Review: Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush in Raspberry

If you're new to this blog, you might not know that I'm a huge, longtime fan of Black Radiance (owned by Markwins, makers of Wet n Wild). You can select the Black Radiance category on the right-hand sidebar to see all of my past reviews, if you'd like to see some of my favorites and Holy Grails from this line. 

Black Radiance products can be a little tricky to find (not all Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens locations carry the line) but they're also in select Walmarts (and Kmarts too, I believe). You can also purchase most (but not all) Black Radiance products from Walgreens.com and Drugstore.com if you can't find them in your area.

 Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush in Raspberry

(retail: $4.99, 0.1 oz)

There was originally an instant $1 off sticker on this blush, which I of course used when I purchased it at my local Rite Aid a while back (look out for these instant coupons though, because I'm still seeing them on select products).

When it comes to the color cosmetics from Black Radiance, they offer some of the most pigmented products I've ever seen at the drugstore. Designed for Women of Color, it can be a challenge to control the pigmentation if you have a fairer complexion, but it can definitely be done (I'm a MAC NC20, for example, and I can definitely wear BR's color cosmetics).

So let's take a closer look at this blush:

Instantly the packaging reminded me of LORAC Baked Matte Satin Blushes. The LORAC version is larger (0.17 oz vs. 0.1 oz)  but then again, the LORAC blush will set you back $24.You can almost buy five Black Radiance blushes for the price of one LORAC (gotta love drugstore makeup!).

The following photo is a very accurate representation of the color of this blush. It's not quite a true red--it's got some pink/magenta to it with an ever-so-slight blue sheen running through it (so slight that it doesn't actually translate to the skin).

Here's what Raspberry looks like on my arm, in both full intensity and then blended out a bit. I find the color very true-to-pan, as it doesn't end up veering off into the realm of orange or pink after blending:

Blended out (above), I think you get more of a true raspberry tone, so I don't think the name of this blush is as misleading as it may seem when you're looking at it while in the packaging (it looks so red when in the box, especially under florescent store lights).

I also wanted to show you what this blush looks like on my actual cheeks. I think this should give you an indication of just how pigmented this product is. 

For the following two photos, I applied this blush to clean, bare skin (no foundation, primer, etc.).

In this first pic above, I swirled my blush brush onto the product in the same fashion that I'd swirl any of my drugstore blushes. I then gave my brush a good tap and applied as usual. Yikes! Waaaaaay too pigmented to apply like a regular drugstore blush. So here's what it looked like after I tried to tone it down (done by taking a seperate, clean blush brush and buffing my skin):

Still, way too bright. So please, take my advice and use a light, light hand with this blush if you have medium-to-fair skin. Otherwise you might have to remove your makeup and start again.

Texture, finish and pigmentation: The texture of this blush is a little bit drier than other baked blushes I own, and it doesn't seem quite as smooth. If you have very dry skin, I would suggest using a hydrating foundation and/or a good primer before applying this blush, otherwise you could get spotty, patchy results due to its dryness. I have very oily skin, and as you can see in the pics above, I had no issues with patchy application (any inconsistencies you see above are due to my uneven skintone and the fact that I applied this blush to bare skin). Unlike the LORAC Baked Matte Satin blushes, which actually are pretty shimmery and contain some sparkle, this blush is a true matte satin. No shimmer, no glitter, no sparkle. This blush basically looks like a matte unless you view it at just the right angle, at which time you might see a very soft sheen. Pigmentation? Scroll up.

Blendablity: On my oily skin, blending wasn't an issue. But on dry-to-very-dry skin, I'd suggest using a creamier foundation and/or a good silicone-based primer beforehand. If you don't, you might encounter some blending issues/patchy application due to the powder being a bit drier than other baked blushes.

Staying power: Because this powder is a bit on the dry side, I think that lends to its awesome staying power. I can put this blush on at 7AM and I can still see it on my cheeks by 7PM. This oily-skinned gal has absolutely no complaints about staying power. Also, this blush doesn't oxidize and turn orange over time for me, which is always appreciated.

Fragrance: this blush has absolutely no scent (to my nose).

FINAL VERDICT: If you've had bad luck with drugstore blushes in the past due to lack of pigmentation and staying power, you just might be surprised by Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blush in Raspberry. I haven't tried other shades (yet) but man oh man is this blush pigmented. It's a beautiful raspberry shade that would probably work with a variety of skintones (just use a very, very light hand if you're on the fairer end of the spectrum). The only person I wouldn't recommend this blush to is someone with very dry skin who doesn't like to wear any type of moisturizer, foundation or primer (does that person exist??). Since this blush has a drier texture, it will go on patchy if you're not working with hydrated skin (again, if you have very dry skin, I think a good silicone-based primer like Hard Candy Sheer Envy would work well underneath this blush by creating a smooth surface to avoid spotty/patchy application). Those with oily skin don't have to worry about this at all--I've had no issues with patchy application whatsoever. I don't know if I'd call this blush a dupe for the LORAC Baked Matte Satin Blushes, but since those contain shimmer and glitter and these do not, I think the Black Radiance version can truly give you a matte-satin look. I love that Raspberry is not a glitter bomb, and it doesn't contain any shimmer either (just a very soft sheen that's barely detectable). For me, this might just be the perfect blush when you consider the price ($4.99 for 0.1 oz). Highly recommend!

Do you own any Black Radiance Artisan Color Baked Blushes? If so, what do you think of them? If not, do you think these might fit your blush needs? I'd love to hear from you!