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To say that blush is making a comeback is to suggest that blush ever went anywhere in the first place — but it is having a moment. My feed is currently filled with cheekbones awash in berry and orangey hues, and a new TikTok blush trend seems to pop up every other week, from “boyfriend blush” to “sunset blush” to “blush blindness.” But unlike blushes of yesteryear, which were often ultrapigmented and powdery, the blush of the moment is punchy yet natural and moves with the skin. The resulting look is your-skin-but-better that may make passersby wonder: Did you just come back from vacation or is that Glossier Cloud Paint?
The obsession with cream blush has been building for a while now. In 2018, Rio reported that it was the most-asked question by her beauty-obsessed Instagram followers, and since then, the momentum has only continued to grow, as makeup trends tend toward skin-focused, glowy looks. “Everyone wants that sun-kissed glow,” says Brooke Devard, a product marketing manager at Instagram and host of the Naked Beauty Podcast. “Cream blush gives you a dewy finish and feels more modern than powder blush.” Makeup artist Karol Rodriguez describes them as a “highlighter and blush in one.” This is due to the emollient texture of the formulas, which Rodriguez likes because it “reflects light and gives the skin an unbelievable skin-like, lit-from-within glow that powders simply can’t achieve.” Cream blushes are also more forgiving. Because of the texture, cream blush sinks into the skin rather than sitting on top of it like a powder, meaning it won’t cling to dry patches or acne or emphasize skin texture.
In addition to giving skin a naturally flushed glow, cream blushes are notoriously easy to apply and difficult to mess up. All you need are your fingers and a sense of where to place the product. The one downside to cream blush is that it’s, well, cream. That means it’s subject to sliding and fading over time, especially if your skin is oily. Luckily, it’s easily fixed. To make it last longer, Rodriguez recommends setting the blush with a matching powder blush or translucent setting powder. Then, to really lock it in, they recommend using a finishing spray to give the powder a skin-like finish.
But now that cream blushes are so popular, it seems that there are endless options to choose from. To find the best ones we asked Devard, Rodriguez, and 11 more experts about their favorites, which we’ve rounded up, below.
Best cream blush overall
Tower28’s cream blush was mentioned by multiple experts for its sensitive-skin-friendly formula, impactful color payoff, and versatile shade range, ranging from a light peach (Rush Hour) to a rich berry hue (After Hours). “It’s everything you want in a cream blush,” says Teen Vogue director of creative development Mi-Anne Chan, “easy to blend, great for travel, and has a lovely dewy finish.” Makeup artist Mollie Gloss likes keeping a few shades in her kit because “it’s easy to work with and easy to bring with you.” And clean-beauty enthusiast and content creator Stephanie Liu Hjelmeseth commented on the color payoff in particular, which she says is “just the right amount,” not too dense or too sheer. As far as cream blushes go, it’s also fairly long-lasting. Hjelemeseth says she can go most of the day without reapplication, and in that time, it doesn’t turn greasy or sticky.
Best drugstore cream blush
A very convincing dupe for the Tower28 blushes, Moira Cosmetics’ LoveHeat cream blushes deliver the same natural, pigmented finish for less than half the price. “These are great because they’re under $10, but they actually have a really creamy consistency that looks dewy on the skin,” says makeup artist Emma Elizabeth. The formula includes vitamin E and rose-hip oil for an extra boost of moisture, and it comes in a variety of trendy colors: “They have a really deep purple, a really bright bubblegum pink, a fiery hot red,” Elizabeth explains. “So if you’re more experimental with your blush or you want to try something new that you don’t usually wear, you can get a really good quality formula and not spend a ton of money on it.”
Best buildable cream blushes
Merit’s Flush balm has a sheer, weightless finish, so it’s “easy to use for everyday and the colors are very neutral,” says makeup artist Elika Hilata, who owns it in every single shade. Her favorite is Fox, a warm taupe that’s “not too pink, not too orange” for when you want a natural, fresh-faced look. However, since it’s so light, it does have a tendency to fade faster; to make it last longer, Hilata recommends using a brush rather than your fingers to apply it.
Undone Beauty’s cream blushes take the guesswork out of application. Each blush comes with one shade in three finishes — sheer, medium, and opaque — so you don’t have to worry about putting on too much or too little. They’re a favorite of celebrity makeup artist Scott Osborne, whose client list includes SZA, Rico Nasty, and Blac Chyna; he says it makes skin look dewy rather than shiny and looks great on bare skin or on top of a base.
Best pigmented cream blushes
On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a high-impact finish, a little of Fenty Beauty’s Cheeks Out cream blush goes a long way. “I love that I can apply it lightly for a slight, sunny drop of color or build it up for a super blown-out, editorial blush look,” says Rodriguez. Rodriguez personally uses the shade Fuego Flush, but has been reaching for the shade Daiquiri Dip on set, particularly for clients with darker skin. “I love using it on the outer cheekbone area,” they say. “I like to work it down from the outer corner of the eye to about halfway down the cheek, going in the direction of the corners of the lips.” Osborne is also a Fenty fan: “It’s usually my go-to for cream blushes,” he says. “The formula is super lightweight and non-sticky.”
If you want a more affordable dupe of the Fenty blush, Rodriguez recommends e.l.f. Putty Blush in the shade Bahamas, which they describe as a “less intense, more wearable Fuego Flush.” Rodriguez also likes to blend the Fenty and e.l.f. blushes to create a bespoke shade. “I love mixing Tahiti with Fenty’s Fuego Flush or Daiquiri Dip,” they say. “I place it on the inner cheek and it adds a really sweet, almost romantic pink.”
Best cream blush sticks
Three different experts sang the praises of Nudestix’s blush sticks. “Nudestix excels at fun ‘poppy’ cream blush colors like orangey-reds and punchy corals,” says Chan, who has a handful of shades in her collection. “I use them when I’m going for a very ‘blushy’ look.” Gloss says that although they’re incredibly pigmented, they’re also incredibly easy to work with thanks to their balmy texture that sheers out before it sits. Elizabeth is a fan of the stick format and the dual-ended brush, which allows her to “paint it onto the skin and then blend out the color.” It’s also available in three different finishes: matte, satin, and radiant. Gloss loves the radiant finish, which “is so shiny but looks like an actual reflection of light rather than just pearl and glitter, so it never appears harsh,” she says. However, if you’re not into the “super wet-cheek look,” the matte ones will wear longer on the skin, Elizabeth explains.
“These have a great pigment load and are super buildable,” says makeup artist Kasey Spickard of Milk Makeup’s Lip + Cheek sticks. They’re also super moisturizing, thanks to ingredients like mango butter, peach nectar, and avocado oil, which also help the color blend into the skin. The shades, he adds, are universal and look good on just about any skin tone.
Best colorful cream blushes
Devard swears by this blush from Swedish brand Manasi 7, which makes multifunctional, organic makeup. For Devard, it’s the best of both worlds. In addition to the super-pigmented color, it’s moisturizing, too. One of its main ingredients is almond oil, which has lots of naturally occurring vitamin E — a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect skin from free radicals. It comes in 22 different colors, from deep cranberry to dusty rose. She likes the shade Heliotrope in particular, a bright, bluish-purple. “It looks amazing on my dark skin,” she says.
“This brand makes colors that are really interesting and unique,” Elizabeth says of Rituel de Fille’s Nectar Pigment balms. She describes them as if “you took fruit juice and made them into a blush — super dewy, juicy, and delicious.” The six vibrant shades include a tangerine orange called Snapdragon, a grape purple called Glasswing, and a goldenrod yellow called Wasp that Elizabeth says looks especially beautiful on deeper skin tones.
Best long-wear cream blushes
“I love these on days when I know I’m going to be sweating a little more than usual but still want a nice glow,” says Chan of the Axiology Balmies, which are available in an array of shades and have a slightly waxier consistency than most cream blushes. The crayon-shaped blushes are meant to be applied directly to the cheek (or wherever else) and contain ingredients like elderberry, hemp, and plum oil, which work together to hydrate while also adding a punch of color.
If you find that cream blushes on their own tend to fade too quickly, layering a powder blush on top is a popular technique to extend its longevity. It helps sets the cream formula, makes it last longer, and adds more pigment without being too cakey or heavy. Patrick Ta’s Crème & Powder Blush Duo conveniently offers two formulas in one compact, and was recommended by makeup artist Lisa Pelayo in our guide to the best sweatproof makeup. However, while the generally accepted method is to layer powder on top of cream, makeup artist Amanda Thesen has lately been experimenting with the opposite: “I’ve seen some videos where Patrick puts the powder down first and then the cream on top. It leaves this really beautiful, hydrated, glowy, natural finish,” Thesen says. “I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and it’s super stunning. Anytime I put this blush on someone, they’re like, What is this?”
Best liquid blushes
Technically, liquid blushes are a different category from cream blushes; cream blushes are thicker, emollient, and glide across the skin for a smooth, natural finish, while liquid blushes tend to be more watery and lightweight, with greater pigmentation and wear time. But we couldn’t put together a blush roundup without name-checking some infamous liquid blushes, including Glossier Cloud Paint, which arguably kicked off the cream-blush trend in the first place. It has all of the trappings of a solid cream blush — it comes in an array of stunning colors and stays on all day, even, says makeup artist Shideh Kafei, without the extra setting powder or spray. “It’s almost self-setting and lasts longer than most cream blushes,” says makeup artist Delina Medhin. The brand recently expanded its shade range to include deeper, richer hues, which Medhin says work particularly well for women of color. It was also mentioned by model Roseline Lawrence, who has been using the shade Dawn for years. “Its been my go-to because it blends really well and looks great on my skin, especially with my gold undertones,” she says.
Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch blush is another liquid blush that’s ascended to the cult-classic pantheon. It’s available in two finishes — matte and radiant — and comes in 13 shades. “I like how it shows up on my dark skin,” says Lawrence, who is partial to the shade Lucky, a rich hot-pink. The consistency, she says, is slightly creamier than the Glossier and works nicely as an eye shadow and lip tint, too. Luna is also a fan, and recommends the brand’s matte terra cotta shade, Love. “They definitely deliver,” she says, “It has a nice, light texture that’s buildable.”
Best drugstore liquid blush
Chan says this blush from Flower Beauty is an affordable dupe for Glossier Cloud Paint. While the shades aren’t dead-on alike, the consistency is similar, and it’s easy to work with. It’s also very pigmented: “A half-a-pea-sized dollop is enough to cover both cheeks and the top of your nose if you’re into that sunburnt look,” says Chan.
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