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Thursday, February 4, 2016

My Top Five Drugstore Cream Blushes of All Time


This blog post was written in direct response to recent comments left here on the blog in a previous post. Some of you requested that I talk about my favorite drugstore cream blushes, so here I am!

Given that I have very oily skin, cream blushes can be tricky. Today I'll go over my favorites (that even work with my oily skin) that you can find either right at your local drugstore or, in a few cases, online.

With the exception of the Number 1 spot (which is my holy grail cream blush), these blushes are in no particular order since I love them all equally, for various reasons. So let's go!

(Click a title link below for more info or to purchase.)

#5: Jordana Color Tint Blush Sticks (retail: $2.99 each, 0.21 oz.)

This is the only product on this list that I actually received from the brand for review (everything else on this list was purchased with personal funds). I reviewed these way back in 2012 (click here for my original review) and they're still a favorite to this day. I have repurchased several shades since my original review and I love these little chubby twist-up sticks for several reasons. First, they come in tons of colors (and different finishes). Second, they're creamy and so easy to blend. Third, they're quite pigmented, but the pigment is easy to control. Fourth, they smell like vintage face cream (floral and creamy). Fifth, they have great staying power, even on my oily skin (they contain kaolin clay, which my oily skin LOVES). And lastly, they're dirt cheap.

#4: Flower Beauty Win Some Rouge Some Creme Blush (retail: $8.98, 0.14 oz.)

Back in 2013 when Flower Beauty (by Drew Barrymore) first launched, I purchased and reviewed several products from Walmart. This blush was one of them (click here for my original review) and I still can't stop raving about it. The packaging has since changed to this (although the original packaging is still available on the Walmart website HERE, while the new packaging is available HERE) but the formula is the same. What I love most about this blush is the texture. These have a dreamy, light formula that makes them so easy to apply using just your fingers. They also blend like a dream, and the pigmentation is great and easy to control. These don't last quite as long on my oily skin as other cream blushes mentioned here, but I love them just the same (I just make sure that I use a primer and oil-control setting powder with them, otherwise they fade after about 4 hours on my oily skin). But the color, texture, and ease of use are a fair trade-off for the average staying power, in my opinion.

#3: L'Oreal Visible Lift Blur Blush (retail: $12.99; 0.06 oz.)

I reviewed this blush back in 2014 when it first debuted, and have repurchased since then (click here for my original review). As I mentioned in my original review, these appear to be dupes for the (now-discontinued) Armani Blushing Fabric Second Skin Blushes, but I'm still not sure just how close they are to those since I never did get my hands on the Armani blushes. Anyway, I love this blush for a number of reasons and I'm sad that no one ever really talks about these anymore. The first two ingredients in this blush are the same two ingredients that you find in many popular high-end face primers (cyclopentasiloxane and dimethicone crosspolymer). And I feel like that contributes to the silcone-based-primer feel of these blushes, and also the extra boost in staying power. These feel like a face primer during application, yet packed with color. They glide across the skin with ease, and they really do help to blur out large pores and imperfections. I love the colors, the pigmentation, the easy application, and the fact that these have great staying power for me when I wear them on top of my foundation and setting powder (and they don't disrupt my setting powder).

#2: Flower Beauty Kiss Me Twice Lip and Cheek Chubby (retail: $10.48, 0.21 oz.)

Yep, another Flower Beauty product has made the cut. I reviewed this chubby stick back in 2014 (click here for my original review) and continued to use it for the rest of that year, and all the way through 2015. And I will definitely repurchase. I did not like this as a lip product, but I LOVED it on my cheeks. Why? Because the pigmentation is absolutely amazing, and so is the staying power. I can easily get 10 hours of wear in cooler weather (a bit less in super warm weather but that's typical for my oily skin). The only (and I do mean only) drawback is that, if you wear powder foundation or long-wear liquid foundation, it can be a challenge to apply and blend this blush because it's on the drier side. But other than that? It's amazing. I have no issues with application or blending if I'm wearing a regular liquid foundation, BB/CC cream, etc.

#1: Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint (retail: $3, 0.47 oz.)

My holy grail cream blush for all of the reasons I stated in my original review back in 2014 (click here to read it). But it is with a very heavy heart that I tell you that I think Rimmel has discontinued this blush line. But that's not the only bad thing about this blush. It has NEVER been easily available. Some have said it's a Walmart-exclusive, but I know that some of you have also spotted it at Kmart (I have as well). There is one shade still in stock on the Walmart website (see link above) and I'm telling you, if you find these on clearance at Walmart, Kmart, the dollar stores or other discount stores, you seriously might want to give them a try. I love every single thing about this blush. It's excellent for beginners because you literally cannot overdo it (so easy to control pigmentation and build for more intensity). Also, the colors are so wearable and so easy to blend due to the mousse-like consistency. Plus, these last forever on my oily skin. I'm gutted that these appear to be discontinued and I'm buying them up whenever I spot them these days. PLEASE Rimmel, bring these back in another form but don't discontinue them completely. I'm begging you. 

So that's it! My top five drugstore cream blushes of all time. That's not to say that there aren't other cream blushes I love, but these REALLY do it for me. As always, I would love to know what you think about these products if you've tried them, and I would also love to hear what YOUR top five drugstore cream blushes are (if you don't have five, tell us about one or two)!

The products featured in this post were either purchased with personal funds or given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.Blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews. For more information, click here.
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17 comments

  1. I recently found the Rimmel blushes on clearance at KMart for 80 cents. I need to try them!

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  2. I'm livid over the Rimmel blushes being discontinued! I've been looking for them ever since your review, and I have never, ever, not once, seen them. Not even an empty spot in a display. Why bother creating and releasing a new product if you're not going to market or distribute it? Grr.

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  3. Have you tried the ELF HD blushes. OMG, those are so pigmented. A tiny dot is all I need.

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  4. I found the Rimmel cheek tint at local Grocery Outlet (like the Big Lots) for $1.99 at first then reduced to 0.99. I should definitely grab one next time :-p thanks a lot for your review, G!

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  5. These are great choices!! I love Flower Beauty!!!

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  6. G, I agree, the Rimmel blushes are awesome! I picked mine up at Meijer but had seen them at Kmart in the past. I think you are correct in saying these are being discontinued as I have not seen these in awhile either. Yes, if anyone sees these on clearance, buy them, as they are so nice. I will say that before these, my all time fav cream blush was the Rimmel Mousse blush in the shade Peach Iced Tea. That was the best shade ever! When those got discontinued I stock piled those too but sadly they dried out over time and I had to pitch them. It seems Rimmel has a great track record for doing cream blushes but they never stay around that long!

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  7. This was a fun read, G. I remembered that your HG is Rimmel and I HG and I have to agree. I bought mine at Kmart.

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  8. I'm obsessed with the Flower Beauty Transforming Touch Powder-to-Cream blushes...they're super long lasting on my skin and even though they only come in two shades, they're both gorgeous. Plus turning a powder into a cream is like magic, so cool! I'm also a big fan of Colourpop's blushes and the L.A. Girl Velvet Contour Stick Blushes. Like you, I also love the Rimmel Stay Blushed and the Flower Lip & Cheek Chubby sticks. Oh, and I know this is #6 but I was also a big fan of the L'oreal Visible Lift Blur Blushes. :)

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  9. My favorite drugstore cream blush is the Maybelline Stick. The color "pink fever" stays pink and does oxidize to orange as so many things do on my skin. And a little goes a long way!

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  10. My all time fave is NYC's Creme Blush Stick in Berry New Yorker (I think...the print has worn off, so I'm not 100% sure on the color :) I got it at the dollar store about 5 years ago and haven't been able to toss it (it's probably beyond expired). It's super easy to blend and gives a natural flush.

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  11. Noooooo! I love the Rimmel cream blushes! I tried them based on your review (thank you!) and yes, they were tough to find, but so awesome! They aren't goopy, they travel so well, they are super cheap, etc., etc. BUMMER. Now I'm going to have to hoard the remainder of the tube that I have .... and search like a bananas person for them on clearance.

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  12. Great picks! I love the Flower Beauty blushes but I have never ever been able to find the Rimmel ones anywhere so I am bummed about that. I hope you continue to do this kind of Top 5 favorites because I would love to know your Top 5 Foundations :-)

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  13. Loved reading all about this. I have oily skin also. I have Elfs cream blushes and they r very pigmented. But so sad to hear about Rimmels. Maybe we should bombard them in IG like a lot did with Milani about their Amore Lip Cremes. They made them perm and brought out a lot more colors. I am so looking for the other Blushes u mentioned. If u like it then it's all good for me. Having the same skin type makes me feel good. I feel like sometimes it's harder to find info on aging older women like late 40s skin care for aging and oily. I get confused easily with it all. Thanks so much for all u do on here. Appreciate all ur hard work.

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  14. My HG blush, cream or otherwise, was a limited edition NYC Blushable Cream Stick in Plaza Pink. I'm pretty porcelain so it might not work for you, but for me - it's the BEST. I use it almost every day and I'm still working my first tube. I've been using it for probably 2 years. I just ordered a backup from Amazon for like $5 so I should be set for, like, ever.

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  15. I think you might have marked the size wrong for the L'Oreal blush (0.06 oz. instead of 0.6 oz) which makes it seem ridiculously expensive on a per-ounce basis.

    I wear powder foundation most days, can cream blush be worn over or? Do you have any tips?

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  16. I bought 4 of those Rimmel blushes today at wal*mart, on clearance for 1.50 each. I will gladly mail you a couple as a thank you for all you do. I got all the colors. Please contact me thru email if you'd like them.

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