You're getting a second helping of beauty today because I'll be up to my ears in theater work tomorrow for Joseph, the musical. This has to be one of the cheapest makeup finds I've had in quite awhile, and I'm prepared to rave because these are good! I needed to find some extra makeup bits for our work on Joseph but they'd have to be cheap with good value. I walked into the Dollar Store in Alabang Town Center not expecting to find these Santèe Rouge/mousses. Affordable, highly pigmented,shimmer-free matte cream blush in compacts with covers you don't have to twist off. They're currently on offer for Php69 (less than $2.00 USD) for a limited time.
I first bought two and left the store briefly, and I promptly tried #03 on in the ladies' room. Upon discovering that they were a shimmer-free cream to powder formula that were also good enough to pat onto well-exfoliated lips, I hurried back remembering they were on Php69 offer perhaps only for a limited time (the sales guy said they sell for over a hundred elsewhere) and I got two more shades. I was on the hunt for some extra makeup bits for our work on Joseph the musical tomorrow...I needed the orange blush in particular for the concept of this look which we aren't copying exactly but are drawing some inspiration from.
...and also realized I only had one cream blush in my professional kit. Obviously I decided that problem had to be solved. Reminder, be sure to swatch or patch test (apply on small facial area) affordable makeup from stores always before purchasing though. Click through to see me wearing these shades.
To be honest in real life the colors here pop a bit more over the skin, due to some harsh daylight the colors on my face in these shots are somewhat muted. Just know that in person the color is like 20% more intense. Here I've applied these Santèe rouge blush colors on my lips as well as my cheeks. The formula is i guess best described as like a potted cake version of Happy Skin's lip and cheek mousses.
#01(an apricot nude, comparable to Bourjois cream pot blush #01)
Next is #03 (a warm soft pink, comparable to Bobbi Brown pot rouge in Powder Pink but less brown and more pink)
The summer citrus inspired favorite would most probably be #02 (a bright tangerine that wears like cha-cha tint with more POW).
and last, the most daring shade I think I picked up was #05 (a full-on raspberry fuschia pink)...there were 2 shades I didn't get, a more blue-toned baby pink and a full-on crimson red rouge.
For the price it does come with an obvious but forgive-able con. The compacts are obviously made from brittle plastic that cracks easily, I accidentally cracked the lid of #01 because the clear window popped out (which also happens with my MAC blush and MAC eyeshadow anyway) and when I tried to push the compact window back in I was too forceful. A little Mighty Bond epoxy glue should solve it, just know that if you drop these they crack as easily as a CD case. However for the price I think the product inside is worth trying. The formula, texture, and color is what reeled me in. Oh, by the way I have another Santèe sneak peek for you.
Yes, I know...soon, real soon, my dears. Patience is a virtue.