Black UP and Their Ridiculously Pigmented Blushes

Blush is one of my many makeup downfalls so it’s not a huge surprise that I’m loving French makeup line for women of color Black UP’s uber pigmented rouge. I’d particularly been curious about this line for a while—I remember when they had a counter at the Macy’s here in Queens sometime around 2004-ish but back then I crazily never ventured over to a counter and then the brand was gone from the U.S. Thankfully they now deliver to the U.S. via their website but it’s pretty hard to order makeup online from an unfamiliar brand sight unseen. But as with so much else, I’ve got the scoop as the brand sent over a ton of products for me to try out. Keep the Black | Up tag bookmarked to see all my posts :)

Now back to this blush. SUPER pigmented. Which is exactly the type of blush needed for women with deeper skin tones. I received shades NBL07 (an intense matte red), NBL01 (a bright matte pink), and NBL06 (a bright matte tangerine).

And again, these are INTENSE. Particularly NBL07 which has to be blended carefully if you want more of a subtle (yet bright…lol) look. But this type of pigmentation is welcomed because it also lends to the shades lasting ridiculously long on the cheeks—you can apply in the morning and expect it to still be there well beyond after work drinks.

I didn’t get a pic of me wearing NBL06, but it’s pretty similar to how NARS Exhibit A looks. Follow me on Instagram though as a pic of me wearing it could turn up there ;)

Wearing NBL01 while out in Hollywood with my bud Kristen from Glitter N Glue.

Wearing NBL07 blush blended and toned down

Bottom line: I might sound like a broken record here, but these are really super pigmented and pretty. Some of the colors don’t seem extremely unique if you already have a sizable blush stash, but from what I can tell from the pics on the Black Up site, there does seem to be some other outstanding colors.

Price and where to buy: $25 at blackupcosmetics.com (If you sign up for their newsletter, you get 20% off your first order).

Stay tuned for more Black UP reviews!