Illamasqua Zygomatic cream blusher review + swatches

          I can't help but break out into song when thinking about Illamasqua cream blush in Zygomatic:
         

The hip bone's connected to the backbone

The backbone's connected to the neck bone.

The neck bone's connected to the head bone

Now shake dem skeleton bones...

          Illamasqua’s color collection is typified by punchy names, and Zyomatic is no exception.  Zygomatic refers to the zyomatic bones, which are found in the skull. They’re your cheekbones to be exact! In the photograph above, the zygomatic bones are color coded in orange. (The illustration is from Netter’s, which the classic medical textbook used when studying human anatomy. Almost all the illustrations in it were hand drawn and painted by Frank Netter, M.D. who was both physician and artist.)  How cheeky is it to name a blush after cheek bones?

          Illamasqua Zygomatic cream blusher is a ‘peachy beige’ blush released as a part of Illamasqua’s Naked Strangers Summer 2012 collection.  I also purchased its pink counterpart, Illamasqua’s Naked Rose powder blusher (review to come).  I’ve been following Illamasqua for a while now, but this is my first purchase. Despite having a wild promotional photo resembling an intergalactic warrior princess, the colors in the collection are natural and easy to wear.

          The Illamasqua packaging is a warped square, which to me coincides with their out-of-the-box take on makeup. In the sunlight, you can see a cool prism effect from the lid.

 

 

          Illamasqua Zyogomatic is a cream blush. All cream blushes have different consistencies. When I first attempted a swipe Zygomatic off the surface, I didn’t use enough pressure and got just the oily condensation on the top and no color. I had to press quite hard to get a sudden indentation in order to pick up the blush.  Essentially, this cream was more solid than I expected. I often end up picking more cream than I need when I push into the product. Maybe over time when I muss it up more, it will be easier to use. Overall, it is still easy to use and I don't have any major complaints. Perhaps the decreased ‘meltability’ will contribute to a longer lasting color on the face as opposed to softer creams like my NARS multiples. It's also worth noting that the color is impressively pigmented and easy to spread and blend on the face.

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Cera Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax), Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax), C18-38 Alkyl Hydroxystearoyl Stearate, Kaolin, Tocopherol, Parfum (Fragrance) And May Contain: [+/- Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, Iron Oxides CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Red 7 CI 15850, Yellow 5 Lake CI 19140, Red 36 CI 12085, Red 21 Lake CI 45380, Carmine CI 75470, Blue 1 Lake CI 42090, Manganese Violet CI 77742, Mica]. May contain Carmine as a colour additive.

         Illamasqua Zygomatic is described as a ‘peachy beige’ blush. In the pan it certainly looks so, especially in sunlight. However, when worn and compared to swatches of other colors I consider ‘peachy beige’ it was quite different than I expected. Normally when I think of peachy beige colors, I think of warm colors. You can see from the swatch, that this isn't the case. The beige adds an element of coolness, which is especially evident when compared to Maybelline Coffee Cake, a orangey brown. Zygomatic also seems to be significantly more pink in my swatch than I imagined it to be. When worn on my face, it looks a little more peachy. I would say due to the 'beige' part, Illamasqua Zygomatic is a 'muddied' color that tones things down. What I mean is that this is not like a pretty flowery color. It has a slight air of sophistication similar to NARS Oasis. You can also see that Illamasqua Zygomatic is a fairly toned blush. I wouldn't say it's pale, but you can see that when compared to NYX Hibiscus, it's light. I also swatched it next to Illamasqua Naked Rose. These two look similar in the swatches, but are very different when worn. Naked rose is, well, a rose color and Zygomatic is more of a beige nude.

          Overall, Illamasqua cream blusher in Zygomatic has me grinning ear to ear or rather cheekbone to cheekbone. Despite being touted as a plain ol' peachy beige, it's actually more interesting than I'd imagined it to be. It gives me an air of cool, yet sunny, sophistication that I'm really liking. Have you tried Illamasqua Zygomatic? What are your favorite Illamasqua blushes or products?

Love, Dovey.