cargo blush: key largo

i have always had cargo key largo on my list to get. can you blame me? the color is eye catching and bold. but i must admit it is another shade that beginners must tread with caution.

COLOR
key largo is a matte watermelon pink. when i look at the color in the pan it reminds me of fruit punch for some reason! funnily enough, cargo describes key largo as a tropical punch. it is bright and gorgeous, however, out of all my cargo shades this is the least fool proof. i have to be careful not to over apply the product as a little goes a long way. i like to use mac 129 for application.

TEXTURE
as i mentioned above, this shade is the least fool proof but not because of the texture, it is more due to the color. blending out the product is easy and the powder is fine so it doesn't go on blotchy.

SWATCHES
mac salsa rose on left, cargo key largo on right.

one of the main reasons i had my sights set on key largo was because the color is unique to my collection. the closest shade i have to compare it to is mac salsa rose, which is darker.

OVERALL
i adore key largo. i noticed i tend to pair it with when i am wearing black clothing (with the exception of this picture :P) since the lack of color in my outfit really puts the focal point to my cheeks. a light hand and some careful application is needed so if you are strictly a swirl and go kind of blush wearer, i wouldnt advise this shade. however it is such a unique and pretty color that i urge everyone to at least check it out! it gives such a pretty romantic flush.

what do you think of key largo? four blushes down, three more to go. until next time when i talk about cargo lyon...

cargo blush: laguna

cargo laguna looks very bright and shocking in the pan. i can see why at first glance most would be intimidated. but with the right brush and application, laguna can be quite subtle and very pretty.

COLOR
laguna is a bright matte orange. think cheeto orange. erm, ok maybe not the best comparison. regardless, this definitely can be worn sheer or with more intensity depending on your taste. i prefer to wear laguna on the sheer side to give a nice peach color. although some of you might cringe at a blush that is orange in color (are you thinking of oompa loompas?) laguna is very flattering. i love how not much product is needed for my desired effect.

TEXTURE
cargo's standard: very soft and finely milled. this one can be a bit tricky and isnt as fool proof like the big easy due to the high pigmentation so any beginners in blush might want to tread with caution and practice. i like to work in light brush strokes and in layers, building up the intensity. if ever i go overboard and apply too much, it is very easy to buff away back to a natural finish.

SWATCHES
from left to right: rock and republic all nighter, cargo laguna, rock and republic immoral

these are all very similar in color. immoral and laguna are practically dupes but if i am being picky laguna is a bit more muted compared to immoral and immoral leans a LITTLE more red. all nighter is similar in color but has shimmer in it. if you were sad on missing out on rock and republic's immoral, laguna is pretty darn close.

OVERALL
if you are new to blush or dont have time to apply blush carefully this may not be the blush for you. if you like vibrant colors that show up with little effort or just like peachy shades you should check laguna out. i personally love laguna. i reach for it most often when i wear cream shirts and warm brown eye looks. it gives such a nice peach color without having to use much product. this tin will last me a lifetime. cant beat cargo's texture either.

what do you think of laguna? are you intimidated by bright orange? until next time where i will talk about cargo's key largo...

cargo blush: mendocino

i have had cargo mendocino for about almost three years now. i purchased this shade online from sephora when they used to sell cargo products. it is one of my favorite berry shades in my collection.

COLOR
mendocino is a sparkling berry pink shade. it has a beautiful gold sheen which is my personal favorite touch to blushes as it adds such dimension and flatters the skin. it appears much darker in the pan than how it wears on the face and in swatches. i can see this suiting all skin tones. i reach for this shade most often in the fall. im not sure why, it must be the slightly plummy tone of the color.

TEXTURE
again, standard cargo quality: smooth and buttery. there is a gold sheen but the particles are very fine and arent harsh on the skin. it imparts a nice glow to the face without being obvious. it blends easily and requires no harsh buffing.

SWATCHES

from left to right: nars mounia, cargo lyon, cargo mendocino, nars crazed, nars sin

these are all the plum/berry shades i have in my collection. quite a variety! mendocino is definitely the lightest and appears very pink rather than plum compared to the rest. mounia isnt comparable since it is so red/cinnamon. lyon is matte and a rather muted rosey berry. crazed isnt comparable as well since it is a much more vibrant and darker pink. sin has much more purple in it but it is similar in the fact that they both have that beautiful gold sheen i love. sin is one of my favorites (more on that in another future post im sure)

OVERALL:

mendocino is a beautiful shade that is unique and flattering due to its gold sheen. it is one of my favorite blushes for fall. i cant think of any reason why this shade wouldnt suit anyone, it is a non offensive shade that is easy to wear and apply. if you have nothing similar i highly recommend it, it looks especially good with taupe eye shadow.

what do you think of mendocino? it isnt a shade that is known very well in the blogging world. until next post where i will talk about cargo's laguna...

cargo blush: the big easy

first up in my cargo blush collection: the big easy. i picked this shade up from sephora in jcpenney for $8 as cargo is currently on sale there. cargo is also sold in various online stores, such as beauty.com, apothica.com and beautybay.com if you were interested. they normally retail for $29.

COLOR
the big easy is a light baby pink with a subtle silver sheen. it is a lighter color so i would say this is best suited for light to medium skin tones though tanned skinned ladies could still pull this off with some layering. on my skin (medium, leans warm) this color gives me a barely there pink tinge. i personally think this sort of shade pairs well with my skin tone as it easily brightens and looks very natural on. there is some sheen to the color but it isnt evident on the skin.

TEXTURE
the texture of cargo blushes is one of my favorite things about the line. it is extremely soft and finely milled making blending extremely easy and fool proof. the product buffs into the skin seamlessly, especially with a color like the big easy. i prefer cargo's texture over nars if im being honest; nars can be a bit stiff!

SWATCHES

from left to right: cargo the big easy, nars deep throat, mac well dressed, cargo catalina

i have nothing that is exactly like the big easy, thankfully. i thought deep throat was going to be very similar but it is a darker and pinker. mac's well dressed is much cooler. catalina is also cooler and much more vibrant.

OVERALL:
the big easy is a great shade to own if you prefer foolproof natural blush shades. if you prefer more vibrant colors, you may want to look elsewhere. for me personally, the big easy is a shade that is absolutely necessary to have in a blush arsenal as it is so easy to wear and it goes with a lot of looks.

what do you think about the big easy? is it your sort of shade or too boring for your taste? until next post where i will talk about cargo's mendocino...

cargo blush collection sneak peek

recently i picked up a few shades of cargo blush from sephora in jcpenney as currently cargo is on sale there. my guess is they are liquidating cargo in the jcpenney sephora stores just like they did a couple years ago with the online store. i happened to stumble in and noticed all the blush shades were $8. amazing deal as they normally retail for $29 so if you are near a store, run and take advantage of the deal!

i have talked about cargo blush before on my blog, though it has been a while. actually the first beauty post i did on this blog (yikes, throwback!) was about cargo blush! since i added more to my collection and because i think im due for an updated post on my cargo blush collection, i will be doing individual posts for each blush i have. i will end with a roundup of the entire collection so hopefully this will be helpful for those thinking about purchasing a shade.

hope you all are healthy and doing well. until next time...