I don't know about you, but I was a bit surprised when I first opened this. I mean, Aruba is perhaps as neon as a blush probably can get! This is easily the loudest, brightest, boldest blush colour I've seen - it would seriously put even the famed NARS shades to shame! Come to think of it, Aruba does kind of remind me of NARS Taj Mahal, although I'm not sure if they are dupes or not. But for a fraction of the exorbitant NARS price, Sleek Makeup's Aruba Blush is definitely in the same colour category, being also a bright orange-based blush.
I know I've said this before, but I love the design on the Sleek Carribean Collection. Just look at the cute little illustrations of a boat and a palm tree. Feels like summer, doesn't it? Other than the cute design, the packaging is pretty much the same as the other Sleek Makeup blushes, consisting of a sturdy plastic case and a small mirror in the lid.
As you can see from the photo above, the colour in the pan looks really scary - I thought it would be too dark or bright or just too neon for me! So I gingerly swatched it:
There, not so bad, right? The blush can be intense, but once blended out it can leave a sheer wash of colour. I'm thinking for warm-toned girls, this colour would look really pretty on. On cooler-toned girls, the orange hue can look a little weird, since the shade clearly leans warm, but if blended out, can still be wearable. After all, orange is one of the hot shades this summer.
Finally, I worked up the courage to actually try it out on my face:
There, it wasn't half as bad as I thought! When sheered out, it can definitely be used on paler girls as well. I think good application and blending is key - you definitely want to use only a little bit at a time, and blend it well. Given how little I used, I think this blush is going to last me forever, making it really great value for money.
If you're looking for a trendsetting colour, and want something cheap, or just want a more affordable version of NARS Taj Mahal, this is definitely worth checking out. If good-quality pigmented blushes are your thing (and they're definitely mine), the entire Sleek Makeup range of blushes in general would definitely be your cup of tea too.
(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)
