Cream blush - daunting or actually incredibly easy? I'm a big fan, both as a makeup artist and when doing my own. It has a bit more of a glow from within/natural flush finish as it blends in with foundation rather than sitting over the top, and it always looks beautiful.
At home, I'm very hands on and apply pretty much everything with my fingers other than brow gel and mascara. The beauty of cream blush is that it feels intuitive - start with a light dab, then using your finger, find where the hollows of your cheekbones are and blend up.
I think it's because you're closer connected to the process rather than using a brush. It makes me feel a bit like I'm finger painting and giving myself a little loving face massage at the same time.
Lilah b. Divine Duo Lip & Cheek in “b. lovely”, $81
It’s probably unconventional to be drawn to the weight of a product’s packaging - we’re constantly being told to minimise, declutter, lighten the load - but there’s something so comforting about the heaviness of this lip and cheek duo. It feels like a luxurious, heavy and smooth pebble. My instinct was to keep it in my pocket and rub it for good luck.
The shade “b. lovely” already echoes over and over in my lip, cheek and eye colour choices of my personal collection because this russet is so flattering.
In the pan, it looks like it would come out too dark, but my first swatches were surprising! It has slightly peachy undertones and blended out easily on the back of my hand without much effort.
The formula is extremely pigmented with a matte finish, which blends out beautifully on the cheek with fingertips, and is super buildable.
Be sure to make sure your skin is prepped with moisture/exfoliation as the dryness may cling to texture on the skin.
I was far too excited when I first got my hands on it and tapped it on my bare skin, as well as with a base the following day.
The wear is pretty good in both cases - I usually find cream products eventually get “eaten up” after a few hours, but this faded to a really lovely natural finish.
As a lip product it’s a little more on the dry side, but softly patted over a lip balm it adds a lovely flush.
To be honest I’m just happy for an excuse to carry this luxurious pebble around and top up during the day.
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in “Pale Pink”, $58
First impressions of this lip and cheek rouge is how emollient it feels. Not in a weird oily way, but in a very satisfying and smooth way.
It already has a slight sheen to the finish so you know you’re about to get a lovely glow on, as it doesn’t seem to dry down like most cream blushers do.
If you’re not into the shine (I’m all about it, but understand if you’re not!), you could gently set this with translucent powder.
I patted it onto the apples of my cheeks - it blends out really easily with fingers, and the pink was soft and not too bright. Easily buildable for a bit more pop!
It had pretty good staying power through the day, and settled down to a more satin finish. I had a lovely compliment from a client when I wore this. Will definitely reach for this again, especially with the mirror.
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush in “Plum”, $56
Okay, so I’m a big fan of Ceramide, or basically anything that helps retain the skin’s moisture - if you’re anything like me and have gone a bit ham on acid exfoliators, Ceramide can totally help balance the skin’s moisture barrier. In a blush though? Let’s see!
At first swatch, it has a nice amount of slip, like it has some weightless moisture to it. It dries down to an almost satin finish, and the slip helps it blend out nicely.
I wouldn’t normally reach for a plum shade, but on the back of the hand the shade lightened slightly - this would make a great contour or bronzer alternative!
I used this more in the hollows of the cheeks and blended out to the hairline. Incredibly pigmented, a little goes a long way.
I felt quite glam wearing this, I think it would pair quite well with a smokey eye or a darker lip.
The best thing for me was how well it lasted - I didn’t powder, and it was still there at the end of the day, which is rare for me.
Points again for the mirror in a clamshell - so handy!
M.A.C. Glow Play Blush in “Blush, Please”, $49
These kind of products freak me out in a good way. This is meant to be a gel-cream-to-powder, described as “bouncy” by M.A.C.
Tentatively, I stuck a finger in, having no real clue what this was meant to feel like. It feels like... a dry? Cream?? It’s moist to the touch, but then when applied to the back of my hand, has a definite soft and powdery finish. Witchcraft.
“Blush, Please” is described as a mauve, but it applies more of a soft rose/peach shade. Incredibly wearable and would suit most skin tones.
I was looking forward to trying this one, and as I applied it to my cheeks it blended out smoothly and easily.
Like a magical slippery powder, but not so pigmented that you end up applying too much and have to blend it all away and start again (absolutely guilty of this).
This is the one to reach for when you’ve slept in and are still half-asleep and dab a bit of colour on your cheeks.
Super easy, not too pigmented, and easy to blend. Love!
The majority of product in our beauty reviews is gifted to our reviewers with the requirement it be trialled over a period of time. Editorial opinions are the writer's own. Is there a product you’d like to see reviewed? Let us know.
