ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush Review & Swatches
Instant Crush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush ($7.00 for 0.48 oz.) is a muted, medium brown with subtle, warm reddish undertones and a soft sheen. It had sheer color coverage, which I didn’t find to be that buildable (as it was intended to be). It was an achievement just to get sheer coverage as the formula was so emollient and slippery that the product just wanted to slide around rather than adhere or layer up.
The texture was very runny and fluid, so I tried squeezing out product on the back of my hand and then picking up product from there, including swirling my brush in it to help dry the product out prior to applying it to my cheeks. These little things led to marginal improvement, but it still was difficult to apply evenly. I felt like I had one shot–the first shot–to get it mostly even and then had to leave it. Whenever I tried to blend out the edges, the product slid around or lifted away.
This occurred over bare skin as well as over foundation; the latter felt particularly difficult. I actually had some luck when I patted it over set foundation as the powder finish seemed to absorb some of the slip and helped the color adhere better. The formula dried down somewhat, so it retained some dewiness and was never tacky, but it did not fully dry down (which is not a pro nor a con). The color that translated seemed to fade around the six-hour mark.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- ColourPop Meteor Rite (LE, $12.00) is lighter, less glossy (95% similar).
- By Terry Tropical Sunset #6 (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- MAC Earthnut (LE, ) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Roosevelt (P, $8.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Makeup Geek Infatuation (P, $10.00) is more shimmery, lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- ColourPop Spot Me (LE, $8.00) is lighter (90% similar).
- Becca Sweet Pea (P, $32.00) is more shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- Anastasia Peach Caramel (P, $32.00) is darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Laura Mercier Earth (LE, $24.00) is more shimmery, lighter (85% similar).
- ColourPop Cottage Life (LE, $8.00) is lighter (85% similar).
Formula Overview
$7.00/0.48 oz. - $14.58 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to have "buildable coverage" with a "hint" of dewiness that can be applied with fingertips, sponge, or a duo fiber brush and is recommended to be applied prior to powder products.
The consistency was very fluid, and while it was sheerer by the nature of the fluidity of the formulation, you didn't need to squeeze out that much to get going. I would recommend squeezing out a bit on the back of your hand and gently rubbing it in a small circle using a fingertip, then applying to your face. This helped the product spread out and be the perfect level of tackiness to apply to bare skin or on top of foundation/base products without lifting them up. They had sheer to semi-sheer, buildable coverage.
They don't fully dry down, so the finish remained noticeably dewy (as the name might imply), and it didn't have the best wear (around six hours for better-performing shades), but the products faded evenly and didn't slide around/down my face.
Browse all of our ColourPop Cheek Dew Serum Blush swatches.
Instant Crush
PPermanent. $7.00.
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
ColourPop Instant Crush Cheek Dew Serum Blush
Yikes! I can’t believe how low Colourpop has fallen this year. They used to be one of my go-to brands, but I don’t think I’ve bought anything from them in more than a year. I’ll continue to be wary about purchasing from them, as it seems their quality took a sudden and steep nosedive. Products like this only reinforce that belief.
Oh dear.
🙁
aslkdjfphqelkjr when I first saw these I wanted to comment “just bring shades back from/expand the super shock collection!” but thought I’d see how these do
Just bring back shades from/expand the super shock cheek collection!
Welp …Colour Pop can only go up from there:)
I’m always amazed how Christine can make these sub performers work for her …I know that’s skill and not the product.
Good grief; I can only just imagine someone living in our climate who has long hair wearing this on a windy day! To be honest, I had a feeling these would be a greasy mess just going off the swatches.
Oh man!! I have 2 of these shipping in. I hope I can find a way to make them work.
I purchased this exact one last week and its on its way. Maybe I can mix it with something just to get my use out of it.
I didn’t expect to see you here! I love your YT channel. 🙂
This is sad. Bring back the full lines of blush stix and the light stix instead! But no … why do that when you can pump out product under the hype of “new” even though it doesn’t perform? …
I love blush stix, the fact that Colourpop doesn’t restock them hurts my soul 🙁
I was super excited for these but waiting for your review… crossing my fingers that the other colors will be better! The last thing I want is a liquid product that can’t apply correctly over foundation.
Wow. Not a very nice day. Not sure I’ve ever seen a day so saturated with poorly performing products. These CPs had me leery anyway, but yikes. March 8 = epic fail day. Things can only get better from here.
One word, YIKES!
Well I’m certainly glad that I didn’t order one of these! Even in the promotional videos I thought they looked a bit odd but I was willing to give it a chance… I don’t understand how a formula like this makes it past product testing!
I don’t know if I’m alone in this but I wish that you would show us photos of just how bad it looked on you because in the photos above on your face, this stuff looks lovely rather than “slidey” or “lifty”. Without reading your comments, I could imagine a lot of people might think “that’s gorgeous; gotta get me some of that…”
It is patchy in the photos above, actually!
“Neither a pro nor a con” sent me
Hey, Christine–
I hope I’m not too late to ask. I waited around to see if I could find this face/eye look on your page (you said with some others that you put them there ‘for reference for yourself’, but I use them, too!), but I don’t see this one. Do you have eyeshadow on your lids here, or some kind of iridescent powder, or is my screen playing tricks on me? My favorite easy-eye look is a skin-colored iridescent shadow, usually cream, with or without a bit of color to highlight the crease, and liner and mascara.
And what I see on my screen is the most gorgeous play of color on your lids. Almost like UD Solstice or CP Frog or Glass Bull. Can you remember what you did here, or are these your bare lids (lucky you)?
Thanks, as always,
Emily
Hi Emily,
It’s not a shade that is available yet – it is a shade I’m working on, so it’s not something I have in the database!
Oh, boy… you are making the eye shadow I’ve been looking for? That’s so cool!
(p.s. I think it’s ready as-is, LOL.)
It is similar to Sydney Grace’s The Greatest Gift, but my version is on steroids 🙂
LITERALLY my dream color idea… I’m the one who buys Tarte Wild at Heart or Colourpop Mr. Sandman or Touch in Sol Holo Mulberry and loves them, but wishes they were just a little… more!! What a GREAT concept; I can’t wait to see how it comes out!