One of Sofina Aube Couture‘s main aims is to make makeup application as easy and straightforward as possible, and it is not difficult to see how the line tries to achieve this with its product designs. (See my post on Aube Couture’s user-friendliness.) One good example of this is the design of the line’s eyeshadow palettes (Designing Eyes, Designing Shine Eyes, Designing Impression Eyes and Designing Impression Eyes II). The colors in the palettes are arranged in a way to show where they are applied on the eye areas. In the same vein, the line’s Designing Puff Cheek, launched in summer 2013, attempts to make blusher and highlighter application quick and simple.
(Est Gradation Puff Cheeks in 02)
(image from www.cosme.net)
Aube Couture Designing Puff Cheek (5 variations, refill (with puff) ¥2500, case ¥1000, replacement puff ¥500) reminds me of Est’s Gradation Puff Cheeks, which was released in fall 2011. (Both Sofina and Est are owned by Kao.) Both products feature a three-shade gradation blusher in each variation, and the main difference is that two highlighting shades are added to Designing Puff Cheek.
The product is designed to be applied with a puff. The idea is that the puff picks up all the shades in the pan and they are gently stamped onto the cheeks to create a natural gradation of colors.
The image below shows the suggested placement of the puff on the cheeks. The mark towards the middle of the ribbon of the puff is underneath the outer corners of the eyes, and the marks on the sides of the ribbon are left/right to the wings of the nose.
(image from www.sofina.co.jp/aube/)
The video below, from Kao’s YouTube channel, shows how the product is applied. (Notice the swivel motion of the puff and how it works with the specific way the colors are laid out in the pan. The swivel motion mixes the colors in the sections of the pan where two or three colors border one another. It reduces the need for further blending while the colors are being applied on the cheeks. This is a subtle but clever design detail.)
Of course, everyone’s face shape is different, and the suggested placement of the product from Kao only serves as a guidance. For me, the suggested placement is too low and too central, as I usually wear my blusher on the outer sides of the cheek bones. Therefore, my placement of the puff is higher and further from the nose. Also, to make sure the highlighting shades fall roughly underneath the outer corners of the eyes, I turn the puff inwards (at about 45 degrees) so that the mark towards the middle of the ribbon of the puff points towards the outer corners of the eyes.
Even though I have to alter the position of the placement, the puff application generally works well for me. Even with just the gentle patting of the puff on the cheeks (with minimal blending), as shown in the instruction video above, there is no patchiness and the color gradation is quite seamless.
(Designing Puff Cheek in
421 Pink, 422 Peach, 423 Red, 424 Rose & 425 Orange)
(image from www.sofina.co.jp/aube/)
When all the shades are blended on the cheeks, 424 Rose shows up as a cool-toned pink with a hint of rose. (The product is moderately pigmented.) I think it is designed to look more feminine and grown-up than 421 Pink, but it is still a fresh and girlie pink-toned shade. Apart from color, the three blusher shades differ in the level of pearly shimmer. The light pink on the outside is the most shimmery, and the rose in the middle has the least shimmer. Both highlighting shades are more shimmery than the blusher shades and they have hints of sparkle.
Obviously you can use a blusher brush to apply this product. This would give you more flexibility in color selection and placement. (For me, using a brush to apply this product makes it easier to avoid over-applying the highlighting shades, which are a little too sparkly for my liking.) The application with a brush also creates a sheerer and more translucent look. It is the same kind of difference between applying a loose powder with a puff and with a brush.
The staying power of the product is decently good, and the colors last longer when applied with a puff.
The round pink case looks quite lovely. The lid has quilt details, which you can see better in the image below. They add a sense of texture to the overall design. (The product won an award at the 2013 Japan Packaging Competition (Cosmetics Category).)
(image from www.cosme.net)
I think this product does achieve what Aube Couture sets out to do, as it makes blusher application quick and easy. You do need to find the best placement of the puff, but, with minimal practice, this well-designed product makes blusher application speedy and ensures that the results are consistent from day to day.
Related posts:
Aube Couture Fall 2014 Makeup Collection
Cezanne Silk Touch Cheek in 01 Pink
Esprique Summer 2011 Makeup Collection
(and Esprique’s idea of “one stroke beauty”)
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