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, which is a detailed review of the range as a whole.