Is It The Only? bareMinerals READY Blush in The One

Please excuse the corny title of this post. Ekhm. A little throwback to the summer here, which is when I acquired this bareMinerals READY™ Blush in the shade The One ($22 for 0.21 oz); a bit of a tall order by means of the given name, isn't it? My motive for the purchase was finding a relatively less hyped-up but still pleasant formula that could deliver a neutral, go-with-almost-everything shade at a middle price point. So, does it deliver? Is it the one and only blush? Bear my ramblings for the next couple minutes to find out (or, you know, scroll to the bottom... quitter).

It is no secret that I love the bareMinerals READY eyeshadows (proof here and here), so I was more willing to take a chance on a less popular blush formula. The compact itself looks exactly the same as the brand's eyeshadow quads, which I quite enjoy - they're minimalist but pleasing to the eye, and rather sturdy. There's also a large mirror included inside, which proved immensely useful when moving house.

The texture of this blush is quite soft and smooth, but not at all powdery; it almost seems rather firmly pressed in the pan. The pigmentation is on the medium side and requires a denser, slightly stiffer blush brush to apply; otherwise the bristles won't pick up enough product. The blush goes on evenly and is easy to blend out, and stays all day for me; please note that the skin on my cheeks is neither oily or very dry, and most powder blushes stay put without trouble.

Clockwise, starting from the bareMinerals The One Blush: Stila Convertible Color in Lillium, Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore, NARS Douceur, NYX Mauve, La Femme Mocha, Inglot Cream Blush no.88.

The shade The One is a somewhat dusty warm pink tinged with a good deal of apricot. As proved by the swatch comparison, it isn't terribly unique; in fact, my beloved NYX Powder Blush in Mauve (not a mauve, obviously!) is almost an exact dupe. Where bareMinerals The One differs from all the blushes in my neutral collection though is the finish; it has a beautiful, lit-from-within sheen that translates into a glowy satin on the cheeks - no shimmer, just extra dimension. Because of this beautiful property, the powder doesn't sit on the skin, but rather melds into it, giving a healthy, natural appearance and lifting the face.

L-R: bareMinerals The One, La Femme Mocha, NYX Mauve, NARS Douceur, Milani Berry Amore, Stila Lillium and Inglot no. 88

There's definitely something to the bareMinerals READY products that makes them sit so well on the skin (well, according to the company, it's their SeaNutritive Mineral™ Complex with antioxidants and cold-pressed camellia oil... and who doesn't love camellia oil, right TATCHA?). Even though the blush lacks the intense pigmentation of the majority of their eyeshadows, it is indeed buildable, as intended. In this look, I'm wearing the blush paired with YSL Teint Touche Eclat foundation in B20, theBalm Bahama Mama bronzer to contour, neutral eyeshadows from the bareMinerals core line and a Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Black Cherry, lightly dabbed on the lips.

I am very happy that I took a chance on this READY blush in The One; it may not be the one and only, since I like my blush too much, but it's a great formula and a staple shade that should suit a variety of skintones in the light to medium spectrum. Check these bareMinerals blushes out next time you're looking for something to add to your stash; maybe you'll find The One?