Hidden Drugstore Gems | Ugly Duckling Blushes

I'm not going to lie to you, I can be superficial. When it comes to packaging I'll walk away from a potentially amazing product if the packaging is hideous. Undoubtedly, this has caused me to overlook some amazing products. It's so hard when I'm under bright florescent lights staring down shelves full of brightly colored beauty products. It's a complete stimulus overload. It wasn't until I was faced with a rather underwhelming selection of cheap cosmetics at a local grocery store that I found these. I had no idea how wonderful the products were inside of those cheaply made plastic rectangles, but now I've learned my lesson. These $2-3 blushes have me giving my $30 blushes the side eye. I guess the old idiom holds true, you really can't judge a book by it's cover.

(From left to right) Mellow Wine, Pearlescent Pink, Shy, Glow

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush in Mellow Wine ($2.99)
I love the formula of these blushes. They're so soft and incredibly pigmented. This shade packs tons of colour while still being able to stay transparent enough to blend with your skin. It's a deep red-toned skin that would look divine on deeper skintones and works well as a pop of colour for those of us with lighter skintones. This seems like a shade that could easily go wrong on light skin but thankfully the formula makes it super bendable and easy to work with. (Similar to Mac Desert Rose)

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink ($2.99)
These blushes pack a punch, so try not to be heavy handed otherwise this shade can go from beautiful to clownish in a hot second. This was the first shade I tried from the line and my favourite, but I went at it a little bit too hard on the first try expecting such a cheap blush to not have any colour payoff. I was so wrong. This is a lovely pink shade with coral tones and very subtle glitter. It's no where near the glitter you'll find in Nars blushes so no need to be afraid. This shade gives a healthy glow to the face without looking over the top.

E.L.F. Essential Blush in Shy ($2)
This blush was the biggest shocker to me out of the bunch. It's a very cool toned pink with lilac undertones and it is a must have for pale skin. It looks so beautiful and this is coming from someone who is usually all about the warm tones. I've really never come across a soft pink liliac shade like this without it being super intense. Sadly, I don't think this would work on tan skin tones.

E.L.F. Essential Blush in Glow ($2)
I'll be honest, this blush is a little chalky, but it blends out so well that I can look past it. This shade is a traditional coral leaning towards the orange side. There's tiny golden glitter in here that isn't in any way overbearing. I can't believe the price on this because it looks so similar to high end blushes in my collection that it kind of bums me out that I didn't find this sooner. (Similar to Benefit CORALista)