REVIEW: CAROLYN K LONDON MAKE ME BLUSH BEAUTY BOOK

CAROLYN K LONDON MAKE ME BLUSH BEAUTY BOOK* - RRP £29.99
"Life's too short to wear the same colour every day."
Amen to that. Regular readers of this blog will know about my infatuation with blush in a lot of detail. I love blusher. There is possibly nothing that makes me part with my money more than a new blusher and although I have enough to last me a lifetime I just keep adding to the stash.

Carolyn K London is a completely British brand that has escaped my radar up until now and I can't fathom how I've missed it. With a plethora of products on offer, from nail paints that make a splash with beautiful colours to highly pigmented and finely milled powders for the face - this is a brand that's sure to become big news and I'm lucky enough to have their Make Me Blush Beauty Book in my possession. 

Carolyn K London has actually been created by Carolyn K, the makeup artist behind several iconic looks on famous faces shot for the prominent glossy magazines. Carolyn oversees all the production of her cosmetic line which started 8 years ago with brushes and makeup bags. Everything is given a specific personal touch, the nail paints in particular were created with a personality of a friend or family member in mind and the colour reflects that. The really beautiful thing about this brand though is the amount of 'giving back' that happens. Not only does the brand donate a percentage of their sales to Magic Breakfast which provides children in poverty with a nourishing meal each morning to set them up for the day. On top of this Carolyn herself, a few days each month, works closely with cancer patients at the Marie Curie Cancer Hospice, London, teaching them how to hide the more visible effects of their treatments and boost their self confidence. The 'Raise Your Brows' palette from Carolyn K London was specifically created because of this time spent in the Marie Curie Cancer Hospice as eyebrows and techniques for creating them were much requested from her because of chemotherapy hair loss.

The packaging of this Carolyn K London 'Make Me Blush' Beauty Book is made from very sturdy black cardboard which is easily cleaned (luckily for me as I get my products everywhere) and I'd be happy to take it on my travels. There's a dust jacket/sleeve for the actual product too which is a classy touch and means that the book doesn't have to suffer too much bashing. It simply opens and displays the eight different powders proudly in a foam bed which is something I haven't come across before personally but I like it - should I ever want to de-pot these products it will make it a helluva lot easier than battling plastic casing.

There's a tutorial style illustration on one side of the book which is great for referral if you're starting out with contouring or using blush as your stand out statement make-up.  

This 'Make Me Blush' Beauty Book includes 8 pans of finely milled highly pigmented powders: a mixture of bronzers, blushers and a translucent powder. I only have to tap my brush lightly into the powders for the more intense colour pay off so before I apply it to my face I will dab it lightly on the back of my hand. I love how the bronzers don't go muddy or orange on the skin - they actually look really natural. The blushes are incredible: the bright pink being one I'm reaching for frequently at the moment. The coral is the perfect summer shade for when I'm feeling colourful. The lightest of the blushes is actually a very pale pink that I've been using to highlight my cheekbones whilst I use the translucent powder to set everything in place.

The longevity of these products on the skin is especially impressive considering the hot weather we've been having. If anyone knows of any brand that makes an anti-perspirant for the face then let me know! Still, these powders have stayed in place with only limited touch-ups necessary after a long day at work. I genuinely can't believe how long they last on the skin which is unusual for powder products. In the selfie about I've attempted a more subtle version of blush diagram on the sleeve of the book and I genuinely love the results.

To sum up: fine, highly highly pigmented, easily blendable, buildable, beautiful products that should be getting more coverage than they deserve in the beauty world. 

Would I recommend them? Well - let's put it this way - is the pope Catholic? I think anyone with a love of blush should definitely endeavor to get their hands on this book. I also think it would make a fabulous gift for anyone not particularly confident with blush and contour. 

It's incredible value for money when you consider you get 8 pans of product for the same price as one high-end blush (with exactly the same quality).

Carolyn K London products are available on the Carolyn K London website. You can also follow Carolyn K London on Twitter and Facebook for news, product launches and competitions. 

DISCLAIMER: The product(s) reviewed in the post were sent to me by the brand for review purposes. All opinions expressed about the product are my own. I will never dishonestly review a product as I believe dishonest reviews lead to a lack of trust from my readership. The links on this post will not earn me any commission if you click on them.