Thursday, August 18, 2011

Meow Cosmetics Blush in Saucy (from the Taboo Collection) Review and Swatches

Over the past couple months, I've learned more about how to use my camera (and its many lighting and flash settings), though Lord knows there's still a shit ton more that I'm not even aware I don't know.  The reason I say this is because I've gradually come to realize how freaking hard it is to accurately photograph these freaking Meow blush samples.  For one thing, what does "accurate" mean?  Accurate in sunlight?  Accurate indoors?  In the shade?  Applied heavily?  Lightly?  Blended?  With a brush?  So many variables!

In past posts, I've tried to choose the pictures that I felt best captured the sense I had of the blush.  But those days are over, folks.  This post is going to be ridiculously pic-heavy, because I have swatches of Saucy in several kinds of light, and applied in several different ways.  So buckle up, and hope that by the end of this swatchfest we'll both have a better idea of what Saucy has to offer.

Meow describes Saucy as a "rich warm-neutral toned raspberry rouge shade with blushing pink undertone and a hint of gold iridescence."  Now, I'm not entirely sure what that all's supposed to mean, but I'm also not sure how I would describe it, so I'll just throw some pictures at you and hope they suffice.
Heavy swatch applied with blush brush in direct sunlight, lighting setting: daylight
Same swatch, different angle
Same swatch, lighting setting: cloudy

Heavy swatch applied with dense concealer brush in direct cloudy light, lighting setting: daylight
Same swatch, lighting setting: cloudy

Medium swatch applied with q-tip in direct sunlight, lighting setting: cloudy
Same swatch, lighting setting: daylight
Same swatch, different angle, lighting setting: daylight

I hope that was more helpful for you than it was for me, because honestly, I'm still confused.  Perhaps this just goes to show what a chameleon this blush is.  Or perhaps it goes to show that my camera and I need some couples' therapy.

For your reference, on my cheeks, Saucy is a warm reddish luminescent blush; I would say this swatch (though much sheerer, of course) is the most accurate for how it tends to look on me:  (this is the heavy swatch applied with a concealer brush under cloudy light with the cloudy light setting on my camera)

I will be doing a massive swatch summary of all the Meow blushes I have and comparing them to each other as soon as I finish reviewing the couple I have left.  Then, at least, we'll be able to see how they compare to each other (subjective color, if you will, even if objective color still evades me).

For those out there who know more about cameras and photo-taking than I do, what are your tips for color accuracy in swatches?  It's enough to turn my hair grey(er)!

Overview
$8.25 for 10 g sifter jar, $15.25 for 20 g sifter jar, $1 for sample baggie, available from Meow

Price: 8 (see my review of Racy for rationale, as always)
Value: 9.5
Quality: 9.5
Ease of Use: 4.25 (loose powders are annoying to me, even after all the test and wear I've done with them)
Pigmentation: 5 (this is a medium-pigmented blush; not so light that I have to pile it on, but not so dark that I worry too much about splotchiness)
Duration: 5
Consistency: 5
Grade: A-


This is another lovely blush from Meow, though I don't feel like there's anything particularly awesome about it to make it stick out in my mind from my other blushes.  The comparison post will hopefully help in that regard, though, and it is still very nice!  I think if you're light to medium-dark complected and have warm undertones, Saucy would work well on you, but as always, don't feel constrained by that!

What do you think of Saucy?  What input do you have re: the pic-spam I hit you with?  Comments make photos color-accurate!
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