Review: Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose

It seems like it was so long ago that my pal Kimberly spotted the Physicians Formula Happy Booster collection and shared her pics with us, but in reality it was only one month ago! Boy how time flies, right?

By now, I'm sure you've seen reviews of this blush on several other blogs, but today I'd just like to chime in and give you my thoughts.

Physician Formula Happy Booster
Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Rose
(retail: around $13, .24 oz)

I purchased this almost three weeks ago and I've been using it off and on ever since. As the box indicates, this is a "mood boosting blush", which means it's infused with natural plant extracts that mimic the effect of endorphins, thus creating a happy feeling when worn on the skin:

To further elevate your happiness, there is a "violet" scent to this blush, which I find just lovely. But honestly, I don't really get violet from it. To my nose, it's more of a soft floral rose blend--almost tea-rose, actually. But whatever it is, I find it actually does make me happy when I smell it, so mission accomplished, Physicians Formula!

Also, how can you NOT be happy when you look at this blush? I mean, really.

The pink! The hearts! The metallic red compact! This blush is overflowing with happiness! This might be purely psychological, but I swear I get in a better mood just holding this blush in my hands.

The compact itself is designed just like other PF compacts (product on top, mirror and applicator underneath). And the brush is just too cute with its pink and red bristles. Surprisingly, this brush looks like it's going to be quite rough when you first see it, but I've used it in a pinch a few times and I didn't find it rough or harsh at all.

The above pics were taken right after application (these pics were actually taken on the same day as the pics I took for my Physicians Formula Organic Wear Jumbo Lash Mascara review). As you can see, this blush gives a nice pinkish-rose glow to the skin, and there is some sparkle, shimmer and sheen to this blush as well. Some of the hearts contain more sparkle, while some hearts contain more shimmer/sheen. But when blended, I do want you to be aware that you will definitely see some shimmer on your cheeks. This is not a matte blush by any means. This isn't a super sparkly or shimmery blush (believe me, I've used blushes that contain far more sparkle and shimmer) but it is there, and I tried to capture it in these photos.

I found this blush to apply very easily (powder blushes are my favorite so I'm quite the critic) and it blends quite easily as well. The powder is finely milled and a cinch to work with. I absolutely love the texture.

One thing I DEFINITELY want to call to your attention is that, at first, I always think I haven't applied enough of this blush. It always feels like I can't quite see it on my cheeks, so I reach for more and start building the color. BUT THEN, it's like this blush slowly creeps up on you and BAM, it's so easy to over-do it! And once you layer on too much, it's difficult to soften it up (even applying some powder over the blush doesn't really diminish its intensity for me!).

So a word of caution: apply a small amount, and then wait a minute. You might be surprised to see that you've applied the perfect amount, even though it might not feel like it at first! Less is actually more with this product and, for me, it takes a minute or two for the color to really take effect. Resist the urge to build for more intensity, because you might apply too much and, since this blush is very pigmented, it's a challenge to tone down.

FINAL VERDICT: Whether or not this truly boosts your mood is up for you to decide. Even if the plant extracts don't work for you, there are still so many things about this blush that can put you in a happy mood, including the heart pattern, metallic red compact, pink and red brush, the soft floral fragrance, and the actual product itself. I love love love the pinkish-rose shade of Rose, and I find it extremely pigmented and easy to work with. All in all, I think this blush is pretty irresistible. I certainly would never talk you out of making a purchase (especially this week since there's a $3 off peelie on the box AND you get $7 back in Extra Bucks at CVS, AND you might get lucky and get the $3 Physicians Formula coupon from the red scanner box!). If you can take advantage of those three deals (or even one ore two of them), then this one has your name written all over it. Heck, I would purchase it for full price and I rarely, if ever, say that. Between this and all the other new PF products I've reviewed lately, I have to say that I'm QUITE impressed with their 2011 offerings so far.

Do you own anything from the Physicians Formula Happy Booster collection? If so, what do you think of these products? Do they increase your happiness a bit? Are you pleased with their performance? I'd love to hear from you!