Review: Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush in Natural

For my first dip into the new Physicians Formula Sexy Booster line, I thought I'd purchase a Sexy Glow Blush (which I got during that great 50% off sale at CVS a few weeks ago). I've used this blush several times in the last few weeks and, well, I definitely have an opinion about it! 

The Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush line features two shades: Rose (a pink-toned shade) and Natural (peachy-coral). I purchased Natural:

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush in Natural 

(retail: $11.95, 0.19 oz)

Keep reading for my full review...

The concept of the Sexy Booster line is just like the Happy Booster line but, instead of happy, the end goal is to feel more sexy. It's pretty much an aromatherapy type thing, as the products in the Sexy Booster line are infused with a vanilla scent (vanilla is one of those scents that, according to surveys, some men find attractive on women. I've also heard that the scent of pumpkin pie has the same effect over men...go figure!). 

I personally do feel a tiny bit more sexy when I wear vanilla-based fragrances, but I think that's one of those "your mileage may vary" types of things. More on the fragrance of this blush a little bit later...

The entire compact has a cute fishnet stalkings type of outer covering, with the inside color being a sexy, boudoir-ish scarlet red. And let's not forget the cute little stiletto heel trinket to match the stiletto heel pattern on the blush itself.

This compact opens both in the front and in the back (both the front and back openings have invisible magnetic closures). Here's what the front looks like when you open it:

The back of the compact has a window where you can see the accompanying brush:

Back of compact, opened:

There is also a mirror in the back of the compact:

The brush is a very good size and would definitely work in a pinch (or when traveling) but I of course prefer to use a full-size blush brush or duo-fiber brush for blush application:

The following two photos of this blush are color-accurate. This is a shimmery peachy-coral  blush:

Swatch on the back of my hand:

And here's how this blush looks on my cheek:

After a few hours of wear:

As you can see, there's not much pigment to this blush (I had to really pack it on just to get the color you see in the first photo), but there is LOTS of shimmer. The shimmer particles are large, which means they cling to my (huge) pores near my nose and accentuate my pores once the faint color of the blush wears away.

Texture and finish: This is not a finely-milled powder. The particles are on the large side (especially the shimmer particles) and there is a considerable amount of fallout left behind on the compact after use. I also notice a lot of product "kicking up" in the air when I'm blending. The finish is shimmery, with additional silver sparkle.

Pigmentation: For the photos above, I deliberately only used a very light layer of powder foundation before I applied this blush. I did this for two reasons: first, I didn't want my foundation to interfere with the true color of the blush. Second, I didn't want my foundation to interfere too much with the pigmentation of the blush. That said, I've worn this blush over four different foundations (liquid, powder, BB cream, CC cream) and each time, I just could not get the pigmentation to a level that I felt happy with, and keep in mind that my skintone is pretty fair (I'm a MAC NC20). Whenever I try to build for more intensity, I end up with a ton of sparkle, but not much added color. In fact, the other day when I was finished getting ready for a day out with Mr. G, he said, "Something's missing on your face?" I looked in the mirror and I had zero color to my cheeks (even though I had applied this blush just 15 minutes prior). So for me personally, I really have to build and layer this product on my cheeks before I can see any color at all.

Staying power: On an average day, it takes about two hours for my oily skin to completely "eat up" the faint pigmentation of this blush, before all I'm left with is shimmer. I have tried using an oil-control foundation and oil-control powder in conjunction with this blush, and it does improve staying power by a few hours.

Fragrance: By its vary nature, I didn't expect this to be a lightly-scented product, and you shouldn't either. If you know going into it that you're very sensitive to fragrance, the Booster lines probably aren't for you. That said, I actually love the fragrance of this blush. I'm a huge vanilla lover to begin with, and I find the scent of this blush to be vanilla-based, but there's also an interesting "clean" note to it that I enjoy quite a bit. I would even go so far as to say that if PF released this as a body mist or something like that, I would wear it. But do be aware that this is a strongly-fragranced product. You'll detect the fragrance the moment you open the compact, and you'll smell it throughout application and beyond. I'm wearing this blush right now (I applied it a few hours ago) and I can still smell it in the air.

FINAL VERDICT: This is a confusing (but cute) product. I think that, for my NC20 skin, it functions best as a highlighter, rather than a blush. It's got all the typical highlighter characteristics (low pigmentation, lots of shimmer and sparkle) but as a blush, it's just too weakly pigmented for me. When  I try to build for more intensity, all I'm left with is more shimmer, without any added color. If you have larger pores, I would steer clear of using this product in those areas, because the shimmer particles are large and cling to, and accentuate, larger pores. The fragrance is definitely not for the timid: it's a big, bold, sexy vanilla scent that you're probably either going to love or hate (I personally love it). Also, beware that the fragrance does linger, and I can still smell it on myself several hours after application. I would say this product would be best suited for those who enjoy a lot of shimmer/sparkle, aren't looking for a deeply-pigmented blush, and don't have large pores (or are OK with avoiding the areas on the face where your pores are larger). On my oily skin, staying power is not where I need it to be but, if you have normal or dry skin, you'll probably be more pleased with staying power. Not a love-match for me, despite how cute the packaging is, and how much I love the fragrance.

Do you own any Physicians Formula Sexy Booster products? I'd love to hear about your experiences!