With just a few taps, a cream blush breathes life into the skin — a natural-looking flush that’s integral to “no-makeup makeup.” But ironically, what I love about cream blush is also the thing that frustrates me most. Cream blush looks incredible moments after you apply it (Sunkissed! Glowy! Rosey!), but because of how emollient and moisturizing the formulas are, the pigment is easily wiped away and fades quickly. And in my experience, a cream blush will require multiple trips to the bathroom throughout the day in order to preserve the look from that morning.
But I just knew there had to be a cream blush out there that actually lasts. And so I got to testing. Like last year, when I hunted for the best clear brow gel, I decided to test out as many cream blushes as I could get my hands on, from a wide variety of brands at all different price points. Some of the blushes were recommended by friends and colleagues, others I found sleuthing TikTok or Reddit, and a few I picked up at Sephora or Target simply because I liked the look of them. This time around, my criteria were as follows: The blush has to be easy to apply with fingers (I don’t always have time for brushes and sponges — who does?), it must blend easily into the skin, and, most importantly, it has to actually last. Each morning, I applied a different cream blush as I would normally — on top of sunscreen and a bit of concealer, using my fingers to blend it out (this alone weeded a few out, as some pilled or looked patchy instantly). On top of the standard wear test, I also took photographs at the beginning and end of everyday, in order to formally document the process and compare notes when I was done testing.
Of all the 20 blushes I tested over the course of two months, there were quite a few that met most of my criteria but not all. For example, Saie’s Dew Blush in Spicy, for example, had excellent staying power and gave the nicest sunkissed flush, but I found it looked a little patchy when I blended it out with my fingers (it looked much more natural when I did so with a brush). And Pixi by Petra’s TikTok beloved On-the-Glow blush gave a really gorgeous rosy, pinch to the cheeks and was so easy to blend with just your fingers, but it rubbed off quickly (it had admittedly been a hot day when I tried it, but a good blush should be able to withstand a little sweat).
The champion, it turns out, is Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder, a relatively new launch from the brand that I’d seen making the rounds in makeup-artist kits and on editors’ favorites lists for a few months. I hadn’t actually gotten around to trying it, until now. The formula itself is unique because, as it says by the name, it starts off as a balmy, almost slippery consistency. So when you first rub your fingers into the pot and start pressing it into the skin it’s buttery and easy to work into your skin. But after a few taps, the product begins to sheer out with a lightweight powdery finish. When I first tried the blush, I applied it over a light layer of foundation on a night out. I was thrilled at how easily it melted into the skin without disrupting or pilling the makeup I’d already applied. But perhaps more impressive was just how vibrant it looked when I peeked in a mirror a few hours later — it almost looked like I’d just put it on. The next day I tested the blush over bare skin just to see if that would make a difference. To my surprise, it also stayed put throughout a whole day of meetings.
Now I do understand the potential hesitation from anyone with dry skin who’s typically powder averse, but this is truly nothing like any other powder finish I’ve tried before — it’s soft, airy, and almost silky. No cakiness or dehydration. The Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder definitely has a soft matte finish once it’s fully blended into the skin, (as opposed to the dewy finish of an ultra emollient blush). That finish not only gives the blush staying power (more on that in a second), it’s also a really stunning blurring effect. So, it’s a great choice for people with more textured or acne-prone skin types, like me.
This blush is incredibly pigmented and a tiny bit goes a really long way. In the past, I’d find myself really digging my fingers into my cream blush pots in order to get enough product for both my cheeks, but with the Blurring Balm Powder Blush, a quick tap or two will get you enough blush for at least one cheek. The high pigment in conjunction with the soft, powdery finish, I suspect, is what makes this blush really stick to the skin — I applied this at 8 a.m. and couldn’t believe when, nearly seven hours later, I came home with pretty much the same amount of blush I’d applied that morning. I recommend pressing or tapping the product into the cheeks to apply it, rather than rubbing it in circles, in order to get the most flawless, even layer.
Danessa Myrick’s Skin Blurring Balm Powder comes in six vibrant, richly pigmented colors — among them a rosy pink, bright coral, to a mauve-y berry — and while they show up incredibly well on my fairly pale, olive-undertone skin (I’m even paler than usual now that I live in London), I was thrilled to see Reddit users with deeper skin tones were also impressed with bright pigment. I tested “It Girl”, a true hot pink, and “Dancing Queen” a plum shade and, despite the shades looking quite bold on their own, when applied to my cheeks both gave my skin a soft, natural-looking flush, like I’d come back from a walk on a cold winter morning. Another bonus: The texture and finish of the blush mean it also works on lips. When you tap it in, it sheers out and leaves a smudgy soft matte stain, a finish similar to Rouje’s Powder Lip Palette, a holy grail of mine that’s sadly been discontinued.
A great blush has the uncanny ability to quickly and easily refresh your entire complexion. Even when I’m running out of the house with no time to apply concealer or foundation, a few taps of blush along the apples of my cheeks is able to add color and life back into the skin and take the edge off my ghoulish, pasty, winter-ridden skin. And while a creamy, ultra-dewy and emollient blush seems essential in achieving that quick, low-fuss, fresh-faced makeup, the staying powder of a cream-to-powder product like Danessa Myricks allows for your skin to maintain that healthy rosy glow all day long. And don’t let the pigment scare you: You can still apply this in the backseat of a cab.
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