Anything that’s hard to blend is not for me. I find blush to be a tricky product to apply consistently, so I want something that will apply evenly, blend out easily, and stay in place well every time I wear it, not just sometimes. It needs to play well with bare skin, light foundation, and full coverage foundation.
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* huge compacts where 1/2 of the space is left out for crappy brushes or even applicators or worse: for nothing!
* slim pans
* “highly pigmented” blushes – I understand it for deep skin tones but not as an overall product strategy. I can’t take a brand seriously, if it that communicates “lot pigment = better quality”
* highly pearlescent blushes – although it seems appealing to combine blush with highlighter, in the end it always looks terrible when light gets reflected from underneath the cheekbones
* cheek tints
Anything hard to blend and anything that is patchy on bare skin or with foundation on.
Also anything with chunks of glitter – not my thing.
Dealbreakers: Non-powder blush, glitter, unnatural shades for my skin tone, difficult to blend, not long-lasting.
Blendable, not too dark, not too pigmented, plays well with bare skin/unset concealer/set concealer, and if it fades I’d like it to fade evenly. I prefer cream and liquid blushes (CP SSC, Bite MS, Glossier CP), but that’s not a complete deal breaker – it’s more just what I gravitate towards.
Poor staying power or blendability will have me tossing the blush right into the trash without hesitation. Lately I’m not too fond of shimmer either, but I’ve liked a blush or two with some shine in the past so it may be a phase.
Hard to blend, yes. Anything that’s stiff in the pan is also a no-no, if I can’t pick up any blush how the heck am I going to use it?
I’m also not a fan of super glittery formulas. When I was in my early 20’s I could get away with Super Orgasm. As a chick in her early 30’s, it just doesn’t work for me anymore. 🙁 I just like a good, matte blush.
anything too pigmented! I’d rather build up and try to blend away.
Deal breakers include a top layer that’s stiff, an overlay that suggests the blush is a different shade than it is, shades or offerings that are similar to previous releases, and blushes that are similar to those I own.
1. Anything that is patchy and difficult to blend out.
2. Although I prefer a blush that is less pigmented so that I can build up the color intensity myself, being super pigmented is not necessarily a deal breaker for me as I buff it out on my wrist first and then to the cheek and that usually takes care of that problem.
3. No glitter.
4. I do like a light sheen or highlighter mixed with the blush as long as the blush to highlighter ratio errors on the side of blush. Ciate Glow to Illuminate blushes are my ideal formula/ratio.
5. If it emphasizes texture that is a no-no.
6. Anything too orange!!
If it applies splotchy and uneven, just won’t blend out nicely without Herculean effort. I despise those! I’m one of those folks who wants expediency when applying my cheek products. Plus, a soft finish. So nothing that catches in spots with way less sticking everywhere else.
Also, nothing *too* shimmery or super flat matte! Natural Matte is fine, however, so is a luminous finish, but no extremes on either end!
I seldom wear blush and mostly bronze and contour. Blush makes me the most paranoid of my routine. Even though I know how to apply blush, I always have in the back of my mind ‘did I apply too much or does it clash with my look?’
When I do go for blush my faves are:
theBalm Cabana Boy and Instain
Benefit Dallas (new fave) and GALifornia
I just treat blush as optional and wear it only if my look needs it. Blush toppers are often a better route.
Not a fan of super pigmented blushes, particularly if they are matte.
Not a fan of blush palettes in general.
Not a fan of glitter, but love a shimmer/blush hybrid if it isn’t too heavy on the shimmery side (Ciate, Hourglass are 2 formulas I love).
My skintone does not care for super warm blushes. They turn orange on me.
I thought there was something wrong with me because I find blush so difficult to use. I am glad to know it is actually the product. I do not like anything too luminous. Forget Orgasm. It needs to be easy to blend and if a powder, not settle into lines. And it cannot fade after a few hours. I think cream formulas look best on me but I have switched to powder because it lasts longer.
Like most of us, I am really fussy about my blushes. I only like peachy/coral tones, preferably in a mosaic of the shade that can include a highlighter.
I don’t like blushes that are luminous, glittery or sparkly. I want it to be easy to apply and last all day.
Anything that’s really difficult to pick up on a brush (if I have to press hard or keep dipping in) is a pass for me (I find this is an issue for me with the Clinique Flower Pop blushes, I know you love those)! Anything that’s overly pigmented or powdery is a pass on the opposite end of the spectrum. Needs to be easy to blend. Anything that emphasizes texture or looks dry is another pass. I tend to prefer a blush with a satin finish that leaves my skin looking natural. I don’t go near cream blushes either, personally.
Color. I’m extremely picky about what colors I wear on my face, which is probably why I own 10+ variations of the same shade. Fortunately, I’ve found my one HG blush, and have 4 backups, so I don’t really need to give it any thought, at least for a few more years.
Bad formula or texture (too dusty, too hard to blend), oxidizes on me, too much mineral oil or something else that gives me an allergic reaction, heavy fragrance, and chunky glitter. Also, if it’s too dark or bright and I can’t sheer it out.
I have to like the color and I tend to buy more “natural” shades. It needs to wear for at least 10 hours which I haven’t found to be difficult to find. Must be powder. No creams. No glitter. Last would be cost. There are so many affordable options under $30-35 USD that I can’t justify spending more.
If it’s heavily pigmented, I’m not interested.
Glitter is a no, but shimmer? Omg yes. Wet n Wild Pearlescent Pink is my absolute favorite!
1. Oxidation or any changes in color over time
2. High pigment blushes that streak and are hard to blend
3. Bad packaging. (For example, gel or liquid blushes that leak, or powder blushes where the lid comes unsnapped.)
4. Cream or cream-to-powder blushes that have a gritty texture
Way too much pigment no. I don’t want to be erasing, blending, softening some and spending too much time on it. I’m pale and a little bit goes a long way.
Too sparkly. I don’t mind and have one with shimmer but actually it shows more on the product than on the face which is nice.
On the contrast side, a blush thats just too pale, stiff to apply, won’t show and won’t last.
Some i do like are Narz, Marc Jacob, Soap & glory and the baked Milani blushes. The last two have a pleasant added sheen so I will skip highliter if I wear those. Also love the love, love ? the Physicians Formula shimmer strips under as contour or on top of blush to blend. I used those in many ways.
Poor pigment.
I want actual colour payoff when applied and no obvious bits of glitter.
I recently tried a Nars Orgasm mini that came with a matching mini lipstick, and, having never tried this famous blush before, was super disappointed that it was essentially just a sheer wash of large gold glitter pieces with no real base colour to speak of.