Guerlain Madame Rougit 4 Colours Blush: 10 Reasons you want it (and almost 10 reasons you won’t)

When it comes to pretty powders and blushes, Guerlain hits it out of the ballpark every single time. Their limited edition blushes are always breathtaking pieces of art and when you have steeled yourself enough to use these pieces of art, they translate beautifully on skin. Little wonder then, that this luxury brand gets so much love from so many.

The Fall 2013 offering is a limited edition 4 colour blush in Madame Rougit. When I laid eyes on it in the press release, I knew I had to have it. Nevermind that I’m on a beauty diet or that I’m curbing impulse purchases. I’m a blush fiend and I HAD.TO.HAVE.THIS!

If you too are a blush fiend, then I suppose it would be pointless reading a review because you know you will get it or may already have. By hook or by crook, this little beauty will be your preciousssss…. But if you want to know a little more to make up your mind (don’t take too long, these things fly off the shelves like bread fresh from the oven) then I offer you 10 very good reasons why you need the Madame Rougit blush in your life… and 10 reasons why you don’t. I’m fair, I am 🙂

1. You want it because it’s so pretty to look at but…

Ah this one is a beauty. The surface of the powder is embossed with the Guerlain logo sitting on top of a honeycomb design and sprinkled with sparkly polkadots.

But… the polkadots are mere overspray. Once you take a brush to it for the first time, the sparkly white colour is brushed away and you are left with not so pretty polkadots.

2. It comes with an adorable coral-pink brush but…

Like its predecessors, the Blush G Serie Noire and Blush G Sakura blushes, Madame Rougit comes with a coral-pink brush that is quite adorable to look at. It resides under the blush, if you just lift off the top layer.

However, like its predecessors, the brush doesn’t do a very good job at applying product. It is a little scratchy, and it can apply far too much product than needed which might result in the dreaded clown cheeks. Also, the shape results in there being stiff lines of colour, which you need to blend out properly as this blush is pigmented.

3. It matches the rest of the Guerlain Blush G collection but…

Ah if you already own the Blush G blushes – Serie Noire and Sakura, it would be a pity to not round up your collection with Madame Rougit!

But it doesn’t share the same design! Where’s the G? Hmm… Then again, they don’t call this one a Blush G either so maybe they just share similar packaging. And speaking of packaging, Madame Rougit comes in a velveteen pouch but I found it a little inferior in quality compared to its siblings.

Texture-wise, it was thin, compared to the thicker, padded feel of the one for Blush G Serie Noire and Blush G Sakura. Also, it didn’t have the satin lining found in the earlier incarnations.

4. There are 4 colours in the blush but…

As you can see from an overhead picture, Madame Rougit has 4 stripes of colour in the pan – a pale pink in the top right corner, a soft coral pink forming the largest band of colour, a long narrow band of light pink and a triangle of cool toned fuchsia in the lower left corner.

But… you can and should be using all the colours blended together, because the individual colours are almost impossible to pick up. When blended, I get a very lovely warm coral-pink that is deceptively bright. You can tone it up or down, depending on which side you swipe your brush on, but the predominant colour is a lovely bright coral pink.

5. It is matte with a lovely sheen but…

When you mix up the colours and apply to your skin, I find that the powder applies matte. Well, not a dull matte, but a matte finish with just a wee bit of shimmer to keep things interesting. It isn’t as shimmery as Blush G Serie Noire is, and definitely not as shimmery as Sakura.

Blush swatches Left – Right: Guerlain Madame Rougit Blush, Guerlain Blush G Serie Noire, Guerlain Blush G Sakura (Asia exclusive)

But… nothing really LOL! I couldn’t find a downside to it being a little matte because it means you don’t get your pores accentuated, nor do you get too much of a sheen and it is a texture more suited for work or a more sedate environment. There is no “but” to this one 😀 I find that Madame Rougit and Serie Noire are very close in colour with the difference that one is matte and the other has golden shimmer so if you found Serie Noire too shimmery, then Madame Rougit will hit your sweet spot.

6. It is seriously pigmented but…

I came across some reviews that said the colour was hard to pick up and it was unpigmented. Erm… I don’t know if we have the same blush, but this one’s seriously pigmented! You have to be very careful when using this one because you can (and I did) over do it.

But… be careful with using this so you don’t end up with clown cheeks. I recommend using a soft brush and a light hand. If you use a stippling brush for your pigmented blushes, now is the time to. I use my Lunasol Cheek Brush N and I only dab it on the surface to pick up colour. If you look at picture 2 above, you can see how 1 swipe of the brush across the surface of the blush results in THAT much colour being deposited on the brush. Tap off the excess. You do not need so much. In fact, you only need a wee dusting of colour on your brush and to apply a thin layer to your skin, then decide if you need more.

7. The longlasting blush colour will develop over time but…

I found that over the course of a day, the blush colour develops and changes a little. Initially, it will deepen and take on a redder, coral tone. Then, as the day wears on it turns a little more pink on my skin. Also, it lasts and lasts and lasts! I never wear a primer or makeup base but I do have combination-dry skin and this one just keeps going like the Energizer bunny.

Also wearing: Guerlain Lingerie de Peau liquid foundation 01 Beige Pale, Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette on eyes, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain in Honey

But… if you don’t want this chameleon effect happening, use a very light hand and a thin layer of colour. After the first hour, I noticed the colour deepening on my skin, so a thin layer is best on light/fair skins. On deeper skins, you can get away wearing a little more colour

8. Madame Rougit suits all skintones but….

Truly, this is one very versatile blush that I’m comfortable saying will suit practically all skintones. There are enough cool tones in there to pull down the warm pinks as well as enough warm to warm up the cool fuchsia tone. You just have to swipe your brush where you want it to pick up the colour you want. The colours magically blend together to give you just the right shade. If you want more pick, pick up more of the colour on the lower left. If you want more warmth, concentrate on the upper right.

But… this baby is pricey and will not suit every wallet. Weighing in at RM188, it is quite a dent to the wallet but only to be expected, coming out of the House of Guerlain.

9. The blush texture is soft and easy to pick up but…

As I said, just tapping my brush on the surface of this blush picks up enough colour to apply to my cheeks for a very gentle, very pretty fresh flush. I don’t know why people are saying it’s hard or that their fingers aren’t picking up colour. You don’t wear blush on your fingers do you? You wear it on your cheeks, and so long as a brush can pick up colour, and it can, I don’t see any problem with this. Tracy agrees with me on this and we’re blush fiends so you should trust us LOL! 😉

But… see point 6 and 7 above. Easy to overdo.

10. You want this. No buts.

Do you really need 10 reasons for you to get this? Seriously? 😀 No you don’t. If you are anything like me, and need another blush like you need a hole in your head, then perhaps you might reconsider. I mean, you could possibly dig through your stash and find a similar shade. There are only so many colours available for blush you know. Not until green blush becomes fashionable, that is. Maybe for faking that sickie so you don’t have to go to work or school…

But until then, blush colours are quite standard. Pink, Peach, Coral, Red are traditional shades and anyone with a varied enough blush collection will have a selection of blushes in their arsenal that come close to looking like Madame Rougit.

But… it won’t be the Guerlain Madame Rougit blush will it? 😉

Is the Guerlain Madame Rougit blush setting your heart a-flutter?

Ah well, I can resist a pretty eyeshadow palette, or even a lipstick. But a well made, pretty blush especially one from Guerlain? Never 😀

Paris B

Guerlain Madame Rougit 4 Colors Blush Price: RM188 Availability: Guerlain counters Limited Edition: Yes, Voilette de Madame collection Fall 2013