Rare Beauty Happy Soft Pinch Liquid Blush Review & Swatches
Happy
Rare Beauty Happy Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($20.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a brighter, medium pink with moderate, warm undertones and a lightly dewy sheen. It had a more luminous sheen that seemed to dry down more when applied and blended out on my cheeks–in practice–than just applied and blended out on my arm. The brand wasn’t kidding when it says “a little goes a long way,” as the product was quite pigmented!
With the dewier finish, it was workable to apply product to the back of my hand and then pick up and apply it to my cheeks and blend the product out; this was the most foolproof method for me. The texture was lightweight, more like an airy serum with a lot of slip, though it definitely dried down and set for the most part–it didn’t move readily but transferred slightly if I pressed tissue against it. This shade applied evenly to bare skin and blended out without difficulty, both over bare skin as well as patted over foundation. It stayed on well for eight and a half hours before fading visibly.
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
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Formula Overview
$23.00/0.25 oz. - $92.00 Per Ounce
The blush is supposed to have "long-lasting color pigments" that last "all-day" where "a little goes a long way." That being said, they also say it "blends and builds beautifully," though when one looks at the "how to" instructions, I could see that being achievable as they actually say to remove excess and then use one or two dots of product on each cheek. The line-up has includes four shades in a true, flat matte finish and four shades in a lightly, dewy finish.
Like a lot of the liquid products in the brand's range, they have a lot more slip and feel more serum-like, but a little did go a long way with respect to pigmentation. First and foremost, to control application, I would recommend dotting (lightly!) once or twice per cheek but I would work one cheek at a time, especially with the matte finish. I also felt using a sponge or brush worked well for diffusing and spreading about the blush better than fingertips when working over a base as fingertips seemed to leave slight imprints and seemed more prone to lifting up product.
When in doubt, use the least amount possible! I liked dabbing a bit on the back of my hand and using a fluffy, duo-fiber brush to apply to cheeks, which gave me a better diffusion with less chance of lifting up base product. This method worked best with the dewier finish blushes as there was enough playtime, but the matte blushes dried down faster and I had to use more product to keep it malleable on the back of my hand. The dewy finish shades have a light sheen but dry down enough that they don't slide around during wear. The matte shades fully dry down.
They wore between eight and nine hours on me before showing signs of fading. Though I haven't been able to find a clip I can reference specifically to it, I've had multiple readers state that the brand owner (Selena Gomez) has mentioned that the packaging was designed to be easier to open. I found that to be true of the flattened, knob-like tops found on the liquid blushes, as it took little pressure to twist open.
Browse all of our Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush swatches.
Ingredients
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Mica, Octyldodecanol, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Isododecane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Propylene Carbonate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera (Sacred Lotus) Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract. [+/- May Contain/Peut Contenir: Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410)].
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.
After reading your application process, I feel that a lot of my concerns about using this product have been answered. Depsositing a smudge on the back of your hand is probably the easiest way to ensure that you don’t end up with too much blush on your cheeks.
It’s a very pretty shade with a soft dewy finish.
Glad that helped, Genevieve!
I have this blush in the matte Bliss (as well as the sample size Grace many folks received) and I CAN’T BELIEVE how much I love it. It took me from zero interest in the brand to wanting to try out most of the line. It feels really nice to be excited about a launch right now.
I would wear that on my cheeks and on my lips!
Makes me sad seeing the ethylene yadayada copolymers in this, that is straight up microplastics! It’s really crappy putting out new product launches with plastics still after all news about it… :/ big fat pass from me! 🙂
Such a clear, pristine shade of pink! I rather like it! As to how it would look on my olive undertoned NC41 skintone, I’m not so sure. Might see about getting a sample once we can do that again.
Hello Christine,
Do you know the shelf life of the blushes?
I don’t have any of the boxes any more, so whatever photos I have above are all I can look at!
Just in case anyone else is interested and needs this info?: they have 12 months shelf life (which is great considering many cream blushes are labeled to be good for 6 months only).
I’m glad this shade has a good review! It’s not my color (I think it’s too bright for how pale I am) but that bodes well for the other shades that are more suited to me.
Hi Christine, what type of brush or tool did you find worked well with the liquid blushes? Normally I’d use my fingers but given how pigmented it is, I’m nervous to apply too much product.
Please read the “Formula Overview,” which goes through how I applied the formula! I also noted it in the second paragraph: fingertips or a synthetic brush 🙂
I prefer cooler pinks on myself but this looks beautiful on you!
Wow, that particular shade of pink is YOUR colour Christine. You look good with a lot of different colours and products (I’m a little envious of this ahah), but this on cheecks really suits georgiously your complexion.
Funny but it’s not a shade I’d wear by choice! Just goes to show that what someone likes you on vs. what you like on yourself often do not align!
Aha really ??? Maybe the photo + display change the colours than the reality, but from what I see, you look so good!
Christine, do you think you could add alongside the other pictures the picture with the PAO symbol in your reviews? or maybe add the info in the review? It’s something important when I consider buying a product and I’ve noticed depending on where in the box it is sometimes it’s pictured and sometimes it’s missing.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Such a pretty colour and a good price too. The application may be a bit too “faffy” for me but I am willing to give it a try. Years back, Clarins had a blush that applied similarly, with a stubby doe foot applicator and was really nice to use.