Penneys (or Primark, if you’re outside of Ireland) makeup range isn’t something I’ve tried a lot from, but what I have tried, I’ve loved. Their lipliners are fabulous, and comparable to those that I have from MAC and other brands, but for a lot less.
Before lockdown I was in store one day and spotted these three blushes on their display and then saw that they had been reduced to 50cent each, so I decided to get them and give them a try.
The three shades I got are In the Pink, Rosewood and So Peachy. The colours are right up my street, a peachy shade (my fave shades on me), a bright pink and a mauve shade, which will be perfect for the Winter months.
In the Pink is a bright bubble gum pink colour. It reminds me a lot of Parallel by ColourPop, but slightly deeper and peachier, though it isn’t a peachy shade at all, but in comparison to Parallel, it comes across peachier. Parallel is more of a cool icy pink and has a shimmer finish. It’s actually a highlighter but it’s more of a blush on me. This is just as bright when swatched as it is in the pan
Rosewood is a mauve shade when swatched however in the pan it looks more like a very, very light brown or neutral shade, though it does swatch a lot lighter than it appears in the pan. This is my favourite of the three and the one I’ve worn most, which I am surprised at as I thought So Peachy would have been my favourite given that peachy blushers are my favourite to wear as they suit my complexion the best I feel.
So Peachy is a bright, bordering on neon, peachy shade. It’s brighter in real life than in the pics. The camera isn’t picking up the colour correctly for some reason. This, just like In the Pink swatches as bright as it appears in the pan.
All three blushers are very pigmented so a light hand is needed. They are quite powdery and there is a lot of kickback in the pan when you dip your brush in, so always make sure to tap off any excess otherwise you’ll apply too much. Always remember it’s easier to add more than it is to take away any excess!
The blushes apply nicely and blend easily, they don’t streak, go patchy or uneven and don’t blend away entirely either. They all have a matte finish, so I prefer using them over a very glowy base, or maybe applying a lot of highlighter before blush/bronzer and ensuring they are all blended seamlessly so they aren’t as matte.
I don’t mind a matte blush, but these (for me, at least) are a bit too matte and having dry skin, I prefer a glow. They don’t emphasise texture or dryness though, even without any highlighter underneath and they don’t appear powdery or chalky on the skin.
They wear well, I get 9-10 hours before I notice any fading and the fading I notice is minimal, that said, if I wear them for longer (and I have done), they do continue to fade. I don’t generally mind this, but if I am applying at 6am and know that I won’t get to take my makeup off until that evening or night (10-11pm), I don’t wear these because I know I won’t have much (if any) blush left, and I personally don’t want that. I mean for 50cents I can’t complain, but it is worth noting.
These blushes come in plastic compacts that are slightly bulky, but not overly so, they’re still a good size for travelling, if you wanted to bring them away with you. While black casing itself is sturdy, the plastic part of the lid isn’t so sturdy and has come away from one of my blushes (since taking the photos for this post), I was able to get it back into place, but it’s not secure, that’s only downside to the packaging of them.
Overall, I really like these, but would I repurchase them again? I probably would to be honest because they are cheap, and I like the shades, the pigmentation and they are fine for days where I won’t be wearing them for 10+ hours.
Full price they are €1.50, so I mean they’re not expensive and if you just wanted something cheap to throw on they’re a good option, once you don’t mind a matte finish or are willing to add a little highlighter under or over them to blend with them and take away the fully matte finish
I would like to try other shades, if there are any available. I can see three on their website, but I’m not sure if they are the same as what I have or are different. You can see them here.
Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care. xx
Follow me on Bloglovin’, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
You must be logged in to post a comment.