The 8 Best Cream Blushes of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
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Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick earned a royal flush.
Blush is the unsung hero of the makeup world. Whether I want a two-minute-and-out-the-door look or a full-face beat, this one small step impacts the overall look so much that it has become a staple in my routine. I would even go so far as putting it at number two on my personal makeup hierarchy — below a dramatic, volumizing mascara and just above a tinted brow gel, in case you were wondering. A good blush adds color and life back into cheeks, which emulates that healthy flush, a shimmer or dewy formula adds a glow, and it truly is the final ribbon that ties together any makeup look.
And while we love a saturated blush, an overly saturated market is a different story. With hundreds of cream blushes lining the shelves with different colors, finishes, and application methods to choose from, finding the formula that's the right fit for your cheeks takes a lot of time. You could do your own testing panel — purchasing a variety of shades and formulas until you find your perfect 10 — or just shop this guide, because we did the heavy lifting for you.
We scoured the internet for the top cream blushes — 28 of them to be exact — and they underwent rigorous testing to find eight that were the cream, ahem, of the crop. Myself, along with the rest of our testing panel, judged these cream blushes on their texture, blendability, and pigmentation, then ranked them on a scale of five. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick won best overall, because of its superb finish, pigmentation, and shade range.
Keep scrolling for the best cream blushes for your makeup preferences.
Best Overall: Makeup By Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick
What We Love
There is a brush included on the other end of the stick.
What We Don't Love
This is a popular item with shades going in and out of stock often.
After sculpting and shaping the beauty looks of Kim Kardashian — makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, finally launched his own line in 2020, called Makeup by Mario. The collection is impressive with a range of eyeshadows, contour products, brow pencils, and more. But it's the blush sticks that really stood out above the rest and received high marks in our tests to earn the best overall spot.
All cream blushes could be described as creamy (duh), but this one in particular had a smooth, buttery texture that blended effortlessly. Plus, all the application methods that our tester tried worked with this formula. "It came with a blending brush, which was super helpful to get the product onto your skin evenly, then buff it out across your cheeks. You can also easily blend with your fingertips or a damp makeup sponge," she said. Just a small swipe goes a long way as the product is deceptively pigmented and comes in five shades that would suit a range of skin tones, like deep plum, bright raspberry pink, and pale mauve.
Shades: 6 | Finish: Dewy | Size: 0.37 ounces
Best Value: Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush
What We Love
This is incredibly pigmented — a dab goes a long way.
What We Don't Love
The cream has a slick, almost tacky feeling, when first applied.
We all remember the horrors of drugstore blushes with chalky finishes sold in only two shades. Now, the aisles of your favorite impulse spot are filled with lots of hidden gems, like this Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush. The bright colors in clear packaging look like little cellophane wrapped candies — a sweet treat for your cheeks.
Now, your first thought upon seeing a blush compact might be, But a stick is easier to apply. And while that certainly can be true, this pick is still worth trying: The balmy texture glides across cheekbones with very little pressure. It can still be applied with fingers by tapping it onto cheeks or with a damp beauty sponge to blend. It shined in our lab testing as a minimal makeup product: "It's very light and dries down quickly without leaving any feeling on your skin once it's set," our tester said. They did caution that it initially had a wet, bordering on slimy texture, but that faded quickly.
Shade Range: 4 | Finish: Sheer, dewy | Size: 0.37 ounces
Best Splurge: Victoria Beckham Beauty Cheeky Posh Cream Blush Stick
Buy at Victoriabeckhambeauty.com
What We Love
This blush applies like a cream but sets (and lasts) like a powder.
What We Don't Love
The tube is fairly small for the price.
This fancy stick is on the pricier end, but what did you expect from the beauty brand creator, Posh herself? The unique tortoise shell tube would look oh-so-nice sitting on a vanity. But aside from appearance, the tip of the blusher is smaller than a typical cream blush, which allows for a targeted application as you decide where and how much to apply.
As the tester of this blush, I can confirm it's that good. The consistency starts out velvety, then as you blend it has a powdery finish. It's the best of both worlds: the dew of a cream, but the lasting power of a powder. It was also easy to layer on top of itself for more oomph without clinging or streaking. I love that it's a buildable formula with a very natural flush on the first layer and more bang from the second. I chose the hot pink shade, called Rollerskate, and it didn't look garish on my pale skin, more like your cheeks after a hot yoga class. That true post-workout shade is always my goal for a blush color.
Shades: 5 | Finish: Buildable, glowy | Size: 0.17 ounces
Best Stick: Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Cream Blush
What We Love
Oily skin types may appreciate the more matte formula of this blush.
What We Don't Love
The shades contain shimmer, which is not everyone's jam.
Anastasia Beverly Hills is well-known as being the expert of brows, but if you haven't tried their cream blush, it may be worth adding to your arsenal. There is a synthetic brush on the other end to buff out color after depositing onto cheeks. "It really melted into the skin and felt lightweight overall," our tester noted. The chubby stick is available in five shades—light and deep peach, light and deep pink, and a rosy brown—all with a bit of sparkle. "The shimmer added a nice radiance to my cheeks, so the finish was very naturally glowy and beautiful."
Shades: 5 | Finish: Radiant | Size: 0.28 ounces
Best Gel: Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush
What We Love
The gel texture looks fresh and dewy on your skin.
What We Don't Love
This is a very sheer, watery texture that is best applied with your fingers. Brush enthusiasts may find it more difficult to work with.
Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush brings the heat with this launch. Well, not literally, but the water-based blush does give you that fireside flushed-effect. The product felt weightless on cheeks, according to our lab assistants, who said, "This glides onto skin and is not sticky or heavy at all."
While the lightweight texture was a point in the pro column, they did warn that it is also very light in pigment. "It's good for a dewy glow, but would be hard to do a brightly colored cheek. I needed to do a few swipes to really see the color and that means using up a lot of product, and opening yourself up to squeezing too much out of the tube." However at less than $6 a pop, it'd be hard to beat this price point.
Shades: 6 | Finish: Dewy | Size: 0.27 ounces
Best Multipurpose: Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick
What We Love
This handy little stick can be swiped over lips and cheeks.
What We Don't Love
The oils in this hydrating product may cause it to slip off oily cheeks.
The versatility of this clean blush made it a fierce competitor for our winners list. The formula contains mango butter, avocado oil, and apricot oil for a hydrating boost and gives a reflective quality to your cheeks. And if careful selection of ingredients is a priority for you, this pick is vegan, paraben-free, and considered "Clean at Sephora." The thick stick is also dual-purpose as it can be swiped across lips and cheeks, and the shades were developed to look great on both areas. Our tester was "in love with how this one feels." "The texture is lightweight and so comfortable, and I actually think it'll stick to the skin to last all day. It looks and feels really natural," she said.
This product also has the second largest shade range with eight options to choose from, including a lush berry tone and an uber pale baby pink. The end result: "I feel glowy and fresh. Pigment is just right and doesn't need a lot of building to make it look good. It's very natural and good for any occasion," our tester raved. This sounds like an easy add to cart.
Shades: 8 | Finish: Buildable, dewy | Size: 0.21 ounces
InStyle / Tamara Staples
Best Natural Finish: Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush
What We Love
It's easy to apply with your fingers for the most realistic, skin-like finish.
What We Don't Love
If you're looking for a pigmented blush, this is not the one for you. This cream is a sheer formula.
Selena Gomez launched her makeup line Rare Beauty in 2020, because she wanted a brand that felt authentic. "I just felt like the beauty space started to get really crowded with a lot of unrealistic messages. I had a moment where I was like, 'I'm not a makeup guru or the most incredible makeup artist, but I want to get involved,'" she previously told InStyle. And while authenticity and celebrity beauty lines can be a hard pairing, the actress is making a go of it. One of the best products in the collection, in my opinion, are her blushes. The liquid blush received rave reviews, while the cream blush was a winner in our lab.
I was the lucky tester for this product and I have to say that the hype is real. This feels incredibly creamy; your finger just glides across the top. Plus, for how dewy it looks, I was surprised that it didn't feel overly heavy or sticky. Aptly named, this blush quite literally melts into your skin. Other than having a really pretty flush, it wasn't obvious where I had applied this blush in the best way possible. It'd be my ideal low maintenance makeup choice and looked good on top of bare skin without any concealer or foundation.
Shades: 5 | Finish: Satin | Size: 0.17 ounces
Best Shade Range: Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush
What We Love
Although it starts off very sheer, the colors are buildable for more intensity.
What We Don't Love
There is a very small amount of product in each compact.
Leave it to a pioneer of inclusivity, Queen RiRi, to launch a product with an expansive color collection. While most blushes will have a peach, pink, and berry tone, Fenty Beauty took that a whole leap further and included colors such as violet, tangerine, and a poppy red. The creams start off sheer — so don't be afraid to choose one of the fashion tones — for a subtle take on bold color.
Our testing squad appreciated the no nonsense, buildable formula, saying "It was pretty easy to work the product into my skin with my fingertips and blend it around my cheekbone. It's definitely a buildable option that doesn't look blotchy when layered." The texture was also great; "It's not sticky or heavy, which is a plus, and also didn't go on spotty nor settle into pores," confirmed our tester.
Shades: 10 | Finish: Sheer, dewy | Size: 0.1 ounces
Our Testing Process
Our editors spent a week reading reviews, researching products, and making lists of the best cream blushes on the market to narrow it down to the 28 contenders. They were then whisked into the lab with our testing panel, who spent a combined total of 24 hours putting all the products through the beauty ringer, rating on a scale of five in the categories of texture and feel, blend-ability, and pigmentation. All of the rankings and reviews were consolidated and analyzed to achieve this list of the eight best cream blushes, which all received a score above 4.3 in all categories.
InStyle / Tamara Staples
What to Keep in Mind
Finish
Cream blushes by their very nature are a dewier product. That can be a godsend for dry skin types craving more moisture in their products, and a nightmare for oily types afraid of looking like a grease slick by noon. Consider if you want to layer your cream blush with other products (specifically powders to mattify) or if you just want a supple wet cheek glow, says Brittany Whitfield, an NYC-based makeup artist.
Pigmentation
Cream blushes span the spectrum from opaque pigmentation to sheer washes of color. Decide if you want a barely-there tint that's easy to dab on with your fingers or a product with the impact that may take more finesse to blend out. In general, cream blushes are often more forgiving than say a powder, since it sinks into the skin for a natural-appearing flush.
Color
Choosing makeup shades can have a lot of factors that come into play: what does your outfit look like, the colors in the rest of your makeup, and your unique undertones. And while it's an artform, so there are no wrong answers when it comes to your blush shade, there are guidelines that can help you find the most flattering tone.
"I like to choose an undertone similar to the client's natural lip shade," Whitfield says. "It also depends on how clients like their skin. If they love bronzer, they'll tend to gravitate to warmer colors on the face — but if they're a contour girl they might feel more comfortable with cooler undertones." When in doubt, the easiest way to pick a blush color is to match the shade of your natural flush. Think: the color your cheeks become after a long walk.
Your Questions, Answered
How do you apply cream blush?
The beauty of a cream blush is all of the application tools at your disposal. Fingers, makeup sponges, and brushes are all equally great at applying product depending on your application and appearance preferences. "If it's a stick format, I prefer applying the cream blush along my ring finger, then placing it at an angle along the cheek," Whitfield explains. "I prefer the color to subtly contour than to just be in the center of the face. However, if the product is in a pan form, I will use a dense synthetic angled brush to pat it into place.
How do you make cream blush last longer?
Because cream blushes are dewy and sink into the skin (rather than sitting on top, like a powder), they often melt completely away quicker than intended. "I love to spray my brushes with Urban Decay All Nighter Spray before dipping into a cream blush to really get it to last," says Whitfield. "Otherwise, I will layer with a powder blush similar in tone to set the cream."
What is Instyle Picks?
Did you notice the InStyle Picks seal of approval at the top of this story? That means our team of testers has reviewed every product on this list using a unique methodology to ensure it's really worth your time, money, and attention. We may get samples for free to try but we never promise positive (or any!) coverage in exchange. Put simply: InStyle picks are products we love, and we've put them to the test to be sure you will too.
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