Blush Blindness︱Cream and Liquid Blush Product Review

First appearing in the limelight in 2020 with Dior's elusive Addict Lip Glow, lip oils are the trend of the summer with effortless hydration and shine.

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It is Hot Girl Summer™, and a not-so-new female artist is topping charts and TikTok trends. No, I am not talking about Chappel Roan (although “Pink Pony Club” is a Hot Girl Summer™ song if I have ever heard one). I am talking about Sabrina Carpenter. Sabrina has been a performer from her days on the Disney Channel show Girl Meets World, the 2014 iteration of Boy Meets World. Dipping her toe in the music industry in 2015 with Eyes Wide Open, Sabrina hit it big last August when she opened up for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and this summer with hits like “Please Please Please”, “Nonsense”, and “Espresso”.

It is not just her music her fans adore. Sabrina has crafted a signature style of short, frilly dresses, often featuring large heart cut-outs, a stunning blowout, and super-high heels. Her ultra-fem (style) is complete with what the Internet calls “blush blindness;" I am so here for it.

What is “blush blindness?” According to Cosmopolitan, blush blindness is

“…A concept that refers to someone not being able to notice how much blush they're packing on, so they keep layering until the effect becomes noticeable to everyone but themselves.”

Yes and no. Makeup is an art form, so anything goes. With microtrends like “sunburn makeup” (which involves heavily blushing your cheeks, chin, and forehead to mimic the natural flush from a long day outdoors), blush is more likely to be exaggerated with a ready-to-wear connotation. Plus, blush comes in nearly every shade of the rainbow, so perhaps it is more about choosing the right one before layering it on.

I have a background in musical theatre, and there is no such thing as blush blindness under stage light. No Spring musical dress rehearsal is complete until the director sends someone back to add more blush, mascara, or lipstick. With dozens of spotlights highlighting your every move, the finer details of your face get washed out, and bold, almost clownish makeup ensures the back row sees every expression.

Sabrina Carpenter is a performer, and her heaviest blush looks often come directly from the stage. Her sun-kissed look was present during her SNL and Hot Ones appearances with her off-stage wardrobe invoking her stage persona.

Whether you believe in “a little goes a long way” or “I want enough blush I look perpetually flushed,” finding the right product, especially during the summer, can be crucial. In honor of Ms. Carpenter, I have rounded up my three favorite cream and liquid blushes (plus some honorable mentions) to review. I include application tips, so grab a pen and paper!

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Anastasia Beverly Hills Blurring Serum Blush debuted this July as a liquid companion to the brand's stick blush. Most recently added to my collection as gifted gratis (products Ulta gives employees to try and recommend), I was immediately impressed with the lightweight feel. I chose the deep Plum shade (a daring decision for a terracotta-loving blush girl), and I think it is perfect for deeper skin tones.

Blurring Serum Blush is a serum-based blush that hydrates skin and allows for complete control of pigment intensity. Formulated with avocado extract and niacinamide, it blurs the look of pores with or without foundation. Equipped with a needle-nose precision applicator, applying the Blurring Serum Blush is mess-free.

How to Apply: Anastasia Beverly Hills Blurring Serum Blush comes in a squeeze tube with a needle-nose applicator. Squeeze directly onto the cheeks, and blend with your fingers or a beauty blender. (The brand recommends using your fingers, but I found a smoother application came from using the flattened end of a beauty blender).

Here are my issues with the Blurring Serum Blush. My first-hand swatch yielded high pigment, but every application since has been lacking. Anastasia claims the Blurring Serum Blush only needs one dot per cheek for a natural application and two to three for a more dramatic finish. I found three dots barely covered my cheeks with a natural flush and applied at least three more dots before being somewhat satisfied with the color.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Blurring Serum Blush is available in five shades at $25 per 0.32 oz. Purchase from Anastasia Beverly Hills.

IT Cosmetics 

IT Cosmetics Glow With Confidence Sun Cream Blush debuted this summer as a counterpart to the Hello Sunshine Invisible Face Sunscreen. My Ulta location hosted an event centering around IT Cosmetics, specifically selling sunscreen and blush. A thank-you and reward for our effort, the company representatives gave us the Hello Sunshine Invisible Face Sunscreen and allowed us to pick a shade of the Glow With Confidence Sun Cream Blush; I chose the shade Sun Warmth 30.

Glow With Confidence Sun Cream Blushes are pigment-packed cream blushes that begin with a highly concentrated color and blend into a sun-kissed blush. Formulated with a 92% solid serum skincare based packed with hyaluronic acid, peptides, and Vitamin E, the formula is non-comedogenic and allergy tested. A blush and bronzer duo, the balmy texture does not dry or settle into fine lines.

How to Apply: IT Cosmetics Glow With Confidence Sun Cream Blush comes in a cosmetic jar with the diameter of a standard beauty blender. Tap into the product with the rounded end of the beauty blender, and tap two or three dots on both cheekbones. Focusing on one side, blend the blush to the apples of your cheek and up to your temples, blending into your hairline. Tap excess blush on the tip of your nose or anywhere your skin naturally flushes in the sun for a true sun-kissed look. Add a subtle glow with a liquid or powder highlight for healthy, hydrated-looking skin.

It Cosmetics Glow With Confidence Sun Cream Blush is available in 5 shades at $30 per 0.63 oz. IT Cosmetics recommends using your CC+ Cream shade for your perfect match, but I chose a deeper shade than recommended because Sunlit 10 felt too pink. Purchase from IT Cosmetics.

KVD

KVD Good Apple Blush Balm Duos caught my attention after the product was released and debuted at the Ulta Beauty location where I work. Already a fan of Rare Beauty’s liquid blush and decided unexcited about stick blushes, a blush balm seemed a natural evolution. Another self-bought birthday gift, Elusive Orchard, with the shades Gilded Apple and Glass Apple, is my everyday staple.

Good Apple Blush Balm Duos are nicely pigmented velvet-finish blush that layers over foundation without removing what is underneath. Formulated with sodium hyaluronate and apple extract to nourish and hydrate skin, the Good Apple Blush Balm Duos has long-lasting pigment without budging.

How to Apply: Packed with pigment, Good Apple Blush Balm Duos feature two pigments to use together or separately. I apply Glass Apple with the flat side of a beauty blender, from the temples to the apples of my cheeks, along with a bit on the outer corner of the eye. Dash a bit on the tip of the nose for a sun-kissed look. If the color applies too strongly, go over the blush with the remaining foundation on your beauty blender or translucent setting powder.

KVD Good Apple Blush Balm Duos are available in 4 combinations (each with two colors) at $34 per 0.210 (0.105 of each shade) oz. Purchase from KVD.

Morphe

Morphe Huephoric Rush 3-in-1 Silk Blush was released as recently as Summer 2024, a precursor to the Hot Shot Blush Drops (which will not be covered today). Immediately annoyed with the swirl of product and primer that always looks messy on the displays, I had no interest in the Huephoric Rush 3-in-1 Silk Blush until I received the shade Hypnotized in gratis. I only recently picked this blush up from my makeup stash to add to this article, but I have become infatuated.

Huephoric Rush 3-in-1 Silk Blushes are buildable, hydrating blushes mixed with a blurring primer for all-day wear. Formulated with vegetable collagen, bamboo extract, and hyaluronic filling spheres, the natural matte finish layers from a barely-there flush to a statement blush. The buttery primer locks in the pigment; I fell asleep wearing the blush and woke up with my flush intact. Vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free, Huephoric Rush 3-in-1 Silk Blush is a new favorite.

How to Apply: To take advantage of both the pigment and blush, swirl your applicator around the pan to mix the two formulas before applying to the face. I am an avid beauty blender user (as I find they work better with cream and liquid formulas), but the best results for Huephoric Rush come from blending the blush out with your fingers. Tapping on the blush allows for high pigment payoff and a seamless blend into foundation or bare skin. Take it to the temples for a full flush, or experiment with blushing your lips.

Morphe Huephoric Rush 3-in-1 Silk Blush is available in six shades at $15 per 0.28 oz. Purchase from Morphe.

Rare Beauty

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush became an instant internet sensation from day one of its September 2020 launch. I did not try the product until my nineteenth birthday. It was my first year of college, and for my birthday, I drove to the Woodlands Mall for a bit of self-gifting and found my way into Sephora. The Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes were on a promotional table, with only a few shades left. I picked up the shade Hope and became a fan of Rare Beauty.

Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes are highly pigmented liquid blushes that blend beautifully for the perfect blushy base. Formulated with Rare Beauty’s Botanical Blend of lotus, gardenia, and white water lily, the lightweight blush is ideal for all-day wear. 

How to Apply: Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush only needs a little to go a long way. I apply two to three dots on both cheekbones and blend with the flat side of my beauty blender from the Temporal line (a fancy way of saying the divots in your skull near your eyebrows) down to the apples of my cheek. Clean up unruly blush with concealer if the blush has migrated too far down your cheeks. Set with a translucent setting powder for a more natural look, or pack on a powder blush for Sabrina Carpenter-esque pigment.

I enjoy blending a bit of my blush from my cheekbones onto the outer corners of my eyes in place of eyeshadow for a natural but elevated look.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is available in 13 shades (matte and dewy) at $23 per 0.25 oz. This product won Cosmopolitan’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Award. Purchase from Rare Beauty. 

Alia

(I am a retail employee of Ulta Beauty. All opinions and ideas are my own.)