About two years and a few odd months ago, I hauled a sizable MAC purchase, which was kindly arranged for me by my friend Laura, who works there. I purchased the large/double palette with eyeshadow and blush inserts, along with three powder blushes that I never got around to adding to.

Over the holidays, Laura sent me three more—out of the goodness of her heart—and it made me want to do a MAC Blush Palette update. Here’s what she picked out for me!

MAC Powder Blush in Peachykeen, Breath of Plum & Breezy

Swatched, L-R: Peachykeen, Breath of Plum, Breezy

Peachykeen is a “very baby peach” sheertone shimmer blush. Breath of Plum is a “light plum” sheertone blush. Breezy is a “plum with pearl” sheertone shimmer blush.

Not an expert on MAC blushes, but here’s a helpful guide I found at Nordstrom:

FROST (F): Iridescent, lightly shimmering color. Adds highlights: provides a frosted ‘bloom’ to the cheeks.
MATTE (M): Flat matte finish. Goes on lightly. Builds well. Blends with the skin.
SATIN (S): Light-refractive sheen-style finish. Adds subtle highlights to the skin.
SHEERTONE (ST): Shy-on tints in a sheer-on micro-refined powder. Not transparent. Goes on faint. Looks real.
SHEERTONE SHIMMER (SS): Jet-milled and micro-fine, just like Sheertone, but tickled with just-enough shimmer to make light dance on the cheeks.

I currently own 5 sheertone shimmers (!) and 1 sheertone powder blushes. I think I have a Pearlmatte Powder from the Archie’s Girls Collection that features a matte blush called Frankly Scarlet and an Extra Dimension Blush called Fiery Impact, used here, which is rather nice.

Wearing Breath of Plum

Mistakenly thought this was a matte blush! True to the description, it’s pretty much a tint and only faintly appears on the face. I like it quite a lot! A good, plummy spin on natural-looking blush shades.

I haven’t worn the other two just yet, but here are swatches from another angle.

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Breezy

Swatched, L-R: Peachykeen, Breath of Plum, Breezy

I noticed the pearlescent effect of Breezy right away—sort of like a red violet lean to a medium-deep plum blush, especially when you switch angles. The sheen isn’t as present on the cheeks as it is as a swatch, but it’s still quite beautiful. Also, I find that I don’t mind the shimmer in these blushes so much as I do with other shimmery cheek products. I tend to shy away from shimmery blushes, but I guess there’s a reason why I’ve got five sheertone shimmers out of six MAC blushes.

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Peachykeen

Swatched, L-R: Peachykeen, Breath of Plum, Breezy

This is such a pretty shade, although Peachykeen really appears only as a hint on my face. It’s a good kind of glowy, natural, pick-me-up shade, though I haven’t worn in quite often enough to make a judgment. First impression, though, is that I really like it.

So, here is my completed blush palette—

Top row, L-R: Plumfoolery, Breath of Plum, Breezy; Bottom row, L-R: Springsheen, Ambering Rose, Peachykeen

MAC Blush Palette Swatches—

Swatched, L-R: Peachykeen, Breath of Plum, Breezy, Springsheen, Ambering Rose, Plumfoolery

And just for fun, I’ve unearthed my old photos of when I used/reviewed the older blushes:

Wearing Springsheen

Springsheen (reviewed here) is a “peach with pearl” sheertone shimmer blush. It’s got a similar look to NARS Orgasm, but it’s warmer and less pink.

Wearing Ambering Rose

Ambering Rose (reviewed here) is a “muted rose” sheertone shimmer blush. It’s quite copper-y (or, I guess, “amber”) and great for the summer months. I don’t know if I’d recommend this for fairer skin (it might be too harsh/deep), but it shows up quite nicely on medium skin like mine.

Wearing Plumfoolery

Plumfoolery (reviewed here) is a “faintly plum” sheertone shimmer blush, and was possibly my favorite of the original 3 I had. It’s reaaaaally pretty, and subtle—10/10 would recommend if you’re looking for a subtle but glow-y plum shade.

To be honest, receiving these blushes (as well as another palette I bought earlier in the year—WATCH OUT FOR THAT) rekindled the desire in me to give blushes another shot. I’d been pretty much wearing bronzer or neutral/brown/pinky-mauve shades on the rare occasion that I do wear blush. Any tips are greatly appreciated. Hope you’re all doing well! x

* Peachykeen, Breath of Plum, and Breezy were all gifts from Laura. ❤

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