FutureDerm

Battle of the Best-Selling Blushes: Smashbox O Glow vs. NARS Orgasm vs. tarte Cheek Stain

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Ah, blush.  Despite the fact the color cosmetic makes you look naturally flushed, more and more women say they feel embarrassed to leave the house without it.  When applied properly, blush accentuates the cheekbones, slims the face, and makes you appear younger.  With that said, here is an analysis of which of the 3 top best-sellers makes the FutureDerm.com pick:
Contender #1.  Smashbox O Glow

Color:  4/10.  Unfortunately, Smashbox O Glow only comes in one color.  On my fair skin with yellow undertones, Smashbox O Glow had an unfortunate “hot pink” type of look I didn’t find to be intuitive at all.
Ingredients:  7/10.  The main ingredients in Smashbox O Glow are silicones, which enable the product to have a slippery feel and easy application.  Silicones in such high concentration also seep into fine lines and wrinkles, cleverly disguising them for a short amount of time.  The benefits come from tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a stable derivative of vitamin C that has been proven in a small number of studies to increase collagen production and skin’s overall brightness, as discussed in a 2005 review in SKINMed.

Ingredients:  Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polysilicone-11, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Eleven.se, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Plankton Extract, Red 27 (CI 45410).

Overall:   I do not like the color or lack of precision that comes with application of Smashbox O Glow.  Despite this, the ingredients are rather beneficial for a color cosmetic, provided that you do not mind using silicones.  Still, I won’t be buying it.
Contender #2.  NARS Orgasm

Color:  10/10.  Beauty editors have been touting the praises of NARS Orgasm blush for years, but it wasn’t until a recent trip to my local Sephora that I realized why.  The peachy-pink, light-metallic formula is universally flattering, not only because of its pigments, but because of its lightweight – almost sheer – consistency.  NARS Orgasm blush also builds easily, and applying more heavily to darker skin tones is recommended.
Ingredients:  9/10.  The main ingredient in NARS Orgasm is talc.  Despite numerous cautionary tales circulating on the internet about the safety of talc, especially regarding ovarian and lung cancers.  Numerous studies, including this 2001 study in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, confirm talc not only does not cause ovarian cancer, but is also cosmetically beneficial to the skin, absorbing oil, preventing shine, and providing a lightweight base for further cosmetic application.   In one later study, the ovaries of rats were actually injected with talc, and cancer did not develop.  As for lung cancer, a 2006 review in Occupational and Environmental Medicine further found no increased risk when using talc-based cosmetic products.
Despite this, it is important not to let your infant inhale too much of the talc in baby powder.  Several hundred infants each year inspire too much baby powder, leading to respiratory complications, according to a review in Toxicology Letters.  It is best to apply the powder into your hands a safe distance away from the infant first, and then apply to the child.
But I digress – getting back to NARS Orgasm, the talc, zinc stearate, silica, and beeswax gently build on the skin, with just-enough wonderful light-reflective properties from the silica.  There is also a small amount of hydrating antioxidant vitamin E and an inconsequential amount of vitamin C in the product.  Some may find the lanolin in NARS Orgasm to be questionable, but cosmetic-grade lanolin is not as sensitizing as many people believe (Contact Dermatitis, 2007).  As for parabens, yes, NARS Orgasm has methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, so if you are paraben-averse, keep reading for the tarte Cheek Stain review below…
Ingredients:  Talc, Polyethylene, Zinc Stearate, Silica, Tricaprylin, Capric/Caprylic Stearic Triglyceride, Cera Alba (Beeswax) (Beeswax), PEG 150 Distearate, Lanolin, Laureth 4, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C), May Contain (+/-): Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742), Ultramarines (CI 77007), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Carmine (CI 75470) (CI 75740), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163) (CI 77163), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Orange 5 (CI 45370), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090) (CI 42090)
 
Contender #3.  tarte Cheek Stain

Color:  8/10.  tarte Cheek Stain is a medium-consistency formula with easy gliding application.  The color does not build layers upon layers very well, so it’s helpful that a little goes a long way.  If you have a heavy hand, go with a lighter shade, like the peachy-pink Blissful.  If you tend to have a lighter touch, the darker-raspberry Flush may be a better choice.  For a full color assortment, see Sephora.com.
Ingredients:  9/10.  tarte is well-known for its high-quality products free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and other compounds consumers may be concerned about.  The high concentration of propylene glycol in tarte Cheek Stain makes the other ingredients sink into the skin more deeply, which might be a concern if the formula were not rich in antioxidants such as lychee, oleracea, acerola, punica, and passiflora fruits.  The titanium dioxide in the formula even provides a minor amount of sun protection – in this concentration, probably SPF 5 or less, but it can’t hurt!  I have not heard about adverse reactions to tarte Cheek Stain, but I would recommend for those with sensitive skin to do a patch test before wearing, just in case, due to the propylene glycol and fragrance.
Ingredients (Blissful Shade):  Propylene Glycol, Aqua, Nonyl Nonoxynol-150, Glycerin, Sodium Stearate, Laureth-23, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Malpighia Punicifolia (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract/Punica Granatum, Passiflora Incarnata Fruit Extract, PVP, Parfum/Fragrance (Natural). (+/-): Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470), Red 33 (CI 17200), Red 40 (CI 16035), Yellow 5 (CI 19140, Blue 1 (CI 42090).
Bottom Line
I’ll be buying NARS Orgasm the next time I need to pick up some blush!  However, tarte Cheek Stain is also an excellent choice, particularly for those readers who wish to avoid ingredients like talc (proven safe) and parabens (believed by most to be safe in the concentrations in cosmetics).
Photo source: 42-17722111, originally uploaded by deepakfromgats.

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