My first venture with ADDICTION Cheek Polish in Tadzio has led me into getting another one. I contemplated between the shade Revenge, Fresh and Chic. I ultimately, well, almost instantly went for the latter because I was in a nude blush state at that time. I still am though, nude blushes are fantastic, to say the least.

Without further adieu, ADDICTION by Ayako Cheek Polish 01 Chic,

The ambiguous design on the product will lead (most) people think that this is a nail polish. It is not, I can assure you that. I can not tell you how many people had fallen for the ‘trap’. Luckily, I was able to stop them just before they apply it to their nails. I might as well buy an ADDICTION nail polish in a similar/normal blush shade and see how they react. It’s hilarious!

To be fair, ADDICTION did design the product looking almost indistinguishable with the brand’s nail polish, with an actual brush for the applicator as well as a small metal mixing ball, to shake the liquid inside. The only difference is that Cheek Polish is encased in a frosted glass bottle. And that’s about as much help as you can get unless you read the label on the bottom.

Chic may not look much, in fact, some people might go “Err what is that color?!“. But it’s exactly what I wanted it to be. OK, perhaps I wished it’s slightly more beige, but honestly, this is a beautiful shade that goes effortlessly with any of my makeup look.

I’m not so sure what to call this color. It is not necessarily orange but it’s not peach either. The best I can correlate is it looks like a pale, creamy cantaloupe soup. The color has a pasty quality to it. As I said, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and people might overlook this, especially when there are a lot more appealing offerings (the orange Fresh, for example).

Always shake the bottle first before using this. The dry oil-like liquid will separate when not used. So yeah, don’t be shy and give it a good shake. Despite the pale shade, don’t underestimate its ability to show itself on the cheeks. That being said, this best suit for fair to medium skin tones.

I never apply Cheek Polish straight on the skin. I like to start a little at a time. Besides, it’s more sanitary that way too. I swipe a little on my middle finger, apply about 3 dots on each cheek and start blending. Add as needed. The method preferred here is to give it multiple tapping motion instead of swiping the whole thing.

ADDICTION Cheek Polish Chic quickly becomes a daily staple in my makeup routine. If I can put it in short, it gives me that my-cheeks-but-better appearance. It reminds me of my beloved Burberry Light Glow Tangerine, not for the color, but for the effect. It doesn’t necessarily give me that natural flush, but it does cleverly, subtly sculpt the cheeks. Perfect for no-brainer days.

I always enjoy the process of applying color to my cheeks, definitely the best part in the whole makeup routine. Experimenting here and there, Chic also looks great when layered with (of course) Burberry Light Glow Tangerine, Rouge Bunny Rouge Delicata and Edward Bess Secret Affair on top of it.

As I had predicted, I actually ended up wearing Chic more often than Tadzio. It’s just so easy to wear, no fuss and absolutely versatile! Whether I’m going with bolder or softer lips, this manages to squeeze in the middle. Very slick and yet very humble. Another thing, I like to mix the two to get a pretty coral shade. Extra points for versatility!

And as an ending note, I hereby declare I’m officially obsessed with ADDICTION Cheek Polish. You can be sure I will be picking up another shade or two ;)