Deal or Dud: City Color Cosmetics Intense Blush Quad

It's time for Deal or Dud! No one likes wasting money on products that are not worth your time or money. That's why I created this new series called Deal or Dud. If it's a Deal, then you and your wallet will be happy. If it's a Dud, well, now you can avoid another disappointment . Will the City Color Blush Quad be worth your money or should you skip it? Find out now! 

Blush palettes are life. Their cute, colorful, useful and fun. Its not a rare thing to see a high end blush palette but when the drugstore comes out with a promising blush palette its like topping on a cake. In this case the pretty cupcake is City Color Cosmetics Intense Blush quad in "Collection 2".

I found this 4 pan City Color blush quad at my local 5 Below for $4. If a 5 Below isn't in your area, then you will have to make an order online (buy here). Unfortunately, City Color is not available in stores and its also more expensive online ($7.99). There are 3 different quads available and each one has a different color theme. The quad I found has a warm bronzy theme with a bright coral pink and burnt red. 

I wasn't crazy about the picture above but I had a hard time getting my camera to capture the color of the blushes. However, I wanted to upload atleast one picture, bad or good, that shows the true color of each blush. So yeah, here it is. 

This blush does have Talc in it. Some blushes with Talc break me out, others don't. If your skin is sensitive to Talc, skip this blush and explore other brands like Makeup Geek or Physicians Formula. Also keep in mind that this palette does have parabens as well. 

I actually really like the packaging of this palette. Some people have trouble opening it up. I don't but I do have longer nails. Each blush is in a pot (great for depotting), which keeps them from shattering so easily if you drop it. Right now I am secretly clapping my hands because I only dropped it twice.

This quad also comes with two small brushes for application. Just throw them out. They're cheap and too small to accomplish anything with. I wouldn't even dare to use them on my eyes. We'll just call them a dud.

I wouldn't call the texture creamy but its not dry either. They have that classic blush texture that is soft and smooth. When I first swatched it the indentation made the product feel stiff but after the first layer the blush softened. It doesn't have a gritty texture or a chalky consistency, which can be a problem with cheaper blushes. But I'm quite surprised by how much I like the texture of this blush formula. It's similar to some high end blushes I own. 

The only problem with the blush formula is how easily the powder kicks up. When I dip my brush into the product a lot of excess powder gets all over the pan. Which I guess that's not a huge problem. I'm not usually discouraged by a product when it has that simple flaw. In the end it all depends on how it applies and wears. I personally don't mind if I have to blow the excess powder off when I'm done. 

The pigmentation is just incredible. Really the blushes might be too pigmented for some people. It would be easy to go into clown mode in an instant without meaning to. When I first used this palette I went ham with the bronze shade(first swatch on left) and ended up looking like an oompa loompa. So I definitely recommend tapping your brush a few times before applying blush to your face.

Despite being highly pigmented, they do blend out beautifully. As you can see in the picture above they sheer out to wearable colors that appear semi matte on the skin. I particularly like the bronzey shades for warming up my face or their great for days when I cant wear obvious pink blush because of breakouts. The other two shades are definitely more bright but from experience they can be sheered out for a wearable and desirable look. By the way, If you have darker skin this palette would suite you very well.

The wear time is a lot longer than I expected. I figured with a cheap palette like this I wold only get maybe around 4 hours. To my surprise, every blush lasted for around 7-8 hours, which is the average wear time of my makeup before I wash it off. Even better, I think a couple of the darker blushes might have slightly stained my cheek, but I guess with any shade that bright it's not that surprising. 

Deal or Dud? 

Overall, I really like this quad.. It's affordable, and the blushes are pigmented, blendable, & soft. This would be a great buy for beginners who are building a collection or even makeup hoarders like myself. The packaging might seem bulky to some people but I love it. I would feel confident packing it into my suitcase without worrying if it's going to break.

 This drugstore find is definitely a deal!

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Are you going to purchase this palette?

Do you own any of the other palettes?

Let me know in the comments below! 

Beauty haul and mini reviews- Too Faced, Lorac, Clinique, NYX, Physicians Formula +more

There's is only one thing about the beginning of the year that is good, and that's new makeup. I have always felt like the first few months after December are cold and dreary but new releases just brighten up the beginning of the year. So of course I have done my share of damage and picked up a few of the latest things in the beauty world. I like to blame it on my blog and say I purchased everything to review but honestly, I'm a beauty junkie and I would have purchased everything anyways. Please tell me you have the same problem! 

Not everything is new. I found some deals and picked up some oldies. I also needed to restock on a few things, including NYX's Dewy Setting Spray. The majority of everything is new, though. How exciting! I didn't go out and just purchase this in one outing. This haul is probably about two weeks worth. I ordered online and went to stores. To buy each product click on the price listed beside the name of the product. 

Lorac Cosmetics Unzipped Gold palette $42- I have used this palette a few times and I'm majorly impressed. The shadows are smooth and rich. It doesn't take much to blend them out. There's one intense gold shade in the palette that resembles a pigment and I'm just blown away by how pretty it is. I will have a review of this palette  up as soon as possible. 

Lorac Cosmetics Unzipped Cheek palette $30- I have only used this palette twice but so far everything is good. I want to go ahead and review the City Color Cosmetics blush palette and get that one out of the way. After that I'll post my full review of this palette around the same time as the eyeshadow palette. I have swatched it and the blushes are smooth and pigmented. When I wore the matte shade on the top row it lasted all day and blended out with ease. I'll just go ahead and give everyone a heads up and say the review is going to be good. So if you're dying to get it go ahead and purchase it! By the way it is exclusive to Ulta only. 

Lorac Alter Ego Lipstick Collection Set $35- I'm trying to remember if I reviewed  this set already. I think I might have just posted a picture on Instagram. Anyways, I found this lipstick set at Kohl's for $35. It is Kohl's exclusive and it can't be purchased at Ulta. I have been dying to try the Alter Ego lipstick line for a while now but I always put it off for some reason but once I saw this kit I had to give in. Each lipstick is usually $16 and $35 for 5 shades is a steal. They are very pigmented and apply pretty easily. I did notice some tugging but overall I'm impressed with this matte formula. The thing that I love most is he wear time. The Alter Ego lipsticks are perfect for long nights out in town. 

Too Faced Cocoa Contour kit $40-  I just got this palette in the mail the other day. I did swatch it and post some pictures on Instagram. So go check that out. As for the quality, I don't have anything to say just yet. I haven't actually applied any of the shades on my face yet but I can say they swatch beautifully, except for the highlight shade. It's a little chunky but I'm hoping it looks better once applied to the face. I should have a review up by next week and yes, it does smell like chocolate! 

L'Oreal Infallible setting spray $16.99-  After reading so many reviews on this spray I had to pick it up. I used it once on Valentine's Day and I'm really impressed. Just from first impressions I noticed an extra 3-4 hours of wear and it kept everything looking nice until I washed my face. 

Physicians Formula city Bronzers $13 in stores- Ok, I'm guilty. I bought the two city Bronzers purely for the prettiness of the product. Physicians Formula makes such cute products but don't get me wrong they perform just as good. I have used these two bronzers multiple times and all I have is good thoughts about them! I can't wait to share a review with you all. 

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer $27- Ah, another new thing that I'm excited about. I haven't tried it yet and I'm actually afraid that the shade I picked is too dark for me. Oh well, I guess we'll see. When I first opened the package I was shocked by how big the bottle is. I guess it's normal for a foundation but for some reason I expected it to be smaller. But then I opened the bottle and holy heck the applicator is huge! I don't really like doe foot applicators because of the whole bacteria concept but I still wanted to give this foundation a go. If I can I might try to find a pump for it. If I can't, I'll just apply he foundation to the back of my hand first I guess. Hopefully, I will have a review up within the next couple weeks. I like to take my time reviewing foundations because of my sensitive skin. 

Milani Rose Blushes $7.99- Eeek, I had high hopes for the Rose blushes by Milani. I heard great things but they feel kind of cheap to me. The swatch really chalky but I haven't wore them yet. So I can't say how they perform on the cheeks. I'm actually kind of nervous because it feels like they have A LOT of Talc in them. I hope not! I guess the cuteness will be worth my time and money. 

Milani Matte lipsticks $5.99- I already did a full review on these lipstick(click here for the review). Trust me, you need them in your life! 

Physicians Formula Fiber Mascara $14.99- I really need to post a review of this mascara kit. I have been trying it for maybe a week or so and I'm in love. Even my friends and family noticed how big my lashes look! Maybe I will have a review up early next week. 

NYX Tame and Frame brow pomade $6.99- Forget Anastasia's brow pomade. This is affordable, yet so good. I plan to do a quick review of this product at some point in the near future. 

Dermablend Intense Powder Camo  $31- I only used this powder twice but so far it seems good. It does provide a lot of coverage but I think it might not be good for oily skin. I just need a little more time to test this powder out. It will probably be one of the products I review in a couple weeks. 

Milani baked bronzer $9.99- This isn't a new product but I saw some people talking about it on Instagram. I haven't used it yet and I might not even do a review on it. However, at some point I will either throw it in a post somehow or let everyone know my thoughts on Instagram. But I'm always changing my mind, so who knows I might review it. When I swatched it I noticed a lot of shimmer (bad thing for bronzers) but maybe tapping the brush before applying will lessen the amount of shimmer transferred to the face. Perhaps it will be better for the warmer months only. 

Tarte Tartiest Clay Paint liner $24- Dont you just love the name Tartiest! It sounds so cute to me but maybe I'm just weird. Anyway, I haven't fully put this product to the test but I can say it's easy to apply and the pigment is very dark. I actually thought the product would be bigger but I'm sure it will go a long way. I'll try to have a review up soon. 

Maybelline Master Class correcting primer $9.99- I used this primer once and I'm in love! I didn't see much of a difference in the redness of my skin but it did make my foundation apply much smoother. My makeup also stayed on longer but that might have been because of the Loreal setting spay I'm currently testing out. Just to be sure I'm going to use it a couple more times without the setting spray. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Too Faced Melted lipsticks $21- I have always loved the Too Faced Melted lipsticks. The smell is divine and the pigmentation is always on point. I'm not going to do a review on them but I might do a swatch post of all the colors I have. The new shades I picked up are Melon and Chihuahua, and they are stunning! 

Rimmel Velvet Matte Lip Lacquers $5.99- I have tested out about half of the shades from this line. I purchased them all and I'll post a review with swatches soon. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about them. They seem nice but I'm not fully convinced that they're anything special. But let's just wait and see how everything works out. 

  

City Color Intense Blush palette $7.99- Intense is the correct word for this blush palette. It should also come with a warning label that states "Warning, use a light hand or you'll look like a clown", but it doesn't so I'm telling you now. It's great and the price is right. Online it says the price is $7.99 but I found it at Five Below for $3. So I suggest looking there before you spend the extra $5 online (even though it's worthy of $8). I feel like I'm repeating myself... I'll have a review up sometime in the next couple weeks. 

City Color Glowing Complexion Creme $6.99- Ugh... Do you know that intense powder smell that some makeup smells like? Well this smells like that but stronger. I'm so nervous to try this on my face but I'm also really curious about it. When I work up the courage to face the scent I'll write a revie on it. Wish me luck. 

Cory Airspun Translucent powder $5.97- I got this powder becuase of Tati (Glamlifeguru vlogger). She swears by so I thought I would give it a try becuase it's so affordable. It's still sitting on my vanity. I sniffed it and was distraught by the scent of it. Hopefully when I have the time to test it the scent won't linger. I'll be sure to let ya'll know how it is in a post at some point. 

Jergens Soothing Aloe lotion $4.97- If your skin gets really dry during the winter, pick this up. My hands get so dry that sometimes they look scaly and cracked. Jergens Soothing Aloe lotion is the only thing I have ever tried  

that truly helps them. I just can't live without it now. 

NYX Dewy Setting Spray $7.99- Repurchase! Nothing new but definitely something special. I love my Mac Fix+ but the NYX Dewy setting spray is much easier to get my hands on. Plus, they do pretty much the same thing. I'll use it to get rid of the cakey look from my foundation and boy does it works wonders. If you haven't tried it, you need to. The bottle is a decent size for the price. 

Eco Tools Eye Perfecting Brush $6.98- Ok, I don't want to spoil the review so I'm not going to say much. This review is on my schedule for this Saturday and I like it. Now my lips are sealed. 

Real Techniques Complexion Sponge $5.99- Just another repurchase. I must have bad luck because I already did something to it. I accidentally microwaved it too long and now it's deformed. Oh well, it still works just fine. It just has a nice curve to it. I really like this sponge for a natural look. It makes my makeup look less cakey and it's perfect for applying foundation on dry flakey skin. It's a must have and the price beats the Beauty Blender. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte lipstick $5.49- I must have been living under a rock, I haven't even tried the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks. I have heard great things about them and when I saw they were on sale I had to pick up atleast one. I would have got more but all of the others were open. So I settled with one and I'm glad that I did. I'm really loving it. 

Rimmel Nail Lacquer $1.50 in stores- Obviously, the 60 Second nail polishes are not new from Rimmel but I scored some for 50 cents each at Kmart. So if you love the formula like I do go pick them up before the sell is over!  

I wish I could type up a review for every product on this list in short notice. Unfortunately, I have things to do and I have to put the products that are in high demand on my schedule first. If there is a product that you're extra curious about just let me know in the comments below and I'll try to move it up the review schedule. Thank you for understanding! If you're interest in swatches be sure to check out my Instagram. I typically post photos of my newest products in there. 

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Have you made a haul lately? If so what did you get?

Did you spot anything you want to try?

Which review are you looking forward to the most?

Let me know in the comments below!

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citycolorcosmetics.com

We, at City Color® Cosmetics, believe that selling beauty products at a reasonable price doesn’t mean compromising quality. We offer our products at amazing prices because we want to give ALL of our consumers’ something they will proudly use. Our goal is to offer a wide assortment of vibrant beauty products that are richly pigmented and comparable to many expensive brands. Our products honestly speak for themselves. We bring color to the city!