimension Blush Seduced at Sea(shimmery, more peachy brown), Becca Mineral Blush Sweetpea(deeper, browner), Rouge Bunny Rouge Habanera(deeper, browner):
Top to Bottom: MAC Extra Dimension Blush Seduced at Sea, Becca Mineral Blush Sweetpea, Rouge Bunny Rouge Habanera, Armani Sheer Blush #4(shimmery, browner, the most similar of the bunch), Addiction Blush #29 Noah(peachier, browner), THREE Cheeky Blush #7 Magical Thinking(peachier, sheerer), THREE Blush #17 Wind Swept Soul(shimmery, sheerer, cooler, more brown):
