Spring Cheek Challenge 2025: Style Awakening

[danielledanielle]

Spring Cheek Challenge
Style Awakening  💇🏽‍♀️✨⏰

Spoiler

Welcome to the Spring Cheek Challenge!!!  I'm looking for that seasonal refresh.  For the first SPRING Cheek challenge, (I know right.. How is this the first...I couldn't get past IYKYK, "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking."), I want you to look towards personal moments and icons (person, celebrity, objects) for inspiration.    Look to the Gawds, dahhhhhlings.   And zhuzh it up with an outfit, or hair accessory or anything you think that's relevant.  I've declared this the "year of using my pretty things, " and I'm inviting you to join me!


The INSPO behind the INSPO:
This was fueled by caitbird's brilliant inspo board for Belle, pdxxxx's elite breakdown's of icons, the creative choices of Cissy63 during the Winter Wonderland cheek challenges... And again, Zendaya.

BUT, WHEN YOU NEED A PUSH/INSPO, AS ALWAYS.....I GOT YOUUUUUUU

Here are the weekly themes:

Blush Crush (Apr 8-13)
Meet me in Miami (Apr 14-Apr 20)
Sakura Slay (Apr 21-Apr 27)
Candy Coated Coquette, Pastel Version (Apr 28-May 4)
Candy Coated Coquette, Mocha Mousse Version (May 5-May 11)
Sunday Best (May 12-May 19)

I made a bunch of mood boards; feel free to use them or remix/remake them into your own.

 Blush Crush

Meet me in Miami

Sakura Slay

Candy Coated Coquette, Pastel

Candy Coated Coquette, Mocha Mousse (this pin is by the lifestyle blog)

Sunday Best

[CynthieLu]

These pinks are lovely! 😍🌸 I wish I had Cherish in my stash, I love how vibrant it looks, especially in your sun shot @makeitup305. This is beautiful! 

[makeitup305]

@CynthieLu thank you!

[sissyboi72]

Absolutely love it!!!!! Pink ,pink and more pink. Did I say pink. Total perfection.  That's the look of go for everyday. Wut about ur nails. Keep it pink. 

[makeitup305]

thank you @sissyboi72 ! you definitely don't want to see my nails, though 😬

[danielledanielle]

Chhherrriiishhh.  I forgot about this one @makeitup305 , it's a beautiful pink, awesome pick! I like the ombre effect you got.

ETA: YAAASSS, draping

[makeitup305]

@danielledanielle I was going through my collection to find something that fit the theme and this one was definitely it. The draping was a must with this shade.

[lmaster]

Oh so beautiful  @makeitup305 

[makeitup305]

thanks @lmaster !

[PDXXXX]

SAKURA INSPO:

I love origami and looking to the origami paper I used here as a background, I realized that while we typically think of the near white pink of cherry blossoms, they have a lot of variation and part of what I love about them is the clash of light pink and reds. Starting at the upper left, Cherry Blossom Trees have a special place in my city as we have over a mile of them planted on either side of the river that divides us, and always get excited Spring has come when they bloom. Looking to the upper right and center, the softness of the petals and hues also reminds me a lot of some of the work of fashion photographer Tim Walker, whether it be the fairy tale-like vibe of his fashion work or things like his photograph of a Cherry Blossom Tree mural as pictured here. There's a celebratory aspect to their springtime bloom that makes me want to go to something like this Sangai teahouse that offers a Sakura Tea Time in the bottom left picture. And I also found myself thinking of the pink to red shades of some Valentino dresses like the one in the bottom right.

THE FACE:

BASE: I've been creating cocktails for my fussy skin and this time went with about 1.5 pump each of DIOR Forever Glow Star Filter Multi-Use Complexion Enhancing Booster  in 0 mixed with ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr B12 Base Thinner Luminous Vitamin Pearl Boosting Serum 1 oz / 30 mL  and Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation 3 . I then used the lightest shade from MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Blush & Glow Longwear Cream Face Palette  to conceal my under eye and around the nose, and set with HUDA BEAUTY Easy Bake Blurring Loose Baking & Setting Powder Pound Cake

CHEEKS: I wanted a light, powdery effect so used Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blush   in Radiant Pink on the fullest part of my cheek apples with the shade Bright Coral placed on my upper cheekbones using a brush to blend and sweeping up towards my temples. I then highlighted the top of my temples and upper brow bones with the lightest shade in  Hourglass Ambient® Lighting Palette Volume I  .

EYES: I used the two lightest shades from PATRICK TA Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette  and placed some of the Gucci Blush in Radiant Pink on the center.

LIPS: Because I wanted to create the clash between lighter and darker Sakura I used tarte maracuja juicy lip plumping oil with hyaluronic acid  in Desert Rose lined with NARS Precision Lip Liner Mariachi  .

[itsfi]

That inspo board is lovely @PDXXXX; oooh, yes to cocktailing your complexion products. How are you liking the One/Size base thinner. I’ve heard good things about it. 

[PDXXXX]

@itsfi the one/size thinner has been saving me, as my skin has been a bit dry, making everything cling to dry patches or soak into pores. I'm so glad I found it! It's a luminous pink color, but not glittery or sparkly: I don't find it changes the finish or color of my bases. The only issue I have with it is getting the ratio right - I usually end up with way more product mixed on the back of my hand than I need. It will be a definite repurchase for me, though. So good if you're having application issues with a foundation product, or to make fuller coverage foundations more of a skin-tint.

[itsfi]

@PDXXXX, I've heard a few folks say that the One/Size does a nice job of thinning out fuller coverage foundations into a skin tint and that's what initially drew me in. I'm really liking the sound of it helping with dry patches - my skin's been pretty sensitive and reactive this spring, with smaller dry patches popping up than usual, and I'm all for a luminous but not sparkly or glittery finish. I'm making a note to test it out the next time I'm in a store with a fuller coverage foundation; thanks!

[Cissy63]

@PDXXXX  This is amazing!  Your mood board is amazing 😻.  I love your pink/red look of Sakura 🍒🩷❤️

[PDXXXX]

Thank you so much @Cissy63 ! I hope your week is off to a good start.

[Titian06]

@PDXXXX - You look stunning! 🤩  I love your mood board--I could stare at it for hours! 💕

[PDXXXX]

@Titian06 making the mood boards is so fun, thank you!

[CynthieLu]

Another slay on the blush challenge @PDXXXX You are nailing these! 🩷 I have both of these Gucci blushes, I want to try this out! Or maybe Switch in Tender Apricot.🙂 You blended everything together so smoothly here. 

[PDXXXX]

@CynthieLu Oh my gawd, I want the Tender Apricot too but it's always out of stock! I've been challenging you talking about how you're pulling up while blending after seeing one of your last ones. The three shades would be sooo pretty together!

[CynthieLu]

Tender Apricot pulls pretty dark on me but I'm thinking the shades you used will lighten it up a bit @PDXXXX, I just need to achieve your level of beautiful blending. 👌😉

[danielledanielle]

The contrast of your hair and overtone with the pop of color is striking @PDXXXX 

[PDXXXX]

Thanks @danielledanielle . Even if the blush challenge got me there, that was a fun lip cocktail to discover.