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MAC Unsung Heroes: Harmony Blush

by 30 Comments

mac harmony blush

Cheeks and MAC Harmony Blush go together like lemonade and chocolate chip cookies…

Okay, wait — that might not have come out right.

Seriously, though, have you ever had lemonade and chocolate chip cookies before? I mean together? 🙂 I know it sounds like a weird combination, but I swear it’s better than it probably sounds.

The two make harmonious music together, forming an unlikely alliance of sweet and sour that could almost be a metaphor for my life.

Case in point: last Saturday morning I crawled out of bed feeling anxious and overwhelmed. I had a bunch of chores to do around the house (and when the house is a mess, it makes everything worse), but I didn’t want to do any of it. I wanted to unwind more than anything else, and I knew that I wasn’t going to get anything productive done until I improved my outlook.

Two words: window shopping. I threw on some clothes and minimal makeup and decided to hit the mall.

I drove down to The Village at Corte Madera, which is about 20 minutes away, because they have a Nordstrom there with a great MAC counter, an Anthropologie store, Apple store, Bare Escentuals, Blue Mercury, Kate Spade and some other good stuff. Out of nowhere, I got a weird craving for a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of lemonade, so I walked over to this place called Boudin’s, a café/bakery chain here in the Bay Area (they make a mean loaf of sourdough). As usual, of course, the universe had other plans…

Gal at the register (who was clearly not having her best customer service day): Hi.

Me: Hi! Everything always smells so good in here; it’s hard to decide. Okay, I think I’d like a chocolate chip cookie…but can you tell me first if they’re chewy or crunchy?

Gal at the register: They’re chewy and crunchy. If you buy one you can find out.

Me: Uh-huh… The thing is, I don’t really like cookies that are too crunchy, sooo I only want to buy one if it’s more chewy than crunchy. [SIGH] Okay, um, do you have lemonade?

Gal at the register: We have water and sliced lemons. But no lemonade. You can squeeze the lemons into your water and make your own lemonade.

Me: (My left eyelid started twitching) Hmm… On second thought, ya know, I think I’m gonna pass. Thank you anyway.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, as I left the restaurant empty handed and rounded the corner outside, I saw a soda machine in front of me with what? — lemonade! And me without a cookie.

Mom always says not to sweat the small stuff, but when I’m cranky and craving sweets, that’s easier said than done…

Still, I tried. I went back to walking around the mall and tried to ignore my rumbling tummy. I came upon a woman with her little girl, who looked to be about three years old, playing in the middle of the mall’s courtyard.

The girl was smiling and holding a green balloon. Suddenly, it slipped out of her hands!

Instead of screaming or bursting into tears (something I might have done had it happened to me at that moment), the girl chased after the balloon, laughing and jumping as she watched it float higher and higher into the sky.

As I watched the girl, who never stopped smiling, I felt something inside of me click. It was my reset button, turning me away from my crazy place and bringing me back to inner peace and harmony.

Which reminds me about a blush… 🙂

How do I love thee, MAC Harmony Blush? Let me count the ways…

mac harmony blush

  • This muted rosy beige could almost pass for a brown.
  • Considering its versatility, $20 is a bargain for this blush. You can use it as a contouring face bronzer, a warming blush or an eye crease color to give depth to different looks.
  • If you’ve ever had trouble with bronzers having orange undertones before, take a look at Harmony. It adds warmth without the orange undertones. Fantastic for skin tones from pale to medium!
  • I wear it when I want a natural-looking cheek color with a little warmth that won’t interfere with the rest of my makeup, like when I wear a strong eye and lip combo.
  • On my NC42 skin, I usually wear 2-3 layers to reach a level of color I like.
  • I wear Harmony a lot when I’m in a hurry. I’ll do a couple quick layers on the apples of my cheeks, and give some definition to my eyes with a small amount swiped into my creases with a 217.
  • Sometimes, when I want more color than I get from Harmony alone, I’ll add a brighter pink like Dollymix on top.

mac harmony blush swatch

mac harmony blush

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The MAC Unsung Heroes series features some of my favorite products from MAC’s permanent collection

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Karen says

      Hi Tiffany,

      Happy Monday to you too! Yeah, it does kinda look like a slightly warmer version of Exposed. Have you ever tried Harmony before? It really is a lovely color.

      Reply

  6. crystal says

    hi karen! i don’t know how i’ve missed this whole time that you’re in the bay area!?!? i’m your makeup junkie neighbor from the south bay. i want to check out corte madera soon, any must-sees??!

    Reply

    • Karen says

      Hi Crystal,

      Yup, I’m a Bay Area girl. I grew up in the East Bay, then I lived in the city for a bit, and now I’m in the North Bay. How long have you lived here?

      Reply

      • crystal says

        i’ve been in the south bay for like 10 years now… i cant believe it! i go to the east bay a lot, occasionally sf, there’s so much good food and not enough time to eat everything!

        Reply

  8. Becca @ The Beauty Sample says

    So pretty (as always)!! I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect pinky-brown blush for a while now and I can’t seem to make up my mind. I had narrowed it down to Tarte Exposed (of course), Nars Douceur, and Tarina Tarantino Neopolitan Lane–but then I remembered how much I used to love MAC’s Tenderling (not sure it will show up too well on my currently tanned skin though…), which triggered memories of countless rave reviews of Blushbaby and Prism. Now I’m at a total loss because I REALLY want Harmony now, too!!! I think I have some serious research to do…

    Reply

  10. Lulle says

    There’s at least one Boudin store here in San Diego! Their bread uh… doesn’t meet my expectations though, I guess I’m particularly demanding having grown up with real good bread all over the place.

    I hate it when cashiers or sales associates show so little interest, I wanna tell them “look, I’m nicer than you are, and I’m not even paid for that!!”.

    Reply

  11. Rae // theNotice says

    Yep, I think I need to go check out those new Hourglass liquid lipsticks. Harmony, on the other hand — I already have that one! 😛

    I love seeing how the same shade can wear differently on a range of skintones, and this is the perfect example of it. On me, Harmony’s a very warm, dark contour shade, but I think I might prefer it as a blush on you, tbh 😛

    Reply

  13. Jennifer says

    I am not sure about this! I like Nars Laguna for a bronzer… but still need something peachy and pinky to brighten it up. My skin tone is much different than yours though. This looks fabulous on you though!

    Reply

  15. Lenita says

    that’s a pretty awesome story karen. sorta how my day started today, and then i just …. let go.

    echoing everybody else, that is a great lipstick color on you. hourglass is a brand i’ve been meaning to check out but my poor wallet is not gonna likey…

    Reply

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