Seventeen Cheek Stamp: Gimmick or Game Changer

Always one for gadgets (I have my dad and endless trips to staples to thank) I couldnt resist picking up this new launch from Seventeen. I mean, I used to go crazy for stamping when I was yay-high - you know that potato trick your mum would force upon you on a rainy day? I thought my stamping days were long gone, until I spotted this! Blusher in a stamp... who'd have thought it? Of course we have the likes of Benefit Fine One One and the Nars Multiples but I haven't seen anything in powder form.

First impressions - wow this seems cool, but does it actually do a good job? It did take a lot of getting used to and you have to get over the shock of looking very much like a clown in the few seconds before blending, but once you have conquered those fears it actually blends really well into a sun kissed rosy cheek. It reminded me a lot of the new Relvon highlighting palette actually, they both give you a similar amount of shimmer and add a very slight bronzed glow underneath the pink sheen.

To apply, I lightly (and I mean lightly!) stamp it right on the apples of my cheeks and use my blush brush from Real Techniques to get right in there and blend those perfectly stamped circles up the cheek bone towards my temples. There is a mirror on the lid of this product, which is always a great help for on the go, but I don't see this product as one to be thrown in my bag and applied on the move or throughout the day. It requires a lot of work to blend seamlessly and subtly - unfortunately not one of those blushes you can apply without actually thinking about it. One thing I did notice about this blush was it's staying power, it stayed put through a long days work and even out lasted my liquid eyeliner!

If you want a blush that gives you a wonderful glow that lasts, I would highly recommend this. However, if you don't have the patience to blend, blend, blend then maybe it's not for you.

Shade - Stare Struck £4.99

What Brush Goes Where?

Now the function of a make up tool is simply a matter of opinion (in my opinion har-har), and most products out there are multi-purpose regardless of their name!
Here's a sneak peak into my current make up toolkit, a low down on my brushes' business...

Real Technique Expert Face Brush - This brush, with its tightly packed bristles and slightly domed top, is my perfect gizmo for applying liquid foundation. It blends seamlessly, with minimal effort - there's no need to spend hours working your foundation into your skin with this baby.

Topshop Kabuki Brush - Okay, so this is quite a large brush, but I love how easily I can give my paley pale face a wash of colour using a natural looking bronzer. A quick swoop in the hollows of my checks and around my temples and you would think I'd traveled the world! 

Sigma Duo Fibre Powder/Blush F15 - I rarely use powder, but when I do I use this brush. I powder mainly my T-zone and chin, this brush distributes and sets the powder so lightly you can hardly tell its there.

Real Techniques Contour Brush - This little friend helps me tackle the nightmare that is my dreary morning eyes (anyone else?). With a creamy concealer, this brush can work wonders on dark circles, perfectly fitting around my eye socket for max coverage.

Topshop Angled Brush - I'm not a big lover of liquid/gel eyeliner (mainly because I'm impossibly rubbish at applying it) so I usually use black eye shadow just on the upper outer part of my lid, as close to my lash line as humanly possible. This angled brush from good'ol Topshop is perfect for the job and also comes in handy with my eyebrows too...

Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Of course this brush is going to make an appearance, how can a girl live without it!? Well... I seem to have moved on from the 'buffing in my foundation' craze and now only use this brush for applying cream blush - which it does so brilliantly. A light stipple on the cheeks and your good to go.

Real Techniques Blush Brush - Just as it says on the tin, I use this brush to apply blusher on the apples of my cheeks. An all round good'un I'd say, real techniques never disappoint.

So there you have it - my toolkit. I wonder, do you use any of these brushes for a completely different function?