You know I love trying the new Essence and Catrice collections and recently especially Essence seems to be focusing on duping other brands. From a bronzing drop product that looks identical to Drunk Elephant to lip products that look, apply and feel like a K-beauty lip stain: Essence is on the dupe train and I am not mad about it. Their newest formula dupe? The Soft Touch Mousse blush which is a great copy of the Fwee Blurry Pudding Pots. Let’s review Rustic Rouge.
So this blush is supposed to come in four shades, but two of them have yet to become available. I therefore picked up the shade that seemed the least offensive to me. Rustic Rouge is a warm toned terracotta tan shade that looks surprisingly neutral once applied to the cheeks. Going by the name and the swatches I found online I thought it would look more reddish toned, but on the cheeks this turns into one of those natural flush blush looks.
Review: Essence Soft Touch Mousse Blush 020 Rustic Rouge
Essence is by far one of the most affordable makeup brands on the market and this product is no exception. At only €2.95 this is an absolute steal. For comparison: the Fwee products are nearly €15 a pop which means this is a fifth of the price. Granted this doesn’t come in as many pretty colors, but still, at this price point this is always worth a shot.
What does this product have to offer?
This is a stunning color but it does have a pretty sheer pigment to it. It can be build up in intensity though but I feel I need a few layers of this to get the desired look. This mousse like formula is indeed similar to the Fwee, but this feels less jiggly to the touch. In fact this mostly reminds me of the Maybelline Dream Mousse blushes that I owned more than a decade ago. So this type of product is very nostalgic for me. This blush has a matte finish, natural color, can be used on the cheeks or the lips and blends seamlessly.
What does this look like in a swatch?
The texture of this product truly is something else. I felt that way about the Fwee Pudding pots and I feel that way about the Essence Soft Touch Mousse blushes. It has an almost airbrushed effect once applied: it is a bit blurry around the edges, like a natural filter. You can apply a lot and get more pigmentation, but I like to build this up in sheer layers for the best and most natural effect. The shade isn’t perfect for me though, so I hope they release the additional shades soon so I can try out the entire range for you.
What does it look like on the cheeks?
On the face this is a beautiful barely there sort of blush look. This is great for people on the go, light makeup wearers or just if you like a quick and easy makeup product. If you love an intensely pigmented blush this is probably not for you and I fear the shades available combined with the light pigmentation may make this blush not great for people with deeper skin tones. So fair warning if you do have deep skin: I think Essence forgets about you once again.
Should you buy the Essence Soft Touch Mousse blush?
I really enjoy this product: it looks natural, has great longevity on the cheeks and it is just a pretty quick and easy blushed look. It just adds that hint of color to freshen up your look and make you look lightly flushed but without going overboard. I think this is a very pretty product of its own accord and even if it wasn’t such a good dupe for the Fwee Pudding Pots I still would have loved this as it is just a good, solid makeup product yet again from Essence.
Buy the Essence Soft Touch Mousse blush here *.
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