Stila All You Need Is Love Valentine's Day Cheek Palette

I was shopping at Ulta last weekend for the first time in years, and I saw Stila's darling All You Need Is Love Valentine's Day Cheek Palette ($14) at the checkout register. How could I resist? That was clever product placement.

This limited-edition, multi-colored pressed powder blush comes in a whimsical, embossed "love" design. The shimmery gold overspray won't stick around for long, but it will keep your cheeks looking naturally radiant and flushed for Valentine's Day.

The shades can be worn separately or mixed and matched for a variety of shades that are sure to keep you blushing. I decided to give you one view of the color by swatching with a sponge-tipped applicator in the center, where all four squares join. I did not pick up the gold with the applicator because I wanted to show the blush as it would look after the gold "love" is long gone. Hopefully, the object of your affection will still be around.

The larger swatch below was applied with a blending brush. It was applied to show you a more realistic look of the color as a highlighting blush. Because of the size of the blush, I did sweep over all four shades, including the gold "love." I took my photos in full sun, which emphasizes the subtle sparkling of the cheek color. The blended color show here is, in my opinion, extraordinarily pretty. It's not too light, not too deep - simply a pretty, radiant pink.

I like it - a lot! I think the $14 price would encourage anyone to play - even if you don't need "yet another pink blush." It was my Valentine's Day present to myself.

I purchased mine at Ulta. You can also find it at Stila's Web site. I didn't see it at  Sephora.

Photo at top courtesy of Stila; other photos by Best Things in Beauty