Friday, August 26, 2011

Stereo Rose and Rose D'Oro Comparison



If you enjoy makeup you might have heard a little about a very coveted and hard to find MAC product called Stereo RoseStereo Rose is a Mineralize Skin Finish or better known as an "MSF".  It's as if a blush and a highlighter got together and had a baby!    Some MSF's are glittery and others have slight shimmer or frost.  MSF's are baked on top of a clay base which stays at the bottom of the compact.  The good thing about MSF's are that they are versatile and easy to apply.  They not only can act like a blush and a highlighter but they can be bronzers or eyeshadows.


I may be late with this review considering that MAC's Stereo Rose came out last summer but since I recently picked up Milani's Rose D'Oro which was rumored to be a dupe, I thought I would go ahead and compare the two.

I was able to purchase my Stereo Rose MSF new last summer.  I wanted one so bad that I made my husband pick one up for me right when the MAC counter opened the day that the In the Groove collection was released.  Stereo Rose had been originally released back in 2005 in the Goldplay collection.  What makes Stereo Rose stand out is its ability to look good on all skin tones. When I recently heard that Milani (a drugstore brand) came out with a baked blush that rivaled Stereo Rose, I knew I had to try it. 

I enjoy MSF's however I also love Milani blushes and I was excited to try the baked blushes too.  Rose D'Oro is a gorgeous color but it is not an exact dupe for Stereo RoseRose D'Oro is more of a coral shade when applied despite it appearing very close to Stereo Rose when in the packaging.  Also Milani's blush has fine gold glitter flecks throughout whereas MAC's MSF has no gold at all.  Rose D'Oro has more shimmer and Stereo Rose has more frost.  I also noticed that the MSF is much more pigmented and smoother when applied to the skin.  Milani's Rose D'Oro is also smooth but it doesn't apply quite as smooth as Stereo Rose does. 

If you are looking for a Stereo Rose dupe, keep in mind that Rose D'Oro isn't an exact one but does offer a beautiful blush that gives a lot of bang for very little bucks. I find that both products can find a place in anyone's collection and both make excellent blush choices.  You can find Milani's baked blushes at Kmart, Target and CVS for around $7.00.  MAC' s Mineralize Skin Finishes can be found at www.maccosmetics.com or at your local MAC counter for $28.00.


MAC's Stereo Rose Mineralize Skin Finish


Milani's Rose D'Oro-notice the difference in the veining.  Rose D'Oro has gold veining whereas Stereo Rose has deeper, copper veining. 


Milani's Rose D'Oro on the left and MAC's Stereo Rose on the right.  Rose D'Oro is much more coral and Stereo Rose is much more pink.



Notice the difference in the sheen of both products.  Rose D'Oro (left) has more of a glitter effect whereas Stereo Rose has an all over sheen.


Close up of the swatches.





5 comments:

  1. I thought about getting stereo rose, but I actually like the Milani better. Good thing i already have the Milani LOL

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  2. Glad you liked the Milani blush...it's really a gorgeous blush. Actually a lot of the Milani baked blushes are wonderful choices no matter which shade you choose :)

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  3. Do you know if you can still buy Stereo Rose or was it limited edition? I had heard that it was limited edition but I'm not sure... :P

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  4. I think of alot of Milani baked blush, as blush toppers (and way prettier then when you take a highlight that was too dark, and try to use it in SOME way) But Luminosoo and other sheer ones, with highlight and bronze shimmer, there's dark pink, a light pink I love, Luminosoo just works on EVERYTHING I love it on top of MACs Melba, & when I have Melba blending into a NYX like Amber and for a boom, Luminosoo going 3/4 of the way from start of blush (towards temples, lightly blending 3/4 of the way down your mid cheekbone, where blush usually is applied. If in a hurry, I'll grab a large blush brush and use on apples of cheeks (I try to apply only to higher part of the apples of cheeks when using alone, and go right to temples, sometimes I get a lil crazy and apply all over cheeks (wouldn't look bad if I was 25, but at 31, I try trick the eyes into looking up, so I look lifted, thanks Tati @glamlifeguru for helping me learn that trick!



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  5. While I love milani baked blush, Laura Gellars baked blush might just be slightly better

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