When the Estee Lauder Pure Color Cello Shots Cheek Rush were launched, oh boy was I excited. Hello, more blushes for me to check out? Gel ones too? HELL YES. So when these actually landed on my desk for review, I did a little victory dance and a bit of a whoop whoop.

What can I say? Blushes have a strange effect on me. 😛

Description:
Designed to brighten and excite, Pure Color Cheek Rush is a lightweight, innovative, transparent gel that provides cheeks with a pop of sheer, juicy colour for a fresh-faced look. Its sensational water-based formula is cool to the touch and leaves cheeks feeling hydrated through an infusion of natural extracts and moisturising ingredients. Tip: For a “just pinched” look, quickly blend a tiny drop of this silky liquid-gel in a circular motion on to the apples of cheeks. Oil-free and non-acnegenic as well as dermatologist and ophthalmologist-tested NEW Pure Color Cheek Rush is packaged in a new, shade-matched, high-gloss finish pump bottle with a silkscreened golden collar and Estée Lauder logo.

Is it just me or does the packaging remind you of bullet shells? When I was photographing the blushes on the carpet, at one glance, they really do look like colourful bullet casings! To be honest, I’m not a big fan of the packaging. It eludes the usual classy Estee Lauder packaging in these plastic bottles. Having said that, the bottle caps are standard Estee Lauder gold so it’s not too bad. Still, I would have preferred them to look and feel less plasticky.

As for the blushes, other than the #02 Pink Patent, they come in the form of a gel. Pink Patent looks and feels more like a cream. They dry very quickly so you have to be fast in applying it on the skin. Don’t bother dispensing the blushes at the back of the hand first before applying because most of the pigment will end up on your hand instead of your cheeks. It’s best to squeeze a tiny amount on your finger and then quickly work it on your cheeks.

The Cello Shots Cheek Rushes come in 4 shades:

#01 Hot Fuse: Cherry red with shimmer. Reminds me of Benefit’s Benetint.
#02 Pink Patent: Creamy pink (somewhat similar to Benefit’s Posietint, only slightly brighter). This is the least pigmented of the four.
#03 X-Pose Rose: Bright, rosy pink.
#04 Techno Jam: A shade of berries. This is the most pigmented of the four.

Plasticky packaging aside, these are beautiful blushes. They dry very quickly and leave a very natural finish on the skin. If you’re looking for a cream/gel blush that does not only look natural but also lasts all day, I highly recommend the Cello Shots because boy, do they last. I’ve had these on all day without any fading at all.

Blush stains even after removal attempt with Bioderma’s Crealine H20

These blushes stain the skin too so you’ll have to double-cleanse to make sure all traces of rouge are removed. I tried removing my swatches with the Bioderma Crealine H20 and as you can see, the stains are still there. I had to use an oil cleanser and my regular cleanser after that to make sure all the blush is removed. You want longevity? Oh yes, you’ll get longevity all right. 😛

#01 Hot Fuse

#02 Pink Patent

#03 X-Pose Rose

#04 Techno Jam (went a bit too heavy-handed on the right cheek. Ooops!)

As these are very pigmented gel blushes, you only need very little per application. Think the size of a quarter of a pea or less. Each bottle is going to last you ages. Cost per wear works out to be pretty darn good.

My favourite shade of the four is the #01 in Hot Fuse and #04 Techno Jam. What can I say, I love ’em bright. 😉

Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Cello Shots Cheek Rushes retail at AU$60.00 each and are available at major departmental stores (MYER, David Jones) and selected pharmacies nationally.

What I like about it: Highly pigmented blushes, very long-lasting.

What I do not like about it: Not a fan of the plasticky packaging

Have you tried any of these Cello Shots gel blushes? Which one’s your favourite?

Note: These blushes were provided for editorial consideration.