Summer Cheek Challenge 2025: A Song & A Slay

[danielledanielle]

Sun's out, whether you're outside with easy breezy beach vibes, camp vibes, OOO vibes, staycation status..... Or all of the above, we're going to blush, bronze and highlight through it allllllllll.  So whether you're shopping your stash, tipping your temples into draping, or justifying your 10000000th blush, please join in. 

 

This time, I want YOUR SWATCH SONG. 
THAT'S right.  I want your songs of summer and your blush look.  And, I know you're gonna slay it.

But, danielledanielle that doesn't make any sense.  These are two separate things, like whyyyyy?  

Well, I'm at this point, you haven't figured out that I'm open for all interpretation, but okay okayyyy

For each challenge, I want a song that just gives you that summer vibe.  Bonus if you can give me a playlist and post to either BIC Playlist and/or 🎶✨Song of the Day and Music Thread!✨🎶 
Red and Ready\RED-dy (June 16-22): Juneteenth Week
(Read up on Juneteenth and why this is typically it's more of an independence day than independence day 😑)
But, embrace that red blush trend and give me a song that gets you RED-dy for the summer.  It can be a muted red as well, I.e., something with green tint/tone to it.

Staycation Radiostation (June 23-29): the vibe is, I'm home, and home is the best club.  What are we wearing, what are we listening to?

Highlight on the Horizon Hotlist (Jun 30-Jul 5): What is the song you'd connect with sunset blush?  Give me your tunes and your favorite blush + highlight combo. 

Bronzed Up Beats (July 6-12) Sun and fun, what's your favorite uptempo song and what's your current bronzer situation? Powder, creme, liquid...all the above?  Bonus if we're also using bronzer for contour.  (I'm not saying these are interchangeable.  But, yes, you can contour with bronzer, and for some undertones/overtones it works out much better 🙋🏽‍♀️💚🩶)

Camp Crescendo (July 13-19): Bonfire and a bop... What's the look for a day of glamping/camping? If you don't camp/glamp and glam, feel free to drop the skincare/SPF routine.

Top Tier Top 5 (July 20-26)
What are your favorites for cheek combos?  USE THEM this week.  This is my "use your pretty things" year and this is the week I'm doing it.  You trying to pan? GO.  You have a drawer of blushing spilling out? Go wild!  Give me your top five songs and top five cheek products.

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BONUS WEEK!

Jul 28-Aug 3: Take it back, waaaaaaaaaaay back...back into time

If you're catching up, or just loving on something, give me your favorite from this Cheek Challenge and your favorite throwback tune of the summer

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Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti...... Let's goooooo

[itsfi]

@makeitup305, thank you. I've been very surprised and happy with how it's performed.

[PDXXXX]

@itsfi I'm with @danielledanielle : the soft nude is gorg on you and probably the shade I would reach for too. I've always been a die-hard DIOR Dior Addict Lip Tint girl and they're great for darker, punchier shades and not too drying if you layer a balm on top. Still, I've been cheating a bit lately with some of the new lip stains like Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil Stain and so impressed to find more subtle shades that aren't at all drying....

So now the Huda too, lol - you always make it so hard to keep my hands away from my wallet with your great product choices!!

Didn't they have cabins in Parent Trap, though? I was addicted to the old version with Hailey Mills when I was younger so don't know what they have in the newer ones. I've done cabins and am A'OK with that (especially if they have hot tubs, lol).

[itsfi]

Ahhh, thanks @PDXXXX. Yes, the Dior and Rare Beauty are two stains I love as well 🙌 and it's great to have the combination of their color ranges available. I find the RB to be the most hydrating of the three, then the HB and then Dior. I wouldn't say the latter two are so much hydrating as they are "less drying than other lip stains" of past eras. If you have a chance to get the Huda, I say go for it; the staying power and feel is pretty impressive. It's similar to the ones from Cover Girl and Palladio from years ago (both are still around, I think) in terms of the brush tip feel but not the shape, and the HB shade range is a lot more neutral nude shades. At least for now. I can see her expanding this color range at some point.

Yes, yes, they had cabins in both versions of The Parent Trap. Hayley Mills was fantastic in that film, as were Maureen O'Hara & Brian Keith. Oh my goodness, I just heard about cabins with hot tubs in them - my brother and his family actually stayed in one a few weeks ago. I was like that is next level glamping.

[danielledanielle]

That is yooooouuuurrr shade @itsfi 🙌🏽

[itsfi]

Awwww, thank you @danielledanielle! 🤗 I've ventured outside my usual go-to's over the last year, year and a half. It's paid off. I blame quite a few BIC beauties for that (ahem, that includes you). Mmmm hmmmm. It's BIC's fault.

I can see HB expanding the shade range but I really like these more neutral shades in this initial release, and I'm glad I had the opportuniy to swatch these. I wouldn't have necessarily gone for Soft Nude instinctively. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  I don't think I've ever gone camping (for real) either. I think some some friends and I once put up a tent, made a fire, and had a few drinks once, but we left to go sleep at home...haha. That probably doesn't count as camping.

How fun that you picked up the new DM eyeshadow stix. I got one too, but I haven't used it yet (my eyes have been annoying and watery, and I don't like to try new makeup when they're acting up). By the way, I can't get it to tag either.

Thanks for those lovely swatches. That Haus Labs shade is so pretty.

[itsfi]

I mean, I would count that as camping, @PrettyPaint; but, let's be honest, I shouldn't be on the judging panel for that. 😂🤣😂 You pitched a tent, for crying aloud! Aaaand, you made a fire! 100% with you on wanting to be at home to sleep. That would probably be the most challenging for me (or one of them). I like some "sounds of nature" but there are some I don't care for. I'm not sure I could fall asleep so easily either, especially if there were mosquitos. 😬

I'm so sorry your eyes have been irritated - it can be such a pain and disruptive with how you go about your daily routine. Ugh. I hear ya - it is annoying! I hope they're doing better.  Oh, which shade did you pick up?

Yeah, there's been a handful of products that don't seem to want to pop up when I try to tag them. I imagine a fix is in the works. Haus Glassy Clove has worked out very well for me this summer - I was a little nervous when I first picked it up - it's the deepest of the new shades, but it's not something I have much of or at all at the time in my collection. That's been one approach I've taken a few times since being on a low buy this year and being on a no spend / low buy this summer - to make a bona fide effort to go for shades/textures/products I might not ordinarily purchase. It helps to round out my collection and gives me an opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone (a little). Back to the Haus Labs blush stick - it blends out (and builds up) easily and smoothly. This shade has a good mix of brown and red for my complexion for a "sunburned" blush & bronzer in one. 😊

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Ugh - I can't deal with mosquitos. I don't know how much merit there is in mosquitos liking certain people more than others, but they definitely seem to like me. 

I got the duo (I think it's number 5) that contains Astra and Cassiopeia. I finally tried it the other day, and it's really pretty. I hope she comes out with additional colors. I would actually like one that's a bit cooler and lighter that would work for an inner corner highlight. 

I'm glad the Haus blush stick blends out nicely. I always get a little nervous applying stick blushes. That's a neat approach to focus on products that you wouldn't ordinarily purchase. Looking at my collection, I do have a lot more dupes than necessary! 

[itsfi]

💯 with you on mosquitos @PrettyPaint. 😑 I’d be completely fine with them liking me less; or not at all. 

I feel like DM will expand the color range at some point. Were you looking for something lighter in the metallic or foil finish? Or both? I heard a rumor (and I think it is just that for now, a rumor) that mattes may be in the works? 

Understandable about having several products in the same shade; we all have things we gravitate towards, that we like or that suit our style more than others. For me, I just found I had so many and they’re all or most are really pretty and great, but I don’t use them often or some not at all. 😔 So I took the approach of trying to round out my collection as a way to both temper my beauty spend and to make my collection more manageable.

I’m more discerning when it comes to products or shades that I don’t ordinarily go for, and that helps. That’s translated a bit too, to the items that I do go for more frequently as well. Which is a win-win. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Yeah, I was hoping for something kind of like opal or silver for the inner corner/tear duct area. The one I have is a bit warm and dark. I am excited for matte shades if the rumor is true. Hopefully mattes would go on nice and smoothly and not tug or anything. 

[itsfi]

Ooouh, opal or silver would be marvelous @PrettyPaint! 😍 in the photo with all swatches it looks like the foil on Duo 6 might work but when I swatch the foils for 1, 4 & 6, the pink shifts show up more. 🤔 

 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thank you!! That's so helpful. So the foil in the sixth row corresponds to your swatch labeled six? I agree that it does look a bit more pink. Have you ever tried it as an inner-corner highlight?

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, yes, the swatches in the first photo are in order, 1 thru 8; row 6 is Duo 6. I haven't tried it as an inner corner highlight yet but will try to do so this week//weekend. Will try to take some photos as well, but I've not mastered taking photos of my eye makeup. Will let you know. I'll try a couple of different application techniques - tapping onto the inner corner and blending with fingers, as well as blending with a brush. If you have a preferred way to apply product as an inner corner highlight and I will give that a try too and get back to you with how it goes.

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thanks so much, and definitely no rush. I usually just apply it directly with the stick and then blend it out with a brush or my finger. There are probably better ways to do this, though! 🙂

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, oh goodness, there was quite a bit of user error on my part with this. 😩🤣 I had a challenging time blending it out when I applied directly from the stick and tried blending with my fingers. That's how I would normally apply product to my inner corners. So I tried it applying from the stick and blending with a brush and that worked better. I also tried picking up product with a brush first. Using a brush seemed to work best for me, but I'll try with my fingers again, this time picking up product wtih my fingers from the stick. I'll try with a brush again as well but I  have to figure out the right brush to use. I'll try these again later in the week (so sorry for the delay). 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thanks so much, and I'm sorry the application in that area was a little tricky. Honestly, don't worry about it if it's causing you a lot of trouble. It does seem to dry down fairly quickly for me, so maybe that's why its a little difficult to blend in that area with your fingers. Which shade did you experiment with? Did you find it was brightening enough in that area? 

[itsfi]

I'm happy to keep trying @PrettyPaint; just have to find a good time to play (and then test out the wear). You're right - the quick dry down does make it more difficult to blend. The foil shade is very shiny, too. I've been trying with Duo 6, I feel that's the most neutral or subtle, for lack of a better word, but will try the others this week. It brightens that area but it's more because it's so shiny and sparkly - that's the effect it gives, less of a lit from within brightening or soft brightening that you might otherwise get with other products in that area.

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thank you so much. I think Duo 6 should probably be the next one I pick up! I do like a rather pronounced inner corner highlight, so I think this may have promise. One thing I've noticed is that sometimes an inner corner highlight can irritate my eyes, so maybe the quick dry down will hopefully be less likely to migrate into my eyes and irritate them. 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, I think I've found an approach to using the DM sticks, particularly the foil shade, in the inner corner as a highlight. The best results for me came when I applied a primer designed for glitter eyeshadow exactly onto the part of the inner eye area where I wanted. The shimmery bits in the stick tend to migrate on me so this helps but I need to make sure to just place it where I want the highlight. Then I apply the DM shadow onto the area. Before, too much product was being used, so instead of twisting up the product so it goes beyond the edge of the tube, I just left it where it was even with the edge and tapped and pressed it onto the inner corner, before tapping in with a combo of my finger and a concealer brush with synthetic bristles.

In terms of how intense the color appeared ... when I looked straight in the mirror (with a light directly above the mirror), it just looked like that part of my eye area looked more ... illuminated, brightened. I did a check from the side and depending on the lighting, more of the color and sparkles from the eyeshadow stick show up. 

My eyes can be pretty sensitive and I didn't experience any irritation, not even watering when I was applying the stick to that area - which is uncommon because they often water just a bit when I do an inner corner highlight. Also, no irritation from when I rubbed, scrubbed the shimmers off. 

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi Thank you so much for the update. Glitter eyeshadow primer is great idea. I'm not sure if I have any on hand. Which brand did you use? 

I'm debating right now whether I want to pick up another DM stick for the Rouge event. 🙂

That's great to hear that you didn't experience any irritation. I think the primer is such a great idea, especially if it prevents migration into the eye. Thank you so much for trying this out! 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, I use the Valentino Stick with Me Glitter Primer, but, sadly, it's been discontinued. It works well on those days when I know I won't have time to touch up or keep an eye on my eye makeup to see if I need to touch up. I've heard that NYX makes one that works very well. Or, if you have a heavy duty primer that has worked for you with glittery shadows, that's worth giving a try with the DM foil side.

These DM sticks are really great - the shades, the finishes, and that they're interchangeable. They're are a couple other shades I almost picked up; I can't decide whether the Rouge event or the next sale (where there's a % off). Maybe the latter for me, since I already have multiple duos. Happy shopping! Excited to see and hear about what you picked up. 🛍

Happy I could help; thank you for giving me an experiment to work on (and for getting my glitter primer more use, lol).