On this gloomy, rainy Sunday I wanted to talk about something that brightens up and gives life to any makeup look: blush, of course! I always wear blush, whether it’s with a full face of makeup or when I don’t feel like putting foundation on but still want to look alive, I throw on concealer and blush. But blush can be tricky and the wrong color or too much can look clownish. Not to mention there’s a million options to choose from.

I’ve always bought cheap blush from the drugstore or from TJ Maxx, where I found Max Studio Baked Blush (which I don’t think has any relation to the store name). I love that blush. It’s cheap for a huge pan and it looks flawless on. But last year I chose the Tarte birthday gift from Sephora, which included a sample of the Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in the shade Paaarty. I was blown away. That particular shade was perfect for me. It’s light, so it’s not as easy to overdue it, but it still gives you a stunning glow. Tarte says, “Its micronized Amazonian clay helps control oil and infuse moisture for balanced skin and seamless blending.” I don’t know if I totally get how Amazonian clay works, but all of the products from that line that I’ve used are pretty nice.

Now, the elephant in the room is that this blush costs $30. That’s actually insane. Remember how I said I usually buy blush from TJ Maxx? Yeah that’s because it costs like $4 to $5! I was so disappointed when I found out the price because I really fell in love with this product. But I said I got the gift last year for my birthday, which was March of 2017. I only just bought a full size version of it. That little sample size lasted me almost an entire year. Even when the pan was completely empty except for a little bit along the rim, I was able to use it daily because it’s so pigmented so you only need a little bit. For a few months, I pulled out my Max Studio blush because I thought the Tarte one had finally bitten the dust, but then I used it again for several weeks before I said, ok it’s time to just buy the full size. If the .05 ounce size lasted me this long, $30 for .2 ounces seems truly worth it. If you really want to try it out but are hesitant to drop that kind of cash, it looks like Sephora has a limited edition Amazonian Clay package with the blush, bronzer and mascara for just $12.