My favorite blush of the moment (possibly of the year)

Hellooooo lovelies! Aaaah, it feels SO good to be able to post a review for you after such a long (unintentional) break from my computer. I've got some time this afternoon on a functioning computer and I cannot wait to share this product with you!

Before I get into the review, I have to say that this was a completely unexpected love affair for me. I had heard some so-so reviews of this blush, which means I probably wouldn't have purchased it had I not had a good coupon to combine with a BOGO sale a while back. So it just goes to show you that you should never take my reviews, or anyone else's for that matter, as absolute fact. Your results could differ tremendously...you just never know.

Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Lush Berry (retail: around $12)

If you haven't tried Cover Girl Simply Ageless Blush yet, I am begging you to not jump to conclusions about this one. Yes, its target audience is women with more "mature" skin (which would include me, and it does work GREAT on my skin) but if you're young, do NOT let that stop you. For me, this has been an incredible product that has FAR exceeded my expectations, for several reasons.

(These pictures make this shade look super orange, but I promise you it's not nearly as orange in real life--it's really a beautiful, warm berry shade).

As with all the Simply Ageless products, this cream blush is swirled with a ribbon of Olay Regenerist Serum, which claims to help "improve skin texture" and "give your skin an instantly healthy-looking, youthful looking glow".

The top part of the compact houses the blush (which actually screws into the compact--it's not a flip-top) while the bottom part of the compact is a flip-top and houses a sponge (which I never, ever use, btw. I find this blush to work wonderfully when applied with just my fingers).

So why am I totally NUTS about this blush? Let's take a look:

Above, I tried to illustrate that this blush is SUPER pigmented. Really, a little dab'll do ya! I find that if I swirl my index finger on the surface for just a split second, I've got enough product for one cheek. You don't need much (which makes the hefty price tag even more bearable because, trust me, this blush will last forever), but the wonderful thing is that you can blend and, if it looks too dark, you can continue blending (third picture) until you're satisfied. BUT, I have noticed that when I use this product on top of my powder foundation, I do have to work quickly because it will dry faster and once it's on, IT'S ON.

Let me talk about this superman-staying-power for second. I know I've mentioned here in the past that I much prefer powder blushes on my oily skin because, most of the time, cream and gel blushes just don't make it through the day for me. Well, I seriously want to shout it from the rooftops that this blush is the first cream blush I have ever used that honestly doesn't come off until I take it off. I was SO worried that the ribbon of Olay would make this blush just too darn creamy and be gone from my oily skin within an hour. I was SO wrong. I honestly cannot believe how long this blush lasts! If you're an oily-skinned gal like me, PLEASE think about giving this product a shot--I think it might change your entire perception of cream blushes.

Let's talk about this color, Lush Berry. Oh my goodness. It is ideal for my NC20 skintone! Seriously, it goes with my earthtone eyeshadows, my silvers and grays (in the pic above I'm wearing it with the NYC Color Wheel I got for 25 cents at the CVS beauty clearance sale) and everything in between. It's just a totally versatile blush that gives a beautiful glow to the skin.

And how can I forget to mention what this blush does for my skin! WOOOOWEEEE! I swear, the ribbon of Olay really DOES improve the look of my skin--my pores seem smoother, smaller, and everything just looks so much more polished when I wear this blush. I honestly am so thrilled about how this works for me that I wish I could come over to your house and give you a personal demo. I'm honestly that enthusiastic about it.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here because I really just would love to hear from you if you've tried a Simply Ageless blush. I really hope I'm not alone in my love for this product, but if you have anything negative to say about it, I would of course love to hear from you too. I totally realize that what works for one person may be an epic fail for another, so I welcome all comments, good or bad!

So tell me, what do you think of Cover Girl Simply Ageless Blush?