Blusher is a classic make-up buy for adding a splash of cheek colour in an array of different shades. This colourful cosmetic go-to is a failsafe way of warming up your face and adding a healthy-looking glow, plus extra freshness – whether you’ve had a full night’s sleep or not.
While it’s important to pick the shade which works best with your skin tone, formula is pretty crucial too. Compact powder blush picks will always be a popular choice, and they’re undoubtedly a timeless make-up buy. But, if your skin is prone to dryness, or you’re wary of choosing a product which might cling to fine lines, cream blush is your cheek-brightening best friend.
Cream blushers can be found in stick, pot, bottle, and tube packaging, with their consistency varying from lightweight to rich. The beauty of these blendable buys is that they’re easy to layer and build, so the exact amount of cheek coverage can be tailored to your preference. Whether applied with a brush or fingertips, the creamy texture serves up a smoothing splash of colour, which may either be matte or dewy.
And just because these blush types tend to be found in a gel, liquid, or balm-like formula, it doesn’t mean they should slide about or slip off easily. There are plentiful long-wearing options to enjoy, offering cheek coverage that stays put all day.
With all that in mind, we’ve been researching the best cream blushers to buy, in pink, coral, neutral and warm shades. Read on to see our full tried and tested findings.
How we tested
Our reviewer sampled a selection of cream blushers over a few weeks, including old favourites and brand-new finds. We looked at formula, shades, staying power and finish, when worn as part of our usual make-up routine. Look no further than our pick of the best cream blushers across all price points.
The best cream blushers for 2022 are:
- Best overall cream blush – Victoria Beckham Beauty cheeky posh cream blush stick, playground: £36, Victoriabeckhambeauty.com
- Best cream blush for a sheer finish – Glossier cloud paint, puff: £17, Glossier.com
- Best cream blush for dewiness – Pixi Beauty on-the-glow blush, fleur: £18, Pixibeauty.co.uk
- Best cream blush for shade selection – Jones Road lip and cheek stick, tawny nude: £30.50, Jonesroadbeauty.com
- Best cream blush for a satin effect – Rare Beauty stay vulnerable melting blush, apricot: £18, Spacenk.com
- Best cream blush for moisturising skincare ingredients – SUQQ shimmer liquid blush, 03: £26, Cultbeauty.co.uk
- Best lightweight formula cream blush – Illamasqua colour veil, tonic: £16, Lookfantastic.com
- Best cream blush for a matte look – Beauty Pie supercheek cream blush, universal pink: £10 for members or £30 for guests, Beautypie.com
- Best cream blush for an integral applicator – Nudestix nudies bloom, poppy girl: £30, Lookfantastic.com
- Best: Overall
- Size: 5g
- Shades: Seven
Just one slick of this cream blush stick serves up bold cheek colour available in peach, pink and poppy shades, with this terracotta nude being our current favourite pick. Our tester appreciated how well the texture perfects that tricky balance between being glossy and staying put, with our cheeks showcasing a soft, velvety finish. The tube packaging is suitably posh too and the stick itself has a signature VB logo stamped on it.
Ingredients include skin-softening blue lotus wax and soothing ginseng extracts, with the highly pigmented product delivering a powerful pop of long-wearing cheek colour. Plus, the formula doesn’t settle into pores and its slimline stick adds extra precision application ease.
- Best: For a sheer finish
- Size: 10ml
- Shades: Eight
Presented in cute paint tube packaging, complete with a twist-off lid, there are eight shades to explore including coral, fuchsia, peach, and mulberry. Puff is a pale pink number, offering a sheer wash of cheek colour that we found to be buildable too.
Ideal if you prefer a natural-looking glow, our tester squeezed a drop out of the tube and blended the fragrance-free gel-cream hybrid onto the skin. We saw a brightening make-up lift, which could be easily made into a bolder layer with extra product. The blush colour lingers for hours on end and the fun tube fits neatly into our make-up bag too. All of which we’re impressed by for under £20.
- Best: For dewiness
- Size: 19g
- Shades: Three
A twist-up cream blush stick available in three shades, we particularly like this rosy pink fleur colour. The robust packaging means we’re not afraid to take the cream blusher out and about or chuck it in our bag. Plus, our tester found the creamy cheek colour slides onto the skin quickly and effortlessly, with aloe vera ingredients making it feel soothing.
The pale sugary pink shade accompanies a sheer, glossy finish, creating a glowing, dewy effect. A buildable formula, you can add as little or as much product as you’d prefer, and we find the pink tones work well as a lip tint too.
- Best: Shade selection
- Size: 8.4g
- Shade: Eight
There are eight shades to choose between when shopping this lip and cheek stick, including pink, coral, mocha and plum, and our current favourite is the earthy tawny nude option. The lightweight formula feels gentle on skin, and we particularly like using it as a quick make-up pick-me-up when our face looks a bit tired. Plus, because of the easy stick applicator, this can be done in a rush.
We notice a demi-matte finish when popping it onto lips and cheeks, with the formula smoothing over creases rather than clinging to them. This is a versatile make-up buy, whether you prefer to apply the blush with fingers or a brush.
- Best: For satin effect
- Size: Not specified
- Shades: Five
Presented in a chic rounded compact, complete with an application mirror and metallic detailing, we instantly appreciated how luxe this cream blusher’s packaging looks. The lightweight creamy formula added a satin effect to our tester’s skin, while the blush texture feels extremely smoothing. There’s no greasiness, just an initial lightly glossy effect that melts into skin and leaves a lingering sweep of silky, cheek colour.
While a few colours are available, we especially like the earthy apricot, for a healthy-looking natural finish. If you favour a blush which delivers pigment smoothly but doesn’t slide about, this is the perfect pick.
- Best: For moisturising skincare ingredients
- Size: Not specified
- Shades: Two
This glass bottle of liquid blush has a pump nozzle applicator releasing the creamy formula, for easy and mess-free use. The 03 shade is a sunny coral colour, with light and bright pink options to discover too. We liked how moisturising this blush feels and that’s thanks to the inclusion of nourishing ingredients often seen in skincare, such as sunflower seed oil, olive oil and jojoba oil.
Our tester found the texture to be lightweight and smoothing, while leaving a subtle wash of flattering cheek colour. Being a liquid blush, it’s satisfyingly buildable too.
- Best: Lightweight formula
- Size: Not specified
- Shades: Six
This unique cream blush has a gel-like formula which feels refreshingly lightweight on skin and offers a similar powder effect to a compact. The 4.5ml glass pot is a handy compact size, and we think its contents would last a while as a tiny amount offers strong cheek coverage.
Meanwhile, the jelly blush consistency makes it a blendable buy for layering up our cheek colour without creases. Available in six shades, our tester likes the neutral-toned tonic, for a subtle flush of colour which we’ve noted remains in place all day.
- Best: For a matte look
- Size: 5g
- Shades: Five
Immediately after opening this cream blush pot, our tester noted the bright cheek colour has a similar texture to lipstick. Also available in berry and peach tones, we were impressed that dabbing just a small amount of product created a vibrant, matte pink effect on our tester’s cheeks. Vegan-friendly ingredients include synthetic waxes, silica and mattifying powder, with the Italian-made composition delivering strong pigment and a powdery finish which doesn’t slide off.
The texture blends well, but doesn’t budge, making this a brilliant cream blush should you like smoothing cheek coverage with excellent staying power.
- Best: For an integral applicator
- Size: 7g
- Shades: Five
Ideal for easy application, this cream blush comes in a tin complete with its own internal mirror. Plus, the dual-ended stick has a brush tip as well as its main cream blush end, meaning we didn’t need to source a separate make-up tool to use for blending.
The cream blush is a chubby shape reaching our entire cheeks easily, whether we fancied going for this range’s pink, red, earthy, or brighter poppy shade. The latter added a brightening boost to our cheeks, with the colour gliding over skin, and we also found this versatile blush lends itself well to lips and eyelids too.
