Y'all. I think I found my new go-to blush!

    To be honest, I feel like I'm more comfortable with blushes now than before. Years ago, applying blush was not an option because I just was not comfortable with it; that and the fact that I was struggling with the placement and application. Thanks to liquid and cream blushes, the Anne Clutz' Beginner Contour Brush, and the gajillion TikTok and YouTube videos I've watched, I'm now more comfortable with putting some color on my cheeks. However, I noticed that I lack powder blushes in my collection- guess it's time to rectify that.

    I currently have three powder blushes in my collection: Cathy Doll Blusher in Frozen Peach, Vice Cosmetics Aura Blush in Byucon, and the blush in the Chu Chu Beauty Think Pink Color Bento. Among the three, I reach for Frozen Peach the most, mainly because it's the easiest to use. Chu Chu Beauty's and Byucon are extremely pink red and pigmented and not gonna lie, they terrify me. I mean, I don't even know why I have these blushes in my stash haha! So yeah, I need some more workable blushes, preferably not as bright and bold as those.

    Enter my new favorite blush as of late: Vice Cosmetics' Aura Blush in Applauded! Just like Byucon, this blush is a buildable and blendable soft powder that's paraben and cruelty free.

    Applauded is described as a "dusty nude on fair skin" and a "nude pink shade on medium to deep skin".

Since I have a medium skintone, here's how Applauded looks like on my cheeks. I absolutely love that it's subtle that it's almost like natural looking! I like the cool tone of this blush; I feel like it complements my skin well!

Unlike Byucon, Applauded isn't too pigmented. I honestly thought that this blush won't show up on my skin but it's the kind of shade that you need to build up for it to show fully on the cheeks. I personally like that way because I get to control how much or little of it I want on the cheeks. Plus, it's easier to blend out!

Since Applauded is such a subdued shade, it pairs well with most of the cream and liquid blushes I usually reach for like GRWM's Cheesecake Milk Tint and Colourette's Mara and Emma tints.   

Texture-wise, I like that this blush isn't chalky at all. It is indeed soft and just melts on to the skin easily without looking too dry and powdery. Its finish is kind of in between a matte and a satin, one that isn't too flat or reflective. This is such an easy blush to use and one that'll be great especially for beginners.

I've been using Applauded for days that it's now a mainstay in my personal makeup kit! I love using it for daytime because it's not too bright but still gives my cheeks a flush of color. I also like the longevity of this blush. I mean, granted I use setting spray on top of it, but for it to still be on after almost 12 hot hours? Just impressive. I can't get enough of this blush and I'm so glad I was able to get it before Vice Cosmetics revamped their products. Hope they bring back this shade though because I need a backup stat!