Almay Smart Shade Blush Review
Almay Smart Shade Blush isn’t so smart. It barely changed color and I don’t recommend it.
What is Almay Smart Shade Blush? Similar to Almay’s “Smart” Shade Foundation, Almay Smart Shade Blush supposedly contains “microscopic shade-sensing color beads” that adjust to your skin tone to provide a perfect shade of blush (translation: it’s an attempt at the drugstore version of Smashbox O-Glow).
Smart Shade Blush comes in three colors: Pink, Natural, and Berry. A Smart Shade Bronzer is also available. All four shades supposedly work with any skin tone.
Does Almay Smart Shade Blush Work? Nope. I tried this blush in Pink and Berry as well as in the bronzer shade. When it first comes out of the tube, Smart Shade Blush is white and creamy (almost like a very light moisturizer). As you blend it in, it begins to change color…kind of.
The pink shade barely changed color on my olive/tanned skin. If anything, it actually made my cheeks look a bit pasty.
The Berry and Bronzer shades didn’t do much better. The Berry shade offered a little more color, but it still appeared somewhat pasty. The Almay Smart Shade Bronzer was the best out of the three. It offered some bronze color, but still looked a little muddy.
The bottom line on Almay Smart Shade Blush/Bronzer: Don’t waste your money. I realize that sounds way harsh, so I’ll give Almay some credit. There are products from this brand that I actually really like: the Almay 16-Hour Eyeliner and Waterproof One Coat Nourishing Mascara, for example, spring to mind.
The ironically named Smart Shade Blush, however, simply fails to make the grade.
Has anyone tried Almay Smart Shade Blush? What do you think?
DISCUSSION:
17 comments so far...
1 Brittany // Jan 22, 2008 at 4:36 pm
Thanks for the review i wanted to try it and reading your review i know not to waste my money. Thanks!
2 Jazmin // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Hi Brittany! You’re so welcome!
If you’re still looking for a cream blush, I actually really liked Benefit Sheer Cream Blusher. It’s more expensive than the Almay, but I love the color and how it easy it was to use ; )
3 Me // Feb 24, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I like this product and it works well for my fair skin.
4 Jazmin // Feb 25, 2008 at 8:53 am
Hi there! I think it’s awesome to be able to have a variety of opinions on a product, so thank you for commenting!
: )
5 Kaci // May 17, 2008 at 1:04 am
I have fair/light skin, and the light foundation and pink blush work so well for me. I hate heavy coverage and I rarely wear blush, but I think the smart shade blush was just enough color on top of seriously flawless foundation.
Maybe it just doesn’t work as well on olive skin tones?
6 Sara // May 18, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Lol, just gotta kiss a lotta frogs before you find the prince!
7 Jazmin // May 19, 2008 at 6:21 am
Hi Kaci,
Thanks so much for weighing in! And, yes, I think you’re right…my problems with this blush were definitely partly due to the fact that it was too light for my olive skin. However, I tried to give it away to a couple friends who have pretty fair skin and they also agreed that the color was a bit pasty-looking.
Nevertheless, if it works for you and you’re loving it, I think that’s awesome ; )
8 Jazmin // May 19, 2008 at 6:23 am
lol, Sara, that’s definitely true (about both makeup AND men)!!
9 Hillarie // May 25, 2008 at 6:35 am
I, too, have fair skin. It works for me, but that only means it’s “smart” for people with my shade. I also tried the smart shade makeup (I got the blush with it), and it didn’t even show up when I blended with a sponge. When I blended with my finger, it turned orange. They have a long way to go…
10 KK // Jun 17, 2008 at 7:34 pm
It seems a lot of fair-skinned people are reviewing this. I have pretty fair skin, but since it’s summer, now I have a nice tan (with the help of some self-tanner, lol). I bought this because I used my friends on vacation and was facinated about how it changed to your skin tone! I bought the Smart Shade foundation and blush, and I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the foundation. It offers light, natural coverage, which is always great, plus it makes my face look dewey. However, I will not buy it again because it’s $15 and such a small tube! The blush is way too expensive for it’s quality, also. It made my cheeks look very flushed and glowing when I first applied it, but after I finished touching up my mascara, it was gone! It just doesn’t stay for long. This is a pretty good product, but it has no staying power and is way too expensive.
sorry to be a downer… lol
11 coutureluv // Jul 31, 2008 at 9:29 am
I have yet to try the smart shade blush (and probably won’t) because i have tried their smart shade foudation. I have olive skin so i bought it in medium/dark and it made my face look completly orange. so then i bought it in medium and it made me look extremly pale! smart shade? not so much…
12 Jazmin // Aug 5, 2008 at 8:59 am
Hi ladies! My apologies for the delay in responding!!
Thanks so much for your comments and for sharing your opinions about this makeup. Hillarie and coutureluv, I had the same experience with the foundation.
And KK, lol, you’re not a downer at all! Honesty’s always appreciated : )
Have any of you moxies tried the concealer? It’s actually not too bad! (but not good enough that I would buy it again, lol : )
13 Deb // Jan 27, 2009 at 10:56 am
I just tried this smart shade blush in pink. I have light to medium skin. It looked like a frosty thick palest pink - not like blush at all. More make-up money wasted. I like Maybelline mousse blush and will stick with it.
14 Jazmin // Jan 29, 2009 at 11:01 am
Oooh I like Maybelline mousse blush too!
Is there a way that you return the Almay blush?
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