I'm a real blush girl ⋆˙⟡♡
I won't cover my acne but I will wear blush
I’m a blush girl through and through, but honestly, who isn’t these days?
I was recently devouring one of Rachel Strugatz’s Puck Pieces, which discussed Gen-Z’s fixation with blush in relation to Rhode’s newest launch teaser. It made me reflect on my own fascination with blush and what it is about this particular product category that excites me so much. I mean, I can feel myself buzzing at Sephora, knowing that I’ll probably have a new blush in tow when I walk out. I’m not quite sure if that’s normal.
If I had to put my finger on it, I’d say that I’m mostly drawn to blush because it’s a complexion-enhancing product that has no emphasis on concealing or perfecting. I love viewing makeup as a tool for creative expression, but I’d be totally lying if I said I never felt the industry’s oppressive chokehold, always implying that we must resort to foundations or concealers whenever our skin falls short of an “ideal” appearance. But what’s nice about blush is that if I look in the mirror and just don’t feel my best (whether that’s because of breakouts or just general London pastiness), a few taps of blush along my cheeks and the bridge of my nose are a way to add a flush of color to my face, breathing a bit of life into my skin without having to methodically cover anything up.
I do love a full-glam moment, but I kind of hate that feeling of “taking my face off” at the end of the day and having to confront my real skin texture and discoloration, especially when I’m going through a particularly rough patch with my skin. Blush brings a fresh and lively glow to my complexion, diminishing any discoloration by adding a natural-looking color to my skin, all without making me feel like I'm wearing a mask.
So, as someone who’s been a long-time devotee to the category, I’ve assembled quite an arsenal of blush products that I reach for time and time again. So today, I thought I’d share my top picks for all different consistencies—cream, powder, and duo—depending on what you’re in the mood for.
Patrick Ta Blush Duo in “She’s Giving”
My sister is a makeup wearer (and she’s good at doing it too! ), but she’s the kind of person who needs an extremely quick and easy routine. Her ideal product is something creamy, light, and hydrating, which she can blend out in a rush with her fingers.
I say this to clarify that this is probably not a product I’d recommend to her because it’s a little fussy. The issue with the creamy, balmy, hydrating blush products my sister likes (no shade, sorry Harley! ), is that the pigment fades from the skin in two seconds. You look absolutely gorgeous right after application, but an hour later it’s like you never put on makeup in the first place, and I just simply don’t have time for consistent touch-ups throughout the day. I need my blush to last, especially when I’m reaching for it in lieu of foundation or concealer sometimes.
This Patrick Ta blush is a duo palette that comes with both a powder and a cream formula. You can wear them separately, of course, but it’s recommended that you layer them for the full effect. It might go against your intuition, but you actually apply the cream after the powder—that way you get the long-lasting pigment benefits of powder with the dewy, hydrating finish of a cream. I’ll apply this in the morning, and no matter what I do that day—whether I’m sweaty, out dancing (I wore this to Eras Tour!) or just out from morning to evening, it will not budge. It’s a total godsend.
“She’s Giving” is this vibrant, cool-toned, bubblegum pink, which is a shade I never in a million years would have thought I’d love so much. But I’ve been really inspired by Sabrina Carpenter’s rosey, glowy cheeks, and so I wanted to try something that was similar to the bright, youthful flush she always has. And I absolutely can’t get enough of it.
Pat McGrath Balm Blush in “Peach Lotus” & “Sunkissed Seduction”
We’re quick to deem someone "mother," but there’s truly no other way to describe the patron saint of dewy skin, Pat McGrath, and what she’s done for the beauty community, both in our makeup bags and on the runways.
I’ve been a really long-time fan of her powder blushes, but I recently tried her balm formulas and have been wearing them legitimately nonstop. They give the skin that balmy, nourished, dewy look that you get in more conventional cream blushes, but what makes them so special is that they’re extremely pigmented, so the flush has excellent staying power on the cheeks. Despite their intense pigment, they’re quite buildable, so it’s not like a little bit is going to make you look clown-like (I had this issue with the Rare Beauty blushes). These Pat blushes are easy enough for someone like my sister to use and blend out, but they’re long-lasting enough to warrant the seal of approval from a finicky beauty obsessive such as myself. I also just love the ease of a stick blush that you can swipe on and blend out with your fingers, a makeup brush, or a beauty sponge. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the colors “Peach Lotus," which adds this really pretty, warm, peachy, youthful pinch to the cheeks, and “Sunkissed Seduction," which is the perfect burnt sienna for a summertime, caught-the-sun flush (this shade really reminds me of Make Beauty’s Bisou Bisou, which had been my go-to for years and sadly got discontinued).
Laura Mercier Blush in Chai
When I’m going out at night, sometimes ultra-dewiness isn’t my top priority for my makeup. Instead, I’d rather my blush look soft and blurred. This is exactly what you get from this Laura Mercier blush in "Chai," which I learned about through one of my favorite makeup artists to follow on TikTok, Aoife Cullen. The shade “Chai” is this gorgeous dirty rose with some mauvey undertones, adding a neutral flush that’s neither too orangey warm nor too purpley.
This buttery powder blush is super buildable—it’s soft and light at first, but when you continue to swipe it across your cheeks, it starts to seriously pack a punch. But again, the thing that really makes this blush stand out is the incredible (and kind of mysterious?) airbrushed effect it gives to the skin—even when I’m having a bad skin day, this blush blurs and smooths out my skin anyway I’ve applied it. It’s also super duper long-lasting and can withstand any sweaty weather or night out dancing.