Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush #1 Innuendo Review

I am back….its still pouring in Mumbai and the weather just keeps giving you a reason to look for brighter hues to brighten the day.

By now, you know I love lipsticks- pinks, plums, reds and everything in between! What I also love is blushes! And for the longest time ever, I had wanted to try the MUFE HD Microfinish Liquid Blush.  The shade I had shortlisted was Quickie – nice coral pink shade, but thankfully, I saw Rati’s review and photos just in time to realize that it might be a tad too light for me and may end up washing me out.

So, I went in for the darkest shade they had – #1 Innuendo. Now, I don’t know the story behind it, but on MUFE site, the blush is now referred to as Cassis. Actually, like NARS, they too had weird names for this range of blushes – Innuendo, Walk-of-shame, Quickie, Caught-in-the-act, Skinny Dip, etc. But for some reason, the range has nice decent names on their website now and since the bottle doesn’t really have the name printed on it (only the number at the bottom), we can call it what we want!

Product Description:

What it is:

A cream blush that naturally sculpts and highlights the cheeks for a healthy glow.

What it does:

HD Microfinish Blush combines mattifying and reflecting powders to create a soft-focus effect for a radiant complexion. Its ultra-fine, second-skin texture blends seamlessly, imparting a healthy glow that’s hard not to notice.

What else you need to know:

Formulated with evaporating oils, HD Microfinish Blush has a long-lasting result. Dermatologist tested. Paraben free.

Price:

$26 for about 10 ml. (I picked it online for about INR 1600).

Packaging:

It’s a transparent bottle with built-in pump – like the MAC Prolongwear Concealer.  The bottle is plastic, so fairly easy to carry and travel with and is fall proof. The color is clearly visible and would be easy for you to identify – if you had more than one of these.

If you look at the bottle, its really really small – you can see the photo with a INR 5 coin with it for size reference. Couldn’t use a 1 or 2 rupee coin because their size keeps changing and they honestly, can’t be used for reference anymore!! But that’s another story.

My Take on Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush #1 Innuendo:

As described by MUFE on their site, it’s a vibrant plum. The product is INSANELY pigmented.  All you need is pin-size drop. If you have a pea-sized drop, its gonna be way too much. You could easily use the pea-sized drop to apply the blush to your cheeks and that of half a dozen friends of yours!

Apart from the fact that it has great pigmentation, the other reason that you need so little of it is also because of the color. It is extremely dark. Done incorrectly, you would definitely look like a clown. However, done correctly, it gives the faintest, most beautiful and most natural looking flush to my cheeks (I am NC35 in MAC) – almost like I just came from a jog (yeah, like that’s gonna happen!!)

The great thing about the blush is that though it is creamy, it dries out fairly quickly to a matte finish – which is great for my oily skin. You do need to work fast to blend it quickly and correctly else you end up with a splotch on your face.

I had heard that the blush was extremely long lasting, however, on my oily skin, it lasted for about 6 hours (over primer and foundation). For people with normal/dry skin, the wear time should be longer.

So, coming back to the packaging, its really small and seems expensive for the amount of product, but considering how little of the product you actually need, the bottle could last you a lifetime and beyond, but here is my biggest grouse with the product – the bottle probably won’t last you too long! I am already halfway through in 6 months. Why? Because of the stupid pump!!

The pump dispenses out way too much product. No matter how I try to pump, it’s no good. I have the same problem with my MAC Prolongwear Concealer. However, with the concealer, I have figured a way around, I take out 1 pump of the concealer into a drumming jar and use it from there for practically the whole week, this ensures I don’t waste the product, but I cannot do the same with the blush – I tried but it failed because the product starts drying fairly quickly. So when you try it from the drumming jar, you will find the product has already become stiffer and is difficult to blend. By day 3 – its too hard to be of any use! This is such a let down!

So, let me sum it up for you:

Pros of Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush #1 Innuendo:

• Excellent pigmentation – a little really goes a long way.
• Good range of colors available.
• Most beautiful, natural looking flush.
• Matte finish post application.
• Didn’t break me out.
• Did not accentuate my pores.

Cons of Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush #1 Innuendo:

• The pump – its such a game spoiler!!
• Little tricky to apply – firstly, because its a cream blush and more importantly, it’s a dark shade. So, you really have to blend it a lot….and fast. The first few (read 6) times, I ended up looking like a clown, which meant redo skincare and makeup from scratch!! Ouch!

BB Rating:

I would say a 4 on 5. Taking off a point for the dispenser, not really for the application issue because that can easily be taken care of by practice and by selecting a lighter shade.  The dispenser is both irritating and makes the product more expensive because it causes wastage. I wish they would do something about it!  So, have you come across a product which you love but then you are irritated by the packaging? Do share through your comments.