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I seem to have a problem with buying a lot of liquid and cream blushes (great for the summer!) so I thought I’d do some mini reviews… readers, which are your favorites at the moment? (Do you have any drugstore favorites? My favorites are definitely heavy on a few brands…)
{related: summer makeup tips for women lawyers}
The Best Liquid and Cream Blushes
Youthforia BYO Color Changing Blush Oil
This blush oil from Youthforia is probably my favorite right now and part of my “low makeup” everyday face. I like that I can put it on right after my sunscreen. It’s supposed to change color based on your pH — yes, yes, this old trick — and like every other product that is supposed to change colors based on my pH, this one turns a bright pink. But it’s such a happy bright pink, and truly one of the best colors for my skin.
(You can also buy a brush, but I just rub it in with my fingers.)
It reminds me of my powder Diorshow’s Backstage Rosy Glow, or of this Guerlain cheek tint that isn’t made anymore.
The blush oil is $36 full price at Amazon.
{related: foundation, BB cream, tinted moisturizer, or nothing?}
MILK Makeup Cream Blush Stick
I’ve had this one for a few years and it’s still going strong — it’s another happy, bright pink. This one can be a bit easier to apply (compared to the blush oil above) because you can clearly see where the product is going, and it doesn’t dry too quickly, so you have a bit of time to play with it to get it just so.
I’ve never tried to use it as a lip tint, which seems like a gross oversight on my part.
The MILK blush cream is $24, at Sephora.
{related: interview makeup tips}
NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush
NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush is one of the newest liquid blushes in my makeup stable — I ordered it in the possibly weird color Wanderlust, which is a pretty orchid. I think it looks nice on my cheeks, but compared to others in the list this one feels like it’s much, much more subtle. Which isn’t a bad thing! But I wonder if it might be better in winter when I’m naturally paler. Hmmn.
It comes in 8 colors at Sephora and Nordstrom for $32.
NARS The Multiple
NARS the Multiple is another one that I’ve had for a long time — I go through fits and spurts of using it. If you like their shade Orgasm, I really like The Multiple — it goes on easily, and doesn’t set immediately — if anything it still feels a bit malleable for a bit longer than ideal. The subtle gold shimmer is especially pretty in this one. I sometimes put it on as a touchup at the middle or end of the day because of the shimmer.
I haven’t tried this one on my eyes or lips, either — clearly I need to get on that.
The product comes in five colors for $39 at Sephora.
MILK Cooling Water Jelly Tint
This is another really new one in my makeup stable: MILK’s Cooling Water Jelly Tint. It’s always out of stock, so when I happened to see it in stock I ordered it.
It is a really really pretty wash of color — but my primary complaint is that it dries incredibly quickly, to the point where if I swipe both cheeks and try to rub it in, I sometimes feel like the tint/stain on the second cheek has dried too much for me to get to it. This may be a me problem, or maybe I just need to get used to applying it more — but as cool as it looks it sets/stains very quickly.
The jelly tint is $24 at Sephora (but is out of stock at the moment).
Other Liquid Blushes I’ve Tried
Other liquid blushes that I’ve tried that just haven’t worked for me: Glossier’s Cloud Paint (I just could not nail the application, it was either too much or too little), Benetint’s Cheek Tint (but admittedly not in a bazillion years), and I swore there was a third recent one but I can’t find it in my order history at Sephora — if I’m remembering correctly it was either the Rare Beauty or the Saie liquid blush, and I really liked it but just wasn’t in the market for another product at that moment in time.
Oh! And I just remembered that I have tried and liked two drugstore brands: this “liquid highlighter” from wet n wild is actually really pretty as a light blush — it’s showing as around $16 at Amazon, which seems rather pricy, so it may have been discontinued. (I have “Rosy & Ready.”)
I also bought this elf Monochromatic Multi Stick, I think because I’d heard it was a dupe for NARS The Multiple… it is not a dupe for that, but is a perfectly fine $5 blush. I have it in “dazzling peony,” which may just not be my color.
Blushes I want to try but haven’t yet: Merit’s Flush Balm Cream Blush, Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks, and Fenty’s Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush.
