Mac sheertone-shimmer blush review & a couple of favourites

Top: Peachtwist, Bottom: Ambering Rose

Mac's sheertone-shimmer formula was actually one of the first high-end blushes I ever tried and to this day I still use them because of their amazing creamy texture and blend-ability. Dip your finger in the pan and you'll find that these aren't powdery at all and that they're actually extremely soft.

The sheertone-shimmer formula offers an almost opaque pay off; the colour on your cheeks will be a softer but true version of the colour in the pan. I personally love the shimmer aspect of these blushes as it means I don't always need a highlight too, and I just think it looks beautiful on younger skin. I use a relatively matte foundation (review here) so this little bit of sparkle really spruces up the look. This formula of blush is very comparable to Nars Orgasm blush (which is actually one of my all-time ever favourites). The lasting time for these blushes really does depend on your base, with a long-wearing foundation these blushes can last up to 10 hours but with a rubbish base I've noticed that after around 5 hours these will have come off - so invest in a good, long-wearing foundation and these blushes will be fine!

Buy Here for £18.50

I find with Mac products that certain lines can be a definite hit but certain shades in the line always seem to let it down, the sheertone-shimmer blushes are no exception to this. I know not everyone can afford (or will want to) go out and buy every shade from this line so I've narrowed this down to my top TWO shades from the collection (don't ask me how I managed to narrow it down so much - but I just couldn't pick a favourite between these).

My favourite colour is probably Ambering Rose. This shade is quite a deep burnt colour with strong gold sparkles running through it. The colour pay-off is phenomenal and the shade is definitely one of the most build-able in the collection. Personally, I love this blush when I have quite a dark tan on as the gold through it complements olive skin tones beautifully.

It does look quite scary in the pan as it's so dark, but don't worry as with a light hand this can be a subtle daytime blush too. As I love quite a dramatic look I do apply this with a heavy hand but because of the satin-like texture it blends out like a dream. Definitely one of the best blushes for medium to dark skin tones that Mac has to offer, I really recommend you pick this one up.

Shade: Ambering Rose

My next favourite is Peachtwist, this is a true peachy bronze with a noticeable sheen. Again, this looks relatively dark in the pan but can be blended out to suit pale girls too. I like to use this blush when I have a lot less tan on and it gives me the perfect flushed look. However, if you have dark skin (NW45+) I think this would be perfect for a blush newbie as it would not be too overpowering at all and due to the formula it's so easy to correct any mistakes.

Shade: Peachtwist

Personally I love these blushes as they look perfect with a contour and olivey skin, but offer the versatility that I need with fake tan. So to round up, Ambering Rose is the perfect sheertone-shimmer blush for a medium-dark skinned girl and Peachtwist would suit a lot lighter complexion. At £18.50 I don't think they're too expensive for a high-end make up product, especially considering you get 6g (0.21 oz) of product (these blushes seem to last forever! I still have my first ever Ambering Rose blush and I haven't even hit pan yet!). In comparison, the Nars blush (4.5g/0.15oz) range is £23, the Too Faced Love Flush blush range is £25 (6g/0.21oz) and the Illamasqua powder blushes (4.5g/0.15oz) are £22 - so I think you get a pretty good deal with Mac!

What's your favourite blush?