Paul and Joe Blush Sticks in 001 Glamour Puss and 002 Minou

The cat head Blush Sticks from the Paul and Joe Beaute Spring 2012 collection whipped cat lovers (and you better believe there are a lot of them in the beauty blogosphere) into a major frenzy. I'm not going to lie, I purchased all of them without testing, even though the testers were right in front of me. I mean, that just defies reason!

The best part was I don't have a particular weakness for cats (eep, don't hit me). I've always had a soft spot for top hats, though, and as much as I want to be Adult and Responsible about my purchases, I'll probably always fall for a cat in a bow and top hat. I'm simple like that.

Blush Stick in 001 Glamour Puss

Blush Stick in 002 Minou

Blush Stick in 003 Catfight

L-R: Blush Stick in 003 Catfight, 002 Minou, 001 Glamour Puss

I was quite baffled by the ears, so I milled around the room for a few minutes trying to figure out how I would apply them without breaking such preciousness off. (The horror!) And then there was the question of applying it evenly, because those ears, cute as they are, just get in the way (see above swatch). It quickly became apparent that evenness doesn't matter since the whole point is to blend it out, but there's that irrational side of me that goes, "but if it doesn't apply evenly i can't blend it evenly!" which is um, false.

I did save the cat's face from certain disfiguration by using only the back of the head! (And no the ears did not break off from use.)

I used all three blush sticks in the pictures below (see caption). The difference is almost imperceptible when blended out, but I hope you can still see it! On my lips I am wearing Le Métier de Beauté Vanilla Rose lip creme topped with La Belle lip gloss.

Blush Stick in 003 Catfight

Blush Stick in 001 Glamour Puss and 002 Minou

Blush Stick in 001 Glamour Puss and 002 Minou

I applied the color directly to my face then blended it out with my fingers/foundation brush. Both methods "eat up" color, so chances are you'll have more color on your fingers/brush than what is left on the cheeks. This is a good thing (depending on your blush preferences) since all it leaves is a light, natural flush. If you've been following Messy Wands for a while now, you'll know that's how we go! That being said, pigmentation is buildable. The trick is to layer it instead of doing one big swipe from the get-go. 

The lasting power for these blushes was great, which wasn't what I expected considering how weightless and not-there they felt. It's not a blush I would recommend for beginners or people who want something that is swipe-and-go easy. There is a learning curve to the blending, since too much of it and the color would be gone. But this stick, just slightly wider than a regular lipstick, would be perfect for retouching on the go, and at this price point (and let's face it, cuteness) really can't be beat.

Paul and Joe Blush Sticks in 001 Glamour Puss and 002 Minou retail for $28 each. Last I checked, all three shades are still available at b-glowing.com.