Fenty Beauty Strawberry Drip Cream Blush Review & Swatches
Strawberry Drip
Fenty Beauty Strawberry Drip Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a brighter, medium-dark pink-coral with moderate, warm undertones and a natural finish. The finish didn’t appear overtly shimmery, but even after it dried down, it looked a lightly dewy and luminous (hence skin-like!).
The texture was emollient without being too slippery, and it had great glide and blendability; it felt more like a thin, gel-cream, which enabled the product to spread well over bare skin as well as over base products (without lifting them up), but this did result in coverage that might have appeared a bit more intense in one “layer” as it immediately sheered out.
It is, actually, intended to be have “sheer, buildable” coverage, which can be accomplished with a lighter hand (like one finger tap’s worth of product or with a stippling brush), but it was definitely more readily semi-sheer to medium, buildable coverage in practice using the two methods as recommended by brand (moderately-dense, angled brush or fingertips).
The formula was incredibly forgiving, so it was a cinch to diffuse and sheer out or to build up to more semi-opaque coverage (three layers) as it never looked heavy or turned patchy with additional layers. This shade lasted nicely for almost nine hours on me before showing signs of fading.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Sephora Over the Top (P, $14.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Essence Bold Heart (P, $5.99) is less shimmery, lighter (95% similar).
- Tower 28 Happy Hour (P, $20.00) is less shimmery, cooler, glossier (95% similar).
- ColourPop Woo Me (LE, $10.00) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- Moira I Adore You (P, $8.50) is less shimmery (95% similar).
- ColourPop Picnic Time (LE, $8.00) is less shimmery, lighter (90% similar).
- Too Faced How Deep is Your Love? (P, $26.00) is warmer (90% similar).
- Pat McGrath Nude Venus (P, $38.00) is lighter, warmer (90% similar).
- Give Me Glow Cravin' Cajun (P, $14.00) is less shimmery, darker, cooler (90% similar).
- Tarte Endless (LE, $29.00) is less shimmery, lighter, less glossy (90% similar).
Formula Overview
$20.00/0.1 oz. - $200.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to give a "fresh wash of color" that is "effortless" to blend with a "natural-looking" finish. The coverage is designed to be "sheer, buildable" with a "sweat- and water-resistant formula." The brand recommends to apply with fingertips or their 125 brush (which is a fairly dense, angled brush).
The coverage was definitely buildable with a tendency toward semi-sheer coverage, but the intensity depended on application method. The best way to describe was that by the time you applied and blended out one layer, it often looked like that "fresh wash of color" it was marketed as having, but I'd argue they were closer to semi-sheer to medium, buildable coverage than true, sheer coverage. It was very readily built up to more intense, more opaque coverage with a second or third layer. It layered beautifully, too, so achieving higher coverage was easy to do and was still as flattering on the skin as one layer.
If you took a fingertip and swirled it around at least once, you'd get higher coverage, but it would diffuse a bit to more semi-sheer to medium coverage depending on the shade. With a few taps of a moderately-dense, angled brush (like they paired with this formula), one could get more semi-sheer to medium coverage in a single layer. A stippling brush was most consistent at yielding a sheer wash of color, whereas fingertip application tended to be more medium coverage.
That being said, they had the kind of pigmentation that seems pigmented initially but does have a tendency to sheer out in real application, so finger swatches alone are better as insight into potential opacity but not one layer opacity; the blended out swatch is a better indicator of as-applied to cheeks coverage. I still think they were more pigmented than described, but the formula was very forgiving so they could be used with a lighter hand (like one pat or tap with fingertip/brush) for true, sheer coverage if desired.
The formula played well with fingertips as well as brushes, though I preferred fingertips as they're really just such a handy, efficient tool for cream-based formulas like these (and one less brush to wash!). I didn't have any issues applying and diffusing out the edges of the blush over bare skin or over foundation (I paired them with Fenty's Pro Filtr, which is popular but also more matte, so made for a good test base) as it did not lift up base products.
The consistency was more in line with a traditional cream blush; it was emollient and felt wet to the touch in the compact, and it remained emollient when it was applied to my skin. It did not turn to powder as soon as it came into contact with my skin, but it did dry down for the most part. I felt like there was very fine, barely-there pearl through most shades (some had obvious shimmer) which gave the illusion of dewiness, because when I touched the final application, it seemed dry to the touch but absolutely had that "natural-looking"--read: skin-like--finish advertised.
They wore between eight and nine hours before fading a bit, and they seemed to have a nice, even fade beyond that range. They seemed water-resistant as they didn't bleed when I ran swatches under water, but you could certainly wipe the product away with light rubbing so it wasn't impervious (resistant implies just that, resistant, but not impervious!).
Browse all of our Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush swatches.
Ingredients
The formula sounds really, really nice. I love this shade, too. If they’re all this good, I will wind up with a few, and I’m not a huge cream blush fan due to my oily skin. However, with cheeks now drier post-menopause, I might be able to use something like this, since it dries down.
Formula is surprisingly consistent! 🙂 At most, some are a little closer to sheer/semi-sheer and some are more true medium, but texture, application, and performance have been very consistent across the ranges (I’ve tested about half).
Oooo so excited to hear about your findings! You’ve already tested half? You’re so fast!
The formula overview can’t be written until I’ve tested enough shades to determine overall performance (usually half or so unless the range is REALLY inconsistent!), so when reviews go live, that’s usually at the half-way point for a new formula!
That makes a lot of sense!
That’s great to hear! Thank you so much. It looks like this shade is already sold out at Sephora, darn it!
I ordered Bikini Martini and Rose Latte since this and the other coral shade were sold out. I love a good, cool bubblegum pink and a nude is always useful.
I can’t believe some sold out THAT quickly! I wonder if stock is lower than intended because of shipment delays at all — normally Fenty has a fair amount of stock at launch!
I was a bit surprised because I’ve never had a problem before with Fenty being sold out, but I also live on the West Coast, so stuff in general often gets sold out before I’m up and running in the morning. I’m used to it, and too lazy to wake up at the crack of dawn if I’m not already awake with imsomnia.
Hopefully, there’s a restock sooner rather than later!
This looks so pretty on you! I’m excited to see how the others fare. So from reading, they’re darker than they appear but you can sheer them out? *hopes*
Yes, you can definitely sheer them out a lot or a little – if you wanted this to be sheer, you’d use a stippling or face brush or else just one or two taps/pats of your fingertip on the pan’s surface, then apply and build up where/as needed. If you rubbed your finger back and forth gently, you’d have more semi-sheer to medium, buildable coverage.
Yay!! Thank you so much… now I want another color. Decisions, decisions. ??
Totally wishlist worthy! I had a feeling I was going to love this one, and I really do! ?
I surprised myself and didn’t buy any, nor the amber bronzer/contour. Don’t imagine this resolve will last, though. Have to keep telling myself that my skin usually eats/neutralizes cream formulas. This is why we need open stores. But don’t open them too soon! These are sooooo nice. 2-3 colors were OOS by Sat AM. The rouges will wipe them out, lol. Always glad when Fenty scores.
It sounds like an amazing formula and although this shade is such a bright colour in the pan, it looks very soft on your cheeks.
Having read the comments above, I can’t believe it’s sold out in many shades already!
Joyful shade!
This is lovely!! I think I have something similar, tho from Pixi: Pixi Multibalm in Sheer Strawberry.
I ordered Daiquiri Dip in the blush and Machiatto in the bronzer! So excited to get both and try out!!
Bam! In your face color! I could wear this, but would definitely have to use a stippling brush (very lightly).