The Cream Blush Edit: Top Cream Blushes

For a long time, I didn’t particularly enjoy wearing cream blush. I saw it as more of a necessity, a step in my routine that I needed to apply in order for my makeup to last. I used to have insanely oily skin and powder blushes wouldn’t last more than a couple of hours. I know it sounds counter-intuitive – cream blush, usually meant for dry skin, placed on oily skin? Well, the dewy base gave the powder something to stick to, making my blush last most of the way through the day.

Thankfully, as I grew older, started using the right skincare, and my skin started to normalize, it is now more combination-oily rather than insanely oily. As I tried out different forms of cream blush, I found a few formulas that have been champion at staying on my skin, and even some which will last through hot and humid weather.

Most of these blushes will probably work best for oily skin or being in hot and humid climates, because that’s what I look for. I like a cream to powder finish, and something that will really last. But whether you’re here to find a standalone blush product, or you want something to layer with your powder blushes, I’m sure you’ll find one of these will suit you.

One more note: I talk about a few discontinued products in here. I do this not to torture you, but because I still see them come up on Hautelook or other sites occasionally, so you can keep an eye out for them. I also find it helpful to compare textures and shades with existing products so that I can look for dupes.

All swatches are near the bottom of the post, so keep scrolling!

Vincent Longo Water Canvas Blush

In my opinion, Vincent Longo is one of the most underrated brands out there. They make some fantastic products, and their Water Canvas blush is one of my favorite products from them. The first time I ever tried their products was probably almost ten years ago at this point, when they were being phased out of Bath and Body Works (remember when they carried makeup?!!), and were having a 90%  clearout sale on Vincent Longo products.

Now, Vincent Longo is not one of the cheapest brands. The full-price of the Water Canvas blushes is $43, which is a pretty penny. However, they come with so much product, 11.5 grams, to be exact, so they will last you a LONG time. I’ve been lucky to find this at a pretty deep discount and then stock up. A couple years ago, I thought they were going out of business because they had a 75% sale on their website, and I bought a couple more shades that you see here, but thankfully they are still available on the Vincent Longo website.

But, accessibility and price aside, these are one the creme de la creme of blush products, as far as I’m concerned. They are unlike any blush – cream, powder, or liquid – that I’ve ever tried. The product is true to its name – it’s really like a water canvas. It’s not quite cream. It’s like a spongey texture, but it’s not quite like a cushion either. There is no cushion to this product, but imagine a cushion blush where the sponge is actually the product. It sounds weird, I know, but it works.

It’s quite a dense and pigmented product, so I find application to be best with my fingers. They are also a drier texture that sets pretty quickly, so I find that they don’t blend out very well with a brush. To apply, I like to dab my finger in the product like I would dab a beauty blender into a cushion product and then apply and blend into my cheeks.

Because of the texture and consistency, these will probably work best on oily skin, and they are very well suited to hot and humid weather.These last all day with me and can be dabbed on for a natural look or easily built up to a more pigmented flush.

The shade range is also great- I used to have the shade Aqua Crimson, which was a beautiful pink flush, and I used every last drop of it. I currently have Clover Mist, a nude-tan shade, and Savannah Fresh, a rosy-tan shade.

 

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle [DISCONTINUED]

The first of the discontinued products. I don’t even remember these being out for a very long time, and there were pretty good reviews of this when it was out, so I have no clue why they were discontinued. The shimmer souffles were meant to have a creamy, slightly moussey texture, although I have one that feels a little more more whipped and airy than the other two that I have.

These were truly beautiful blushes. They were a mix of the beach tints (which ARE still available) and the shimmering skin perfectors, so they could be a glowy blush. They were also super buildable blushes that I applied with my fingers, and they blended a little easier than the VL Water Canvas Blushes. They have a dry, almost powdery texture, but they aren’t quite as densely pigmented as the VL blushes, so they were much more easy to work with. They dry down to a powder finish that lasts all day, too. Even though they had the shimmer skin perfectors blended in, they mixed with the beach tint to create a slightly glowy finish, but it was in no way frosty or obviously shimmery. It was a genius subtle and glowy finish.

I have this in three shades:

• Papaya/Topaz – a coral shade with gold shimmer.
• Watermelon/Moonstone – a coral-pink with gold shimmer
• Fig/Opal – a light peach-nude shade with opal shimmer

Papaya/Topaz is definitely a favorite in the summer, and I’ve been wearing Fig/Opal a lot in the winter months. My Watermelon/Moonstone had more of the shimmer running thrugh it so it had a slightly more glowy and shimmery finish than the other two. If you can find these on Hautelook or elsewhere, definitely give them a shot! Otherwise, if you like the base colors, check out the beach tints, as well.

 

Josie Maran Coconut Water Gelee [DISCONTINUED]

This is the last discontinued product, I promise! These were another super unique product that I am so sad to see discontinued. Again, I’ve seen these come up on Hautelook occasionally, and they were at Sephora in the summer still, so they must be more recently discontinued. They are a light cream/gel/stain formula. It feels like water when you blend it out on your skin, and then they dry down to a stain. Gelee is definitely the right way to describe the texture. This is  the only blush featured here that I prefer to use a brush over fingers with. I like to apply with a stipple brush like the ELF small stipple brush or the MAC 130 blush since the bristle pick up the pigment and product better than my fingers. Because they have such a light texture and act as a stain, this will definitely be budgeproof.

I have three shades of this, one in full-size, and two in travel size:

• Berry Bliss
• Pink Escape
• Poppy Paradise

 

NARS Liquid Blush

Alright, finally a product that’s still available on the market! These just came out last year, and they definitely made waves when they were released. Because they had such rave reviews for their longevity and pigmentation, I wanted to try them out. Holy hell everyone, this is some serious stuff.

I’ll start with the packaging. Yes, this comes with a pump. It doesn’t look or feel like it at first because the cap is really tight, so it feels like it’s meant to twist off. But the cap does come off to reveal a pump underneath. The packaging learning curve doesn’t end there, though. This blush is so pigmented that a full pump’s worth could probably cover your entire face, and then some. I really just need a quarter of a pump for my cheeks, and that’s being generous. I also like to build this up with my fingers, starting with a light layer and then building up as needed. But because it’s a little bit higher maintenance and finnicky to apply, I would be less likely to travel with this or reach for it when I just want to throw something on quickly.

I have this in the shade Orgasm, which looks unlike any of the other Orgasm products. I don’t own the original blush because the shade doesn’t really appeal to me, but this liquid version looks much more pink rather than a peachy-pink shimmer, and I find that it acts as a really nice shade for my warm toned skin. This is the only blush featured here today that has an obvious shimmer, but it blends out to be a glowy finish rather than a frosty finish.

This liquid blush is also super long-lasting. It easily lasts through an entire workday when I wear a powder blush on top (which I always do, no matter what cream blush I use), so this is a thumbs up for me. Given how little product I need, this little tube will last me a very long time, so the $30 for $15 mL is more than worth it for me. I have my eye on Dolce Vita, as well, so that may be joining the Orgasm in the coming months.

 

Kjaer Weis Cream Blush

These are by far my most luxurious and beautiful makeup products I’ve ever owned. Kjaer Weis has become known for their beautiful chrome packaging with refillable inserts. Not only are they the best of luxury beauty, they are also an all-organic brand. For those who are trying to be more conscious about the ingredients in their beauty products and also want to treat themselves to something beautiful and functional, Kjaer Weis is the brand for you.

The cream blushes are the only products I own from the brand, but my experience with these convinces me that I need to try everything else in the line. Before I start gushing about the product, let it be known that these cost a real pretty penny. At $56 for 3.5 oz of product, and $32 for the refill pan alone, this is one of the most expensive products that I own. However, I say with complete sincerity and seriousness that they are worth every penny.

The texture of these blushes are divine. They are soft, smooth, and delightfully pigmented for how soft and smooth they are. This definitely sits on the side of a dewy cream blush rather than a cream to powder formula. Usually when a blush is this creamy, I find that they have a more sheer formula, but these pack a punch as well. The first time I tried these, the texture had me slightly worried that they wouldn’t stand up to my oily skin at all, but fear not, these also hold up for a long time. They’re not quite as long-wearing as a stain, but they last about 5-6 hours for me on their own, and then the whole day when I wear powder blush on top. Even though I set my cream products with powder blush 99% of the time, I find that the creamy texture of this blush works over my bare skin when I want a natural and minimal look, so I’ll often wear this when I’m out running errands and don’t want to wear a full face.

I have this in two shades: Blossoming and Above and Beyond. Blossoming is a light rose-mauve shade that is my preferred everyday shade. It looks like a cool shade, but it blends so well into my skintone and manages to mix with my warm/olive undertones to be brightening and flattering. Above and Beyond is a bright coral-red shade that is perfect for summer, although I’ve been wearing it in the winter as well for a more summery vibe.

I could easily see all of the shades working for me in some way, and will be slowly working my way through all the shades.Since I already have two compacts, I can switch out the pans as I finish them. Side note – I really wish more brands would get on board with the compact/refill pan wagon. I’m glad that we’ve seen them a lot more in the past few years, but they seem to be limited to eyeshadow shades! I would love to see more refills for blushes, bronzers, lipsticks, etc.

If you haven’t tried these blushes yet, or any Kjaer Weis products, I highly recommend you go and check them out right now. I’m starting to see them in more places, but I think they are still a highly underrated brand.

 

Bite Beauty Multistick

Bite Beauty is one of those brands that instantly has me intrigued with every product they make. I love that they focus on lip products, but when they came out with the Multisticks, which are – well, multiuse products, I was totally on board. I somehow exercised extreme restraint when I first saw these (and have since done so) because I only own one shade of this in Almond. It’s what I call a very “me” shade – a deep red-brown. I chose this because I could see it working well as a lipstick and blended out as a blush, and I do wear them both ways. With the formula, I *could* wear these on my eyes, but the shade is just a little more red that I find is flattering as an eyeshadow, but I have done it in a pinch.

The multisticks are another product that have a drier cream-to-powder formula, so great if you have oily skin. If you were to swipe it on the skin, it does skip a little bit as you can see in the swatches, but it’s not a problem if I’m blending it out with my fingers anyway.

My favorite thing about these is how portable they are with the stick application, and if I’m feeling low maintenance, I can just use this as my sole lip and cheek product. For the multipurpose value, the price is more than worth it at $24 for 4.75 oz.

 

Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow

Although these have been on the market for a long time, I just discovered these in the past few months. First, at TJ Maxx – which, if you aren’t regularly checking TJ Maxx or Marshalls for beauty products, you’re seriously missing out. I’ve found so much stuff there that is still full-priced in other retailers, especially in the past year or so – but they also will sometimes go on sale at Space NK.

Even though this is a tiny compact with less product in comparison ($26 for 4.5g), this is another example of a highly pigmented cream blush where I just need a light dab to apply on my cheeks. These have a drier texture, but they still feel very creamy and easy to blend. They are just the type of blush that is easy to dab onto my skin and will stay because they don’t have a lot of slip. I could see one of these pans lasting me a very long time because of how little product I need for an application.

I have this in the shade Liquifuchsia, which is a very intimidating looking hot fuchsia pink color. But blended out, this leaves a gorgeous cool pink flush which actually is similar to my actual flushed look. I also have a duo in Nuelle/Bloodroses. Nuelle is a peachy-brown nude shade that is perfect for a barely there look, and Bloodroses is a wine red shade that also looks intimidating, but also blends out to a sheer rosy blush. I love all three shades for the different looks they provide! While they are newer to me, I can see myself buying more of these in future because the formula is so fantastic.

Noto Botanics

I’ve mentioned Noto Botanics before, but they are a newish brand to me that creates really great multi-purpose products. I like that they are minimalist and emphasize multi-purpose, unisex products with natural ingredients. Their color products are available in jar form and in stick form, which I absolutely love, because the stick version would be perfect as a lipstick or a more compact travel product, but I personally love the aesthetics of the jar.

The Multi-Benne Stain is a pigmented waxy cream product that works for both cheek and lips, but I like them best on my cheeks, especially the Ono Ono shade. Ono Ono is described as a “burnt peachy orange,” and that’s exactly how I would describe it as well. It’s just the right kind of tone I like for a warm but still neutral blush.

Because of the waxier texture, it works particularly well as a cream blush that doesn’t quite stain like a liquid stain, but does leave a long-wearing tint on my cheeks. It also smells refreshing because of the Peppermint in  the ingredients, but if you’re sensitive to Peppermint scents, I would probably advise you to stay away from this one. All in all, this is one of my newest cream blush products, but the formula and shade makes it a top pick for me.

Here are some swatches. Sorry that the order of the products switch between different lighting. I took the photos on different days and switched some of the products by accident!

Indirect lighting:

Direct Sunlight:

I know there are a lot of picks here, and I apologize if it’s hard to get ahold of the Becca Shimmer Souffles and Josie Maran Cheek Gelees. I wanted to include them in case they pop up somewhere, or if you have them already and just need a subtle reminder that they’re still great products! Otherwise, I hope you find some new products to try out that will work especially well for oily skin and/or hot and humid weather.

I know I definitely have a few more cream blushes I’d like to try, including: Rituel de Fille, Make Up For Ever, and probably a few others that I’m forgetting! I’d love to know what your favorite cream blushes are, especially ones that are less on the dewy side and more on the long-wearing side.

Otherwise, thanks for reading, as always.