Beauty, Beauty on a Budget, Blush, Face, Makeup, Review, Swatches

Matching your lipstick and blush can be a daunting task when you’re always on the go with a million and one lipsticks at your disposal. I carry at least 3-4 lipsticks in my makeup bag at any given time and I often like to switch them up throughout the day depending on my mood. That’s why I always keep a neutral blush in rotation so no matter what lipstick mood I’m in my cheeks and lips will never clash with each other. One of my favorite blushes of all time is the Black Radiance Toasted Almond Artisan Color Baked Blush because it looks incredibly natural on my brown skin and pairs well with every lipstick under the sun.

Toasted Almond is a warm brick orange with a very slight golden shimmer that translates to a soft matte finish that never looks flat, dry or powdery. It’s been one of my go to blushes for years because it’s so easy to wear and adds just the right amount of color and warmth without looking overdone. Toasted Almond practically melts into my cheeks making me look sunkissed and adding a healthy flush that looks so amazing on my brown skin.

Besides the color, I think the formula of Toasted Almond is what makes it so easy to wear and love. The Artisan Color Baked Blush formula is a little powdery but it’s very soft so it adheres and blends well without looking chalky or powdery. Toasted Almond is also more on the sheer side but it’s buildable so it’s very easy to apply whether you want just a pinch of color or a little more warmth and flush. The only downside is that Toasted Almond doesn’t last too long thanks to its lightweight baked formula. With a light layer, Toasted Almond lasts for around 7 hours before beginning to fade. However, if you layer it on a bit, I find that it holds up a little longer for around 8-9 hours before showing some slight signs of fading. Not too shabby for a drugstore blush!

I think Toasted Almond can work for a variety of skin tones and types but I think it will work best for my dark skin divas with more normal to dry skin. I think ladies with lighter complexions may find Toasted Almond to be too warm and orange and my oily skin gals would be stuck touching up her cheeks throughout the day. Otherwise, the Black Radiance Toasted Almond Artisan Color Baked Blush is a wonderful versatile blush that will probably never leave my side. I think my dark skin divas absolutely need to pick it up!