What is the difference between a good and great blush for you?
A great blush will also blend itself, while a good one is blendable, buildable, and long-wearing.
— Christine
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A great blush will give a natural looking, healthy glow without looking clownish and will buff out to that gorgeous, magical finish that some of MAC’s Mineralize blushes from the past impart (not sure about the current ones but some from the past were bliss). Lasting power and not too matte a finish are also important.
A tightly packed powder that doesn’t look like a powder on the skin. No fallout. It should go on smoothly, last all day, and have a silky sheen without being shiny or sparkly. It should melt into my skin for a natural look.
(I just described Clinique Cheek Pops.)
Good: Not patchy, smooth application and lasts for the entire time that I’m wearing it.
Great: Perfect shade, texture and flawless, seamless application! Also, glowy even if matte because it has zero powderiness!
I’m vampire pale so pigmentation makes a difference. A good blush is so pigmented that I need a stipple brush and an extremely light hand to prevent clown cheeks whereas a great blush has buildable pigmentation that blends seamlessly without looking patchy, regardless of which brush I use.
I’ve only once had what I call a great blush, in 40+ years of makeup, which is rather sad.
A good blush will stay the same shade for 8+ hours, will make me look alive and *when* it fades it will do it a uniform fashion. Basically, it will fulfill its function.
A great brush will do all of the above, and fade from the edges inward and somehow adapts to look more like part of me than it started out. And it should feel great while wearing. Blush is the product that taught me to never trust a sales person.
As someone who has been on a blush hunt recently, I have learnt quite a bit about the difference between a good blush and a great one. A good one for me is one that blends well into my cheeks, but doesn’t last all day. A great one blends well, gives a soft, natural colour to my cheeks and lasts all day.
A great blush will go on smoothly and add a little color, like MAC Instant Chic, perfect for me.
A good one will like OK.
A good blush for me is one that I can build up as I am very pale and if I go in too heavy handed, I will pass over into clown territory in a hurry. It will not look powdery on my cheeks and will impart a soft sheen to the skin. It would be in a shade that flatters my natural coloring.
A great blush is one that melts into the skin giving a natural looking flush and not like a makeup blush at all. It will not emphasize texture and will make my skin look glowy. If it makes me look ethereal then that is extra special.
I have been into blushes lately like never before in my makeup using life. It has almost over-ridden my lipstick fetish. I have purchased so many recently and have been happy with most of them. The Gucci blushes remind me a lot of the Ciate blushes from around 2018-19. I am likely going to collect all of them over time. The Chanel Fantaisie is really special on my skin and I am so happy I popped for it even though it cost me an arm and a leg. Also, the Chanel Fleur de Printemps is lovely. All of these are great blushes for me and are the standard I will judge blushes by in the future.
Like you said, blendability, being able to build it up but not so pigmented that you can only do a tiny dab. Any blush that I have to be careful with I just avoid, honestly. There is such a thing as TOO pigmented, IMO. I don’t want to have to think too much when doing my make up.
The best blush can be quickly applied, layered, blended with ease, and wears well. Also, that nightshade palette by PMG is really beautiful.