Bourjois Little Round Pot Bushes: Review and Swatches

 

My foray into Bourjois cosmetics was a huge success with the Delice de Poudre Bronzer (a must have!) so it was inevitable that I would try the blushes. Did you know that Bourjois was the originator of powder blushes in 1863? The Little Round Pot blushes now come in 7 colours are grouped in two undertones-rose and brown. Brown tones make my ultra-fair skin look muddy and ghoulish, so that eliminated half of the collection. I chose #34 Rose d'Or, #95 Rose de Jaspe, and #33 Lilas d'Or.

The blushes are small but mighty! I was surprised with the pigmentation considering that they are baked. Even though they are quite small (the same size as Bourjois pot shadows) they will go the distance. Be light handed or you will have a lot of blending in your future. They feel a little gritty due to some of the shimmer when swatched, but apply pleasantly smooth without crumbling or flaking. If you don't use them regularly the top hardens and less colour comes off on the brush, but that is easily rectified by rubbing away the layer to expose the product below (a downside of all baked products).

The genius of these products is they are a blush and highlighter in one. There is a noticeable and generous helping of shimmer throughout that offers a lovely iridescence to the skin. It looks chunky until it is blended and then is only visible when it catches the light. A great way to liven your complexion without looking like a disco ball. All of the blushes have a gentle rose fragrance when first applied, but it fades within minutes if you are sensitive to scent. The wear time is a solid 5 hours but can be longer if you apply over a matte base.  

I love the product but the packaging frustrates me. This is one product that can't be judged by its cover. The mini brush and mirror are unserviceable and moot points. The blushes are glued into the compacts but tend to come loose after a month, so open with caution or you will be chasing a disc of blush around the bathroom. The lid is difficult to pop open on some of the compacts and you sometimes need to wedge your nail into the seam to wiggle it up. One thing I do like about the packaging is that colour of the individual compacts matches the colour of blush so you can easily locate the exact one you need. 

Grade: A-