I love MAC’s 159, which is a duo-fiber brush. It works well for applying color as well as for blending out the edges.
— Christine
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
My trusty, and dirt cheap, e.l.f. Small Stipple brush! I bought it specifically for the ColourPop Cheek Shock blushes I bought a few years ago, and it works very nicely with the very bright shades I got, like Pie, for instance.
I agree! The Elf Small Stipple is amazing. I actually use Liquid Lipsticks as a cream/liquid blush for pigment and longevity and this is the only one that saturates and diffuses. 🙂
Most of the time, I prefer my fingers over any brush for cream blushes. On the rare occasions I do use one (mostly with ColourPop’s blushes), it’s the e.l.f. Small Stipple Brush.
None, IMO. I think the reason people think cream blush is hard to apply is because they use brushes. Fingers are best–it warms the product and makes it easier to spread and get a very natural look. I use cream blush almost exclusively now and have not found a brush that works anywhere near as well as fingers.
Fingers, Zoeva cream cheek, a Japonesque, stipple, or RT duo fibre. Might get a Zoeva small stipple, bec the ones I have are large. That brush could be useful for CP highlighter, too. Often tap on with fingers for placement, then blend with one of those synthetics. Natural fibre does not cut it at all. Speaking of Zoeva, they added PayPal to their pmt choices. IDK if the shipping rate has changed. Missed the holiday sale, bec my card would not go through the new portal. Hopefully, PayPal fixes that glitch.
WG #1 works well, but I usually use my fingers.
I almost always use my fingers but if I can’t get it to blend as nicely as I would like I usually use the Real Techniques stipple brush. I almost always use my foundation brush with whatever remaining product on it, to blend out the edges for a seamless transition.
I usually just use my fingers maybe any stippling brush if I applied too much.
I mostly use my fingers, but I really like the brush Cle de Peau released with the new cream blushes.
With cream I swear by my clean fingers. Much more natural finish than any brush.
I like the e.l.f. small stipple brush for cream blushes.
Definitely Real Techniques Stippling brush for me. Always blends everything out perfectly and is easy to get the right amount.
Fingers or Wet n Wild small stipple brush
With cream blushes that are not too intensely pigmented, the Real Techniques Face Expert works well to deposit the color and diffuse. If it needs more blending I go for the Stippling Brush, also by RT.
For more pigmented cream blushes that require a lighter hand, I use a fluffy slanted kabuki from It Cosmetics that I got in a set a couple years ago. It works beautifully for a natural finish with brighter colors. It was LE but it looks a lot like their Heavenly Luxe Blush Brush #4, except in a kabuki format.
I honestly don’t remember the last time I used a brush for cream blush. I usually go in with my fingers and to blur the edges out I just use whatever brush/sponge I used for foundation.
I usually prefer my fingers for cream blush, but I did buy a couple brushes to try it out with. I have the Real Techniques stippling brush and stigma one.
Ecotools Skin Perfecting Brush!!!
It’s angled, dense, and slightly duo-fibered.
Stiff enough to blend the driest cream blushes, but soft enough to diffuse and stipple.
Not my favorite for a foundation, but it does very well with cream blush and contour/highlight.
I tried a variety of thing to help with application of creme blush but the only two things that I find work are either my fingers or the ELF Small Stipple brush.
i use the wayne goss brush 1. it’s billed as a foundation brush but imho, it doesnt perform well for that. it sucks up too much product and foundation looks patchy no matter how well i blend or stipple.
it, however, found a new life as a cream brush! its small diameter fits easily into most cream pots and the duo fibre stipples and swirls the colour well. i also use it to blend undereye concealer (if not used for blush).
I use my fingers though, if need to blend further, use Bobbi Brown’s Full Coverage Face brush. I know the larger WG 1 brush works with creams but I haven’t gotten the nerve to break it in.
e.l.f. small stippling brush!
MAC short duo fiber 130
Looks like I need that ELF brush. I need to get that for my new multiple!