I didn't plan on writing a review for these blushes since they're not new and I'm sure most of you have either already read your fair share of reviews, or you already own some of these blushes and have your own opinions of them. But when I picked them up at a local store recently for $1.99 a piece, and I actually started to use them, I decided that I'd like to share my opinion of them with you. If you've been on the fence about these, maybe this review can help.
Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes
(retail: $7.99 at most major drugstores, 0.19 oz)
Available in ten shades, Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes seem very Japanese-influenced to me, which is indeed what attracts me to them--I love Asian beauty products. The word "bouncy" is a word I would expect to find in the title of a Japanese beauty product and the fun texture is something rather unusual for a US drugstore product. If I remember correct, these blushes were released in Asia before the US (although I could be wrong).
Keep reading for my review and swatches...
From the Ulta website:
DescriptionMaybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush's unique bouncy texture gives you the freshest flush ever! The revolutionary powder-gel formula is lightweight like a powder, yet it melts seamlessly into skin like a cream, for a sheer wash of bouncy-fresh color that lasts!
DirectionsFor the most natural look, use fingertips to apply one layer of blush to apples of cheeks in a circular motion. For more intense color, continue to apply additional layers.
Ingredients: Talc, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Diisostearyl Malate, Paraffinum Liquidum / Mineral Oil / Huile Minerale, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hexyl Laurate, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol,Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Alumina, Tin Oxide. May Contain: Mica, CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77007 / Ultramarines, CI 15850 / Red 7, CI 19140 / Yellow 5 Lake, CI 15850 / Red 6, CI 45410 / Red 28 Lake, CI 77120 / Barium Sulfate, CI 73360 / Red 30, CI 15850 / Red 7 Lake, CI 15985 / Yellow 6 Lake].
In the photo below, you can see that I've already used these blushes. Coral Candy has some indentations from where I pressed a bit too hard with my finger (more on that in a moment).
What I love: The texture is just so neat--it's like Silly Putty. You can press the surface and you'll see an indentation from your finger, but then you can kind of smoosh the product back into its original form. I think the Silly Putty comparison is closer than saying these are like Play-Doh because with Play-Doh, if you press too hard, things start to crumble. These blushes are pliable and I think it would take a lot to make them crumble or break. In a word, they're just plain cool. I also love the pigmentation of Plum Wine. You can control the color by gently dabbing the surface of the blush to pick up a tiny amount of color, you can pick up more color by lightly rubbing back and forth on the surface of the blush. Either way, Plum Wine is buildable and easy to work with. It's easy to apply (I have only used my fingers for application because that's been working well for me) and it's also easy to blend. Another thing I love is that these blushes contain no fragrance. I literally can't smell a thing during application or after application.
What I don't love: Candy Coral, although beautiful, is too weakly pigmented for my NC20 skintone. I'd say that if you're deeper than NC20, you might not even want to bother with this shade. I have to really pack it on in order to see the color on my cheeks, but then when I blend, the color fades dramatically and I can't really see anything at all. I think Candy Coral would be nice if you are very fair and just want a very delicate flush of color--that's really the only good scenario that I can envision for this shade. The other thing I don't love about both of these blushes is the staying power. I guess I've been spoiled by other cream blushes that have great staying power, so I found this one to be fair-to-average. Even the more pigmented shade of the two, Plum Wine, seems to fade in about four hours on my oily skin. It does have better staying power if I use a primer beforehand and follow up with an oil-control setting power; I can get about six hours of wear if I do both.
FINAL VERDICT: I'm glad I didn't pay full price for these blushes, and I'm glad that I finally got to experience the texture first-hand. Candy Coral turned out to be a bust for me personally, but Plum Wine is quite beautiful on my skin and the level of pigmentation is quite impressive. I love that you can easily build for more intensity and these blushes are easy to blend. I would certainly consider trying additional shades in the future, but only if I caught them on sale and I think I would only try the other darker shades in the range. I was so disappointed with my experience with Candy Coral that I don't see myself purchasing any of the lighter shades for fear of the same experience. I would also probably limit my use of this product to colder months. In warmer weather, I just don't get the staying power that I need. In cooler weather and with primer and an oil-control setting powder, I can almost make it through a workday. Otherwise, this blush is pretty much gone by noon.
Do you own any Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes? Please share your experiences in the comments!
I still haven't even tried these because a lot of people have found them to be hit and miss. I'm happy with powder blush for now :)
ReplyDeleteI have two of these but were looking at these colors the other day at Walgreens. I don't know if it helps, but Candy Coral seems to have some inconsistency with color. One I looked at in stores looks like the above, but another one was flat out yellow. Mine is more coral and vibrant. I'm a NW20 and it's a lovely flush color.
ReplyDeleteYou may enjoy Peach Satin instead of Candy Coral. It gives my cheeks a nice flush. Pigmented enough for light skin tones
ReplyDeleteI have been so eager to try these just because of the texture. However, I always get skeptical about how they'd blend
ReplyDeleteMy Candy Coral is really bright.. to the point that I have to be careful when I apply. I have four of them.. a peach, a pink (two of the lightest colors, can't remember the exact shades), candy coral, and coffeecake.. and they all show up with no problem. I do have fair skin.. but not paper white.. I've never been color matched with MAC but I am W3 in true match if that helps.. usually the second or third lightest shade in most foundations. I do find that they fade.. but then that is the case with almost all cream blushes on me (except for CG's olay blushes which stay all day long). I don't reach for them very often.. but then I do not wear any cream blush very often... I just prefer powder. I feel these have seriously gotten a bad rap, they are no worse than most cream blushes, and have a very nice powder finish unlike a lot of them. I much prefer them to the NYC blush sticks for example, which feel very greasy and stay that way.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. Thanks for the thorough review. I've been eyeing these too.
ReplyDeleteNot for me, never been a big fam of The Maybelline Dream BOuncy Blush..I love powder! These are a def NO GO for me.
ReplyDeleteI have plum wine and pink plum. I love plum wine for the same reason you do. As for pink plum, I have the same problem you have with candy coral... I think it shows up more than candy coral, but just barely enough to see it on my skin. If I repurchased this, I'd probably only get plum wine.
ReplyDeleteWow, the candy coral would not work for me. Maybe the plum, but I may steer clear of these.
ReplyDeleteI love the texture of these, but I actually don't even use them on my breakout brine cheeks. I find they make a great eye shadow base: I love the peach shades for brightening the eye, and the lilac as a soft wash. I really love the soft satin but not sparkly finishes. Surprisingly, the bouncy bronzers didn't really work on the eye for
ReplyDeleteMe as they are too yellow and sparkly.
I wish we had these in the UK, the plum colour looks gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI bought Candy Coral and had the same results on my normal/dry skin. The color was too sheer and no staying power. I held onto it thinking I can make it work, now I cannot find the receipt and cannot return it. Oh well, sinceI almost bought 2 and didn't I didn't waste as much $ as I could have! LOL!
ReplyDeleteDo you own the elf powder brush? It's from the studio line and its the flat top synthetic. Many use it for foundation and what not, but I used it with one of my dream bunch blushes in quite a light shade and it worked wonderfully! I would DEFINATLEY try application with a brush, made me rethink how I use them(:
ReplyDeleteI love these blushes! I have Coffee Cake & Pink Frosting & they are both really nice!
ReplyDeleteI didn't like these at all until I started flipping the package and pressing the blush right onto my cheeks. It gives such a better color payoff and you don't have to get you fingers too dirty!
ReplyDeleteI have six and I love them all! I love to use the elf stippling brush to apply it.
ReplyDeleteIn the pot, these look ghastly. But your swatches make the colors look more real. I'm still not sold on the application of these.
ReplyDeleteThese look really cool, but I feel like these creamy blushes tend to settle into my pores and kind if stain and accentuate them, even with primer! I <3 powder blush!!
ReplyDeleteI have Pink Plum, and it works well on my very fair skin. Love the texture, and it goes on so smoothly. I wish it would last all day, though!
ReplyDeleteI have them all. My skin tone is light medium. The only one I had a hard time getting to show up is number 45 Orchid Hush. It's a little light on me. I have to layer it quite a bit before it's visible on my skin. Still, the rest of them are great. I like them above all my other blushes because you have very precise control over how pigmented your final look is. I never have an issue of applying too much blush with these (I hate when that happens). Layering them is easy and you can mix the different shades to get new colors. I also like the sheen they have once applied. They aren't sparkly yet they give the tops of your cheekbones a slight reflective quality that on me, looks very nice. One trick, if you need more coverage, is to apply the blush with your finger tips rather than a brush.
ReplyDelete