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Models are beauty influencers and experts in their own right. It makes sense: models get their makeup done far more than the average person or even celebrity, often by the world's best makeup artists. Lindsay Ellingson once told me she'd been using lipstick as cream blush and applying it before her foundation after watching artist Dick Page do just that backstage at a Victoria's Secret show. Jasmine Tookes's takeaway from the same show was to mix highlighting sticks with baby oil for a gorgeous glow.
My own aha-moment happened after I confused a pot of cream blush for a powder and reached for a fluffy brush to dust it on my cheeks. Up until then, I lived by a strict—and stupid—personal rule that creams had to be applied with sponges and powders had to be applied with brushes. I also mostly stuck to powders, thinking for whatever reason that they were easier to apply. Mistaking the formulas was a revelation: Applied with a brush, swept from apple to temple, velvety cream blush goes on so smoothly. It gives the most natural, fresh flush and feels soft and balmy on my skin all day.
Ahead, we've gathered the best cream blush shades for you to try. Trust: one day wearing a dewy cream blush, and you'll regret your loyalty to powder blushes.
Kosas Color & Light: Crème Cream Blush & Highlighter Duo
These incredibly buttery blush and highlighter duos blend like a dream and leave the prettiest whisper of color that lasts all day. Use your fingers for the most even application, since the skin-conditioning natural oils will warm up that way.
Glossier Cloud Paint
Glossier calls its Cloud Paint "the most user-friendly cheek color in existence." That may be hyperbole, but the truth about this cream blush comes pretty close (just be sure to start with a teeny, tiny amount and build from there). Its sunset gradient ensures that every skin tone can find its perfect match, from a deep rose pink to a creamy taupe.
Clé de Peau Cream Blush
A blend of high viscosity oils in this cream blush will light your cheeks with a dewy glow—not a sweaty one. Blending it in with your fingers comes with another sweet bonus: getting up close and personal with Clé de Peau's signature rose scent.
NARS The Multiple
Everything you love about NARS's iconic Orgasm tint...just in a cream blush stick. This is the go-to for a hint of shimmer across your cheekbones (or browline, or lips—it works everywhere).
Ilia Multi-Stick
The masses of five-star reviews have it: Ilia's cream blush stick is an all-day, every-day wear. If you're slow to trust a new formula, it's small enough to pop in your purse before heading out (but you likely won't need to reapply).
Chantecaille Cheek Gelée Hydrating Gel-Cream Blush
Next time you're packing a travel bag, make sure you've packed Chantecaille's cream blush. Sure, the straightforward tube isn't exactly bathroom-vanity material, but it's perfect for dabbing on a dash of blush after a transcontinental flight. Another travel perk? This rosy-pink blush is packed with moisturizing ingredients to counteract airplane face.
Sitla Convertible Color
Between work, home, and everything in between, you only have so much time. Multitaskers of every type can count on Stila's Convertible Color for lasting cheek and lip pigment. This blush glides on smooth, and its color deepens with each application—so even in two places, it won't look exactly the same on your lips and cheeks.
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick
Few of us can say our beauty cabinets hold the same products now that they did ten years ago. But if one blush is to last the test of time, it's this cream stick by Chanel. With soft blush tones from rose to taupe, this buildable blush will be a mainstay in your vanity.
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Last Looks Blush
The combination of plant-based oils and proteins means this complexion-boosting blush is ideal for dry skin. It leaves cheeks looking dewy and plump, never glittery or streaky. Plus, we love that the formula is non-toxic, vegan, and can double as a sheet lip tint.
Lime Crime Softwear Blush Glow
Cream blush skeptics might worry that their liquid formulation gets too sticky. Enter: Lime Crime's Softwear Blush Glow, which transitions from a cream blush to a soft powder when swiped onto cheeks.
