Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush Review

I'm a little late, okay really late, in reviewing Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blushes. They've been around for at least three years but I just noticed them in the drugstore a few weeks ago. There are mixed reviews but I was intrigued by the "bouncy" texture of the product. And they're made in Korea.

Product Description: Revolutionary gel formula provides a new bouncy texture. Lightweight like a powder, yet melts seamlessly into skin like a cream. Natural sheer wash of color that is buildable for greater color intensity. Dermatologist tested, allergy tested, non comedogenic.

Price: I spotted the blushes for $5.99 at Harmon but they will be more expensive at the drugstores. I purchased mine at Amazon with a gift card.

How to use: With your fingertips, blend a small amount of blush onto the apples of your cheeks, applying from your cheekbones to your temples.

Packaging: The blushes are housed in a lightweight, dome shaped pan with a lid. They are very portable and ideal for carrying around in a makeup bag or purse. It doesn't look like there's a lot of product in the pan but each blush contains 0.19 oz. For reference, a Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush contains 0.20 oz.

Scent: Omg, a makeup product that actually has no scent! I keep trying to see if I can catch some sort of smell but there's nothing, nada, zilch. Good job Maybelline!

Consistency/Texture: These blushes have a soft spreadable sponge like texture, are very blendable, non sticky, and non streaky. They feel like a cream and then turn into a soft, silky powder on the cheeks.

My Thoughts: I am completely fascinated by the texture of these blushes. You push on it and it literally bounces right back, making the name "Dream Bouncy Blush" quite fitting. The line itself has a good shade selection ranging from very light to medium-dark. I purchased 5/10 of the shades: 05 Fresh Pink (soft pink), 15 Rose Petal (nude pink), 30 Candy Coral (peachy orange), 40 Pink Plum (bright baby pink), and 50 Plum Wine (deep plum).

Fresh Pink, Rose Petal, Candy Coral, Pink Plum, and Plum Wine

As far as the pigmentation Maybelline wasn't kidding when they were going for a "natural sheer wash of color" in these blushes. They're not the most pigmented and you really have to work with them to create some color on the cheeks. I used a stippling brush and my fingers to see which method would work best with applying the blushes. If you're in a hurry a stippling brush works the best and picks up more product than the fingers. If you have the patience and time, you can take your finger and swirl it around a few times and then apply to the cheeks. Warning, you may have to repeat this process 4-5 times to get the desired amount of color. Personally I didn't mind using my finger because I enjoyed touching the blush. (In general, I don't like dipping my hand into pot/pan makeup products because they need to be cleaned more often with my acne prone skin. You'll have to tissue off the top layer of the product and then spray with alcohol. Let the product sit and dry off for a minute or two before you close the lid.) Plum Wine has the best pigmentation of the 5 I purchased with Rose Petal and Pink Plum the worst. If you are dark complexioned Fresh Pink could be used as a highlighter.

The blushes give off a youthful look with a luminous, slightly shimmery finish. The wear time without powder is around 2 hours. With powder you'll get around 4-5 hours. Like I said, they're easy to carry around with you so you can always touch up throughout the day whenever needed. There are certainly no claims for these to be long wearing so I'm not too surprised about the shorter wear time.

Final Thoughts
I can see why the Dream Bouncy Blushes received mixed reviews. The pigmentation is not that great. They are a little high maintenance and time consuming since you have to work to achieve some color and reapply throughout the day. However, I really like these blushes. I'm light complexioned so I don't mind having to work up color onto the cheeks as long as the end result is good. You don't have to worry about being heavy handed like I do with the Milani Powder Blushes. Don't bother with the lighter shades if you have a medium skin tone and darker. I would suggest instead Plum Wine and Hot Tamale. I love the texture of these blushes and the bounce part, I'm like a kid in a candy store with these. I haven't experienced any breakouts on the cheeks. Do I think you need to run to the drugstore and pick up all ten shades? No. But I do think you would enjoy having one or two of these in your blush collection.

Thanks for stopping by,
Jennifer