I was super excited when I tried it. Easy to apply and blend, the results were really great. It gave the perfect shade of red for the 18th century (on me anyway) and stayed all day. Actually it stained, leaving some color the next day even after washing my face twice. It was a pretty color though so even if I hadn’t been at a 4 day costume event that wouldn't have concerned me.
Now for the bad news. It smells awful. The ingredients list brandy, which I normally like the smell of. This, not so much. The scent dissipates once applied but still it’s a bit of a turn off first thing in the morning.
Now for the really bad news. I used it (generously) two days in a row and the second day I noticed that my skin was a little irritated. I'd been warned that the rouge would dry out my skin a bit so I didn't worry too much. As I washed my face that night I realized that my cheeks were not just dry or slightly irritated but I'd started to develop a rash, complete with warmth, redness, red bumps and slightly swollen skin. Luckily I had packed an array of soothing, moisturizing Mary Kay products (I slathered on anything I thought would help!) and by the morning the warmth & bumps were gone while the swelling and redness were greatly reduced. Mary Kay again to the rescue!
Normally I have only mildly sensitive skin but I've had equally dramatic reactions to other natural/organic cosmetics & skin care products so I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. So if you have sensitive skin I would be wary of the rouge for sure and potentially the whole line (I probably won’t be trying anything else in the future). For those of you who don't have sensitive skin, I'm jealous. It was pretty.
As for me I'll be sticking to my Mary Kay cream cheek color in Pomegranate . It's got a slight berry undertone versus the very orange undertone of AA but it is still appropriate for the 18th century, perfect for Regency, and it doesn't make me look like I have rosacea!
