Oyster Girls Are Easy: Cream Blush Formulas and a FOTD

 Recently, I've received a lot of inquiries about cream blushes, specifically with regards to different formulations. Do I know of any that are dryer? Creamier? Better for dry skin? Stay dewy? Dry down? So I've decided to come up with a brief overview of my cream (and liquid) blushes in the hopes that it will help you find a formula you really like. Be forewarned that this is just based on my experiences and my reaction to various formulas; sometimes, a formulation may also vary by shade. I essentially arranged this overview to be "driest to wettest."

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Basically a Powder: Maybelline Dream Mousse Bouncy blushes and Sue Devitt Gel-to-Powder blushes

When I touch these blushes, they feel like a "flexible powder," if that makes sense. They aren't so much "wet" as they are malleable. Both of these blushes are semi-sheer and dry down to a powder finish, though the Maybelline blush retains a bit of a glow. You'll really have to pack these on if you want lots of color, but that makes them hard to overdo.  Using brushes with these is pretty much impossible. PICTURED: Maybelline Candy Coral, Sue Devitt Marion Reef

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Needs Lots of Warmth: MAC Cremeblend blushes (new formula) and NYX Stick blushes

Like the previous category, these blushes don't really feel wet at all; they almost feel like a dry stick. The difference between these and the powder-esque blushes is that, once you begin warming them up with your fingers, they feel more like a thin cream than a soft powder. In my experience, this type of formulation is a bit difficult to work with and blend, but tends to work much better on oily skins and may feel lighter on your cheeks. I've used brushes with these, but really had to work the bristles in to the product, so I usually just stick with fingers. PICTURED: MAC Posey, NYX Pink Lotus



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Slight Slip: NYC Blushable Cream Sticks (apparently discontinued), Urban Decay Glide On cheek tints, MAC Cream Color Bases, Revlon PhotoReady cream blushes

This is probably the  most popular sort of formulation: it's definitely a cream, and when you run your finger gently across it, you'll feel that it's slick and pick up some product, but you'll have to really work your finger or brush in to the product to get a lot at once. In a sense, they're creamy before you warm them up, but they're not especially wet or emollient. I really love this sort of formulation because I find that it works well on most skintypes, plus it makes the products more multipurpose: dry enough to use on the eyelids, but wet enough to dab on the lips. You can use a brush on these as long as you put a bit more "force" in to it.  In my experience, these aren't so much "dewy" on the cheeks as they are "fresh-looking," or what might be called "satiny" in a powder blush. PICTURED: NYC Plaza Pink, Urban Decay Quickie, MAC Crushed Bougainvillea, Revlon Coral Reef

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Smooth and Subtly Creamy: Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Moist Glow

It's no secret that I am stupidly in love with the Kevyn Aucoin cream blushes. The formula is hard to describe, partly because when I describe it, the terminology scares people off and I don't want that! It's a slightly tacky, definitely creamy formula that glides on to my dry cheeks like a dream, but doesn't feel at all heavy. It's also quite pigmented, as "thicker" cream blushes tend to be, so you need to use a light hand. I prefer to use my fingers with this particular product, but you can also use just about any brush, and it's wet and creamy enough that you won't have problems. The finish is dewy. PICTURED: Kevyn Aucoin Tansoleil


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Rich and Emollient: NYX cream blushes and MAC Blushcremes (old formula)

These are what most people think of when they think of cream blush: very wet and creamy, with a slightly thicker/less liquidy texture a la a rich face cream. Because they're thicker, just about every cream blush I've tried in this sort of formulation is super-pigmented and opaque, especially the NYX blushes--a dab'll do ya! The emollient texture of these also tends to make them quite shiny, which usually means extra dewiness, but also no dry-down--you may want to set these with a powder. I have dryer cheeks and therefore enjoy this sort of formula, but still find that they can feel a bit "heavy" on my skin if I apply too much, especially the old-school MAC ones. These work as easily with a brush as a liquid or cream foundation. PICTURED: NYX Hot Pink, MAC Lillicent

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Thicker Liquids: Sonia Kashuk Liquid Tints and theBalm Staniacs

In my experience, liquid blushes will work for most skintypes, but these thicker liquids are especially nice for dryer skins: the Sonia Kashuk is basically a pigmented cream blush in liquid form, while theBalm's stains have a gel formula that looks sheer and beautiful on the lips and cheeks. PICTURED: Sonia Kashuk Poppy, theBalm Beauty Queen

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Thinner Liquids: Becca Beach Tints

Most thin, watery liquid blushes do absolutely nothing for me, partially because I tend to prefer a thicker, richer formulation. The exception to the rule is Becca's Beach Tint formula. It's not at all long-lasting, but it's very sheer, natural, and easy to apply/build up, and you can't feel it at all on your skin. Watermelon (PICTURED) is my ideal shade for a natural or "no makeup makeup" sort of look.










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Now for my FOTD! I've been greatly inspired by Sarah Waters' "Tipping the Velvet" as of late, since I recently re-read the novel and re-watched the BBC adaption. (NOTE: the title is a reference to TtV--I don't think non-fictional oyster girls are easy. ;) It will always bother me that they kept Nan in eyeliner and rouge when she was pretending to be a boy on the streets of London, but eh, it's still a very pretty, rosy look. I've also been working on a review of "Tipping the Velvet," but haven't finished it because I kinda feel like nobody's gonna care about my opinion on books. Anyway, here's the FOTD--I had to use my webcam because my point-and-shoot died after 7 years of loyal service.

 BASE: Skinfood Red Bean BB cream in Shade 1 (review of this coming soon!), ELF Complete Coverage Concealer in Light to Fair

EYES: ELF Mineral eye primer, NYX eyeshadow in Dark Brown (lid wash and brows), Jordana Fabu-liner in Black, Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing mascara

CHEEKS: theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen, theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer

LIPS: theBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen, Clinique lipgoss in Fireberry

Inspiration photos: