The sun’s out; now’s your chance to embrace the magic of the golden hour. How so? Invite the correct formulas to your beauty arsenal. Swap burgundy for rosy pink, neutrals for popping hues, and powder textures for their creamier counterparts. As for me, summer is synonymous with flushed, sunburnt cheeks – better yet, they’ve also received Alia Bhatt and Hailey Bieber’s stamp of approval, among other notable stars.
Endowed with the tremendous power to brighten up a dull look, blush adds warmth and radiance to pale skin, and for an I-just-left-the-beach effect, you must pick a dewy variant that means business. After scouring through the beauty marketplace, I've narrowed it down to the best blushes for a sun-kissed glow.
Swipe On The Go: Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Blush
This lightweight, creamy blush stick packs a punch, melting into the skin for an ever-so-slightly-sunburnt effect. Buildable and long-lasting, the attached brush aids with blending to avoid a stark blotch. Choose to wear it solo for an au naturel effect, or layer on full-face makeup for intense drama. Either way, heads be turnin’, girl.
Makeup Multitasker: Gush Beauty Play Tint
Meet this dual-use lip and cheek tint in the cutest packaging, imbued with chia seed oil, vegan squalene, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramide, and panthenol. Promising long-lasting moisture, skin luminosity, and a second-skin flush, the pigmented formula delivers a sun-smooched appeal. Don’t take our word for it, Gush customers agree!
Colour Me Happy: Renée Cosmetics Madness pH Blush
We’ve done pH lip gloss, pH lipstick, and pH lip oil; now make way for pH blush. We promise this formula is more than what meets the eye. The seemingly black gel-like blush gives a pink payoff, transforming as per your skin’s pH level. Moisturising and blendable, apply as much as required for a natural flush – for a deeper pink, dab a few times over.
Sheer Tint: Pixi By Petra Sheer Cheek Gel
If a heavyweight cream formula isn’t your first preference, opt for this ultra-airy sheer cheek gel by Pixi. Prepared with aloe vera and sodium PCA to nourish the skin, the translucent gel lends a fresh and healthy burst of colour and can be used on the lips, too. Cruelty-free and hypoallergenic, dab some with no need for touch-ups all day.
Powder Pick-Me-Up: Miss Claire Super Summer Cake
For a flawless and faultless complexion, pick Miss Claire’s Super Summer Cake. I’ve tried the shade Sunset Tan and can attest to the fact that the formula adds a skin-like coat, instantly covering up blemishes and sun spots. The blush-cum-foundation-cum-moisturiser braves heat and humidity, without giving off an over-mattified finish.
Feather-Light Flush: Too Faced Peach Bloom Color Blossoming Lip & Cheek Tint
If a fresh, flush-y finish is your heart’s desire, don’t think twice before making this skinvestment. Too Faced’s Peach Bloom Color Blossoming Lip & Cheek Tint adjusts to your skin’s pH, gliding on for a subtle stained glass skin effect. Fret not, the non-sticky formula won’t disturb the rest of your makeup.
Jelly Glow: Renée Cosmetics Summer Slush Jelly Tint
Another Renée Cosmetics offering we swear by, the Jelly Tint is gentle, smooth, and sits easy on the skin. A single swipe of this 100% vegan and gluten-free formula can instantly pep up your cheeks and lips, delivering long-lasting pigment that neither feels sticky nor heavy. The 4 rating and 1k+ reviews speak for themselves.
For a sun-lit glow, apply blush along the cheeks and the bridge of the nose using a beauty blender, a brush, or your fingertips. To trick light itself, top it off with a highlighter or bronzer for a warm, snatched look.
