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5 Blushes to Try for Dark Skin Tones
Here are five blushes worth considering for darker skin tones! Again, this is a short and sweet list but is by no means exhaustive; I tried to include a variety of colors, finishes, and undertones, but just because you don’t see a blush listed here doesn’t mean it wouldn’t work 🙂 I’d love to hear your personal favorites for dark skin tones in the comments!
- Milani Bella Rosa — a bright, medium-dark pink with cool undertones and a matte finish
- NARS Lovejoy — a medium-dark plum with warm, gold shimmer and a soft satin finish
- Becca Papaya/Topaz — a gold-shimmered, copper-brown
- NARS Taj Mahal — a vibrant tangerine orange with a luminous sheen
- Kevyn Aucoin Fira — a rich, orange-red with a matte finish
I want to try the Milani and second NARS one!
I hope you get a chance to try ’em!
Great picks. I own a few of those shades and love them! NYX Cinnamon is also a great blush. It’s a orange that looks beautiful on anyone, but really pops on warmer skin. I found this little gem a few months ago and have to make a conscience effort to choose other colors because I grab for this almost daily 🙂
Cinnamon is great for darker skin tones!
Thank you for posting this. I found it very helpful.
So glad I could help, Angela!
Fabulous list n as I eagerly want to try one of the becca blushes I will definitely be buying papaya
honestly
I have this already in my cart but there arent enough good reviews for this particular shade so I was confused ….
not now though …
love love love lovejoy n taj mahal … u can’t go wrong with these two shades
I am NC 40 in MAC n my personal fav would be :
Chanel Chamade cream blush
Chanel ultra rose jouse contraste
NARS taj mahal
MAC fleur power
Estee Lauder the siren
If you love shades like Taj Mahal, Siren, etc., I think you will like Papaya!
Added to my next purchase
I have promised myself to try and buy
becca n
bite beauty
this yr round 🙂
Thanks for the recommendations! I like using Lovejoy year-round as either a blush or bronzer.
Nice! 🙂 I think Lovejoy is a great blush for a variety of skin tones, but it’s a nice subtler option for darker skin tones (since not everyone wants to wear BAM! Taj Mahal or Exhibit A).
I’m glad you mentioned that because I feel like when it comes to darker skin tones people always assume we want a loud, bright blush so it’s nice to see more of an everyday shade. 🙂
Exactly! The most obvious is to recommend the most pigmented, brightest shades, as they have a better chance of showing up on darker complexions, but there is a whole selection of shades that can still be visible but give a softer, subtler look, too.
Nars Taj Mahal is my favorite blush EVER. It’s so amazing on darker skin–it highlights the skin and gives a beautiful punch of color that has a slight sheen to it. I’m going to have to try the Kevyn Aucoin shade. Sounds gorge!
I love, love, LOVE Taj Mahal on darker skin tones, too. It really shines on deeper complexions!
Lovejoy is the best! I’m not dark skinned but medium/olive and I use it as a sort of blush/bronzer in one.
It’s a great shade for a lot of skin tones! 🙂 So glad you love it!
Thanks for the list Christine. Some of my favorites for dark skin are Hourglass – Radiant Magenta and Mood Exposure; Dior – #986 Star Fuchsia; Nars – Seduction, Coeur Battant, Exhibit A, and Montenegro; Mac – Azalea, Blunt, Format, Frankly Scarlett, Magenta, Raizin, Love Thing, and Love Joy; Tarte – Flush; MUF – #515 and #520 (Second Skin Cream Blush).
So great to know that Radiant Magenta works on darker skin tones! 😀
I have the Becca one, and with a light hand, it looks amazing. I’m NC45… Is that dark skin? Hourglass Diffused a Heat is also nice!
Hey Faith!
Medium-dark – between medium and dark 🙂
I have the Milani blush and I love it! It’s so bold but blendable. I also have Lovejoy but I still haven’t opened it yet lol. I’m going to crack it open today! Taj Mahal and the Becca blush are on my list next. I love both colors!
YAY! Glad you’re going to try Lovejoy today 😀
Format by MAC and Orange cream blush by NYX are the only blushes I own, but I find they are great. I’m NC 45 and I use Format for my dramatic night looks while I tend to use Orange for daytime. Great list! I’ll try to open up to pink blushes because Bella Rose is beautiful!!
I hope you give pink a try, Rosie 😀
Gorgeous picks! Im medium in skin (Nc30) tone and i tend to go for bold blushes (Like bella rosa, exhibit a)Christine, what brush would you recommend for pigmented blushes? Thank you!
I like stippling brushes like MAC’s 188 or 187 as well as fan brushes (but ones that aren’t too large)!
Thanks a lot christine! <3 its between the 188 and 184. Leaning towards 184 because its cheaper! Im def gonna visit my local mac pro soon!
I have the Milani, Nars and Becca blushes that you listed. I’d also add Illamasqua Excite and Thrust. Nars Seduction is also a fave.
I can see Seduction being really lovely on darker complexions!
How does Fira compare to Exhibit A from NARS?
They are similar! You compare them in the Swatch Gallery 🙂 http://www.temptalia.com/submit-dupe?sbs=1&pid=140518&dupe=111338
I’m NC42, Syracuse (depending on the website that’s medium or dark, lol) and I love:
Nars – Dolce Vita, Gilda, Gina, Love, Madly, and Mata Hari
MAC – Gingerly, Melba, and, Pinch Me
I am pretty shiny on my own, so I try to stay away from sheen, satin and shimmer.
Great picks, Chrystal! 🙂
The Milani one is gorgeous! I’d love to have it. I’ll have to see if Milaniis available somewhere online where they also ship internationally. Gorgeous colour!
I hope you can track it down!
Nice picks! Blush #45 from Inglot is also really pretty in my opinion on darker skintones!( it’s kind of a burnt orange shade)
Good to know that #45 works well, too!
That Kevyn Aucoin one is hypnotic! It reminds me of being at the NARS counter recently and instantly being drawn to Exhibit A. I swatched it, expecting to have a ROFL moment at whatever it did on my vampire skin, but with a little careful blending it actually worked. I can only imagine how fabulous that firey orange must look on dark skin!
I wonder if you’ll purchase Exhibit A 😉
Thanks for posting this. I have NARS Taj Mahal on my wish list but now I need to add Lovejoy and Milani Bella Rosa.
My pleasure, Sheila! 😀
I’ve been going back and forth on the Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle. I played with it in store and I really really loved the texture! I may just have to buy it now! 🙂
The texture is very nice!
NARS Liberte, Sin, Taos, Outlaw and Torrid; Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Coral Reef, MAC Breezy and Black Radiance in Ruby Treasure.
Awesome choices, Chris 🙂
This is an awesome, helpful list! I am south asian (NW35) and I love how us medium-dark to dark skinned women can wear bright blushes with ease! I love Nars Taj Mahal and Torrid. For MAC blushes, Lovething looks great on darker skins. I also reach for the NYX mosaic blush in Love quite a bit, although its lasting power isnt that great. Im thinking about purchasing that Milani blush that you listed!
The Milani blush would be lovely on your NW35 skin!
I own Nars Taj Mahal and I am wearing Becca Papaya/Topaz today love them both. Nars makes some of my favorites : Mata Hari, Taos, Orgasm and Desire. Tarte’s Natural Beauty and Achiote. MAC Bite of an Apple,Modern Mandarin, Amazon Princess and Marine Life. Drugstore Maybelline Coral Burst and Physicians Formula Happy Boosting Rose.
NARS’ blush range is excellent for darker skin tones in general – a lot of options!
I am a 47 year old MAC NC50 gal. I use the following:
MAC Raizin, I know there are others 🙂
MUFE HD 515-Tangerine
NARS TAOS, Lovejoy, Dolce Vita
NYX Mocha, Cinnamon, Desert Rose, Dusty Rose, Amber
NYX Tea Rose and Water Lily give a nice flush look to the skin
Thanks, Christine for recommendations for darker skin tones.
I also use BECCA Opal and Topaz, MAC Golden, Stereo Rose. I find that mature skin looses its glow and radiance.
Always happy to share! Raizin is a classic 😀
I’ve had my eye on Lovejoy and I might just have to pick up! Here’s some of my go-to blushes.
Mac: Gingerly, Modern Mandarin & Sweet as Cocoa
Nars: Taos, Torrid
NYX: Cinnamon, Tea Rose (Cream)
Great picks, Monica! Torrid is a nice shade.
I don’t know my MAC match, but I wear Bobbi Brown Warm Honey or Golden Honey. As for blushes that look really nice on me, I like MAC Pinch Me, Fashion Fair Bronze, L’oreal Soft Sun, Smashbox Gingersnap (which has been discontinued, but Dior Mimi Bronze is similar), Nars Taos, and Nars Liberte. If I want to be subtle, Bobbi Brown Almond or Blushed works well.
Happy to hear that you found a replacement for Gingersnap should you run out!
Milani one looks great.. I am planning to try NARS Taj Mahal too.. 🙂
You will look gorgeous in Taj Mahal!
Christine,
Awesome list! I always feel like the deeper complexions get left out because most companies don’t cater to our skin. You consistently look out for us and that is greatly appreciated. I own the Milani Bella Rose and I have heard much about Taj Mahal and Lovejoy, so I will definitely be checking those out! A few of my faves are Black Radiance Toasted Almond, MAC Raizin, Milani Rose D’Oro, Sleek Blush in Rose Gold, Sleek Blush in Flushed, and Sleek’s Blush by 3 in Lace, Sugar, Pink Sprint, and Flame. (I clearly love Sleek Blushes…lol)
Thanks again for everything that you do! 😉
Always my pleasure 🙂 I would say Taj Mahal and Lovejoy are two of the blushes I see regularly recommended to/for darker complexions (by darker complexions). I need to revisit Raizin, because I hear about this one a lot!