I don’t think I would ever be that interested in makeup by Essence, especially blushes, if it wasn’t for Emma. I have 3 blushes from the brand and they were purchases spurred on by her. She’s one of my strongest blush enablers, so Emma, this is for you. As in I blame you for the holes in my pocket. Just kidding. Not really. 😛

This latest blush acquisition was thanks to Emma. I saw a photo of this blush that she Instagrammed and I thought “ooh that looks interesting!”. Now this may seem strange coming from me but when MAC launched their Blush Ombres, I really wanted one. The gorgeous ombre shades were so inviting (especially the one in Ripe Peach) but I dilly-dallied on the purchase because I wasn’t sure if I was willing to part my money for MAC. Well, whaddyaknow, when I finally said “screw it, it’s mine”, the blush was sold out. *head desk*

When I first laid eyes on this at Priceline, it reminded me greatly of that MAC blush. Now I obviously don’t have that blush (or else this would have been a very different story) so I can’t compare the two but if I recall correctly, this really does look very similar to that MAC blush.

The Heat Wave is a lovely shade of peach when blended. I don’t concentrate on just one part of the shade; I swirl my blush brush on both colours and apply it on my cheeks. It’s a matte powder and a richly pigmented one too. It feels and looks a tad chalky when swatched but when it’s on the cheeks, it blends seamlessly and doesn’t look powdery at all.

Blush lovers, you’re going to love this one. It really is a beautiful blush and at AU$6.45 a pop, it’s a freakin’ bargain. I give this two very enthusiastic thumbs up!

Have you tried this blush or any blushes by Essence? What do you think about them? Cheap and good or just plain cheap?

PS: Yes yes, negative points for a terrible, nonsensical title. 😛