Disclaimer: The products featured were provided for review.
In late 2018, Mary Kay launched a full range of customizable eyeshadow and cheek powders along with a couple of new, refillable palettes. Because I was overwhelmed with all the holiday releases, it took me a while to delve into the collection. I've finally had some time to play with the Chromafusion Blush, Highlighter, and Contour ($15 CAD for 4.8 g each) powders recently so I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the formulation and the palette system. To read all about them, click......
Packaging:
The Chromafusion Blush, Highlighter, and Contour powders are each sold separately as refill pans for $15 CAD each. Each pan contains 4.8 g of product and Mary Kay offers unfilled magnetic palettes for holding the powders. Currently, three options are available. The Pro Palette ($28 CAD) is the largest of the three and can fit up to 14 cheek powders. The limited edition Perfect Palette ($25 CAD) for spring 2019 holds up to four cheek powders and the Petite Palette ($17 CAD) fits one cheek powder plus one Mary Kay Chromafusion Eye Shadow.
All three palettes are simple in design but sturdy and well-made. For ease of inserting and removing the refill pans, gaps are left on either side of the palette where powder and dust can collect. This takes away from the sleekness of the design but I can appreciate its practicality. I personally find the price point quite high as even with the smallest palette ($17 CAD), getting one powder ($15 CAD) will end up costing $32 CAD. Of course, if you get a larger palette, you can fit more shades inside so the cost does come down. In the end, however, it really depends on what it is you are looking for. If you are a makeup artist who likes to have a wide range of cheek colors on hand, then this is a good system to invest in. However, if you are just an average consumer, I'd imagine that individual blushes (with a compact included) would be more economical.
Formulation:
With ten blushes, two highlighters, and two contours, the Chromafusion cheek range offers a powder formulation that's smooth and silky. Although nicely pigmented, all the shades have a natural, almost translucent finish that not only adds color but glow. I love almost every one of the blush shades; the mattes are pigmented and non-chalky while the shimmers provide a rather natural sheen with no obvious sparkles or glitters. However, I do wish that there were more options for the highlighters as both shades lean a little too warm for my liking. The same goes for the contours, which also lean a little more towards the warmer spectrum. In terms of longevity, the powders performed quite well. With minimal rubbing/contact, the colors with last all day with only minimal fading. My personal favorites are Hint of Pink (Matte Blush), Rogue Rose (Shimmer Blush), and Rosy Nude (Matte Blush). See below for a description of each Chromafusion cheek powder.
Darling Pink (Shimmer Blush): Sheer petal pink with a subtle pearlescent shimmer.
Hint of Pink (Matte Blush): Matte muted rose.
Juicy Peach (Shimmer Blush): Fresh pinky peach with a subtle golden sheen.
Rogue Rose (Shimmer Blush): Soft baby pink with a subtle pearlescent sheen.
Shy Blush (Shimmer Blush): Sheer warm pink with a strong golden sheen.
Rosy Nude (Shimmer Blush): Sophisticated dusty rose with a natural matte finish.
Hot Coral: Very pigmented mandarin orange with a very subtle sheen.
Wineberry: Semi-sheer warm plum with a soft pearlescent sheen.
Golden Copper: Light bronze with subtle copper shimmers.
Desert Rose: Dusty rosy mauve with a very subtle sheen.
Honey Glow (Highlighter): Peachy champagne shimmer.
Glazed (Highlighter): Warm champagne shimmer.
Cocoa (Contour): Sheer dark chocolate bronze.
Latte (Contour): Soft neutral taupe.
Are you a fan of customizable palettes or do you prefer individual compacts and curated palettes? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blush, Highlighter & Contour Powder in the Pro Palette |
The Chromafusion Blush, Highlighter, and Contour powders are each sold separately as refill pans for $15 CAD each. Each pan contains 4.8 g of product and Mary Kay offers unfilled magnetic palettes for holding the powders. Currently, three options are available. The Pro Palette ($28 CAD) is the largest of the three and can fit up to 14 cheek powders. The limited edition Perfect Palette ($25 CAD) for spring 2019 holds up to four cheek powders and the Petite Palette ($17 CAD) fits one cheek powder plus one Mary Kay Chromafusion Eye Shadow.
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blush, Highlighter & Contour in the Petite Palette |
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blushes in the Limited Edition Perfect Palette |
With ten blushes, two highlighters, and two contours, the Chromafusion cheek range offers a powder formulation that's smooth and silky. Although nicely pigmented, all the shades have a natural, almost translucent finish that not only adds color but glow. I love almost every one of the blush shades; the mattes are pigmented and non-chalky while the shimmers provide a rather natural sheen with no obvious sparkles or glitters. However, I do wish that there were more options for the highlighters as both shades lean a little too warm for my liking. The same goes for the contours, which also lean a little more towards the warmer spectrum. In terms of longevity, the powders performed quite well. With minimal rubbing/contact, the colors with last all day with only minimal fading. My personal favorites are Hint of Pink (Matte Blush), Rogue Rose (Shimmer Blush), and Rosy Nude (Matte Blush). See below for a description of each Chromafusion cheek powder.
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blush, Highlight & Contour |
Hint of Pink (Matte Blush): Matte muted rose.
Juicy Peach (Shimmer Blush): Fresh pinky peach with a subtle golden sheen.
Rogue Rose (Shimmer Blush): Soft baby pink with a subtle pearlescent sheen.
Shy Blush (Shimmer Blush): Sheer warm pink with a strong golden sheen.
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blush |
Hot Coral: Very pigmented mandarin orange with a very subtle sheen.
Wineberry: Semi-sheer warm plum with a soft pearlescent sheen.
Golden Copper: Light bronze with subtle copper shimmers.
Desert Rose: Dusty rosy mauve with a very subtle sheen.
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Blush |
Glazed (Highlighter): Warm champagne shimmer.
Cocoa (Contour): Sheer dark chocolate bronze.
Latte (Contour): Soft neutral taupe.
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| Mary Kay | Chromafusion Highlighter & Contour |
