Editor Favorites: Blushes Our Editors Are Loving Right Now
From creams to powders, here's what has us blushing.
Rowan Lynam
From Tomato Girl to Strawberry Makeup, the past year of trending makeup looks mastered the art of a good blush. And this year, with experts predicting a return of regency and coquettish beauty, we don’t expect blushes to be going anywhere any time soon. And in our search for the best of the best, we’ve come across some that have truly blown us away.
Blush Can Make You Look Younger
Remember, a good blush is only as complimentary as the placement you’ve chosen.
“Avoid applying blush in the hollows of the cheeks,” says celebrity makeup artist Kira Nasrat. “This can make you look a bit dated.” Instead, choose a cream blush and apply onto the apples of the cheeks for a youthful glow. “Just make sure you blend it in so it’s seamless.”
Another key way to keep your blush ageless is to have the right formula. Cream blushes are well-known for their easy blendable formulas, allowing for a natural wash of color to be built up into a rosy glow that looks like it came from within.
But that doesn’t mean powder is no longer an option.
Thanks to innovative formulas, like the rice powder blush from Ere Perez below, powder blushes are more buildable and blendable than ever before. Many of them now also contain good-for-skin anti-aging ingredients that keep you hydrated all day long.
The Blushes Editors Wear on the Daily
From pigment as skin care and blushes that pull double-duty, we’re rounding up the best of the blushes we’ve tried over the past year, including the ones we’re already buying more of. For the I-woke-up-like-this flush and the dramatic punch of color, these are the blushes on our vanity and in our purses.
Recommended by beauty editor Allie Hogan for its skin care superiority, Baby Cheeks is the on-the-go blush that soothes irritated skin.
“I tried this blush a little over a year ago and haven’t looked back,” Hogan says. “It provides a flush of color that adds a dynamic to my complexion, rosacea and all, that makes me feel more confident. The magic behind the stick is celebrity makeup artist Gucci Westman—who herself has rosacea. She aims to create skin care–based makeup so it never feels heavy and always feels hydrating. My favorite shade is Petal, but I also love Bichette around the holiday season.”
“A former NewBeauty Award winner, Victoria Beckham Cheeky Posh is still one of my favorite blushes of all time,” says Britt Fallon, NewBeauty’s director of beauty. “The chic, stick packaging, the creamy texture and the natural-looking flush of color make it a delight to use. My go-to shade is Major, a rosy pink.”
This on-the-go blush is also botanically-enhanced for a velvety application and soothes skin.
“The Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil has had my cheeks in a chokehold since its launch,” says NewBeauty aesthetic content manager, Tatiana Bido. “I love that it has a sheer, dewy finish I can build on and gives me a healthy-looking flush that complements the radiance of Mario’s Surreal Skin foundation. I would say the combination of both have made my 45-year-old complexion look a few decades younger.”
If you’re looking for a shade to try, Bido has your back. “My go-to is the Perfect Pink shade but don’t sleep on Barely Blushing, it’s the perfect neutral blush when you just want a natural flush for some definition,” says Bido.
Chosen by our very own executive editor, Liz Ritter, this is Dibs’ number-one best seller for a reason.
“I am obsessed with this multi-use stick,” Ritter explains. “One side is a blush, one side is a bronzer and there are so many shades to choose from. Besides being insanely hydrating, it also saves space in your bag by not taking up a ton of room.”
Recommended by NewBeauty associate director, digital content Danielle Fontana Dooley, this talc-free blush gives you the power of a peachy summer glow with its half mandarin, half pink combo. The oil-absorbing formula is the perfect way to minimize your high-shine days, and the touch of vitamin E and chamomile make this blush a soothing, calming experience for your skin.
This blush also ticks sustainability boxes, with its refillable compact design.
Housed in a compostable paper foam, this powder blush is the best of all blush textures. It blurs seamlessly like a cream but has the diffused lasting power of a powder. Top that off with five dreamy matte shades and you have the perfect recipe for your next favorite blush.
“I ended up going outside my comfort zone and getting Only Drama, the magenta color,” says NewBeauty editor Rowan Lynam. “I was really impressed with how smooth and soft the pigment starts; it lets you build up into a flush without overpowering your whole face. That makes it great for your first foray into a purple blush.”
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