14 Best Cream Blushes for Convincing Wash of Color

Key Ingredients: Silica spheres | Finish: Matte | # of Shades: Four

Best Blush Balm: Merit Flush Balm

Why It's Worth It: Beauty lovers all over the Internet are just as in love with Merit's line-up of minimalist makeup as we are. One of the biggest highlights under the brand's roster is the Flush Balm, a smooth pigmented balm that melts onto skin to leave behind a soft hint of color and a touch of skin-moisturizing vitamin E. No wonder this compact blush won an Allure Best of Beauty 2022 Award in our Clean category.

Tester Feedback: Allure contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman says the Merit Flush Balm basically lives in her purse. "I love how easy it is to tote around—no brush necessary," she says. "It's the perfect natural wash of creamy color and goes on smooth every time."

Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, silica, synthetic wax | Finish: Dewy | # of Shades: Eight

Best Bi-Phase Formula: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed

Why It's Worth It: Danessa Myricks Beauty's Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed is a follow-up to the brand's Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough-winning bi-phase formula, a.k.a., balm-to-powder foundation, so it's a given that we'd fall in love at first swipe. Just like its predecessor, this formula applies like a creamy balm and dries down to a powder-like texture for a more natural-looking flush.

Tester Feedback: Just about the entire award-winning Danessa Myricks Beauty lineup is Allure-approved, so it's no wonder how Sarah Han, our commerce editor, fell in love with this dynamic formulation. "I love any makeup that incorporates skin-care ingredients, and the hyaluronic acid and olive-derived squalane present in this formula is no exception—no matter if I pile it on or dab on a sheer layer, my skin still feels soft to the touch," she says. "Myricks gave us color range, too: Primadonna (vibrant hot pink pictured above) is the star of the show, in my opinion, but Rosé N Brunch is a cute neutral rosy pink that’s perfect for when I want just a pinch of tint."

Key Ingredients: Upsalite (absorbs oil), squalane, hyaluronic acid | Finish: Matte | # of Shades: Seven

Best Cream Blush Stick: Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick

Why It's Worth It: Trendy beauty products come and go, but Milk Makeup's Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick is here to stay in our makeup bag. This creamy, demi-matte cream blush has been a vanity essential for our editors since it was originally launched in 2017, thanks to its barely-there feel and skin-conditioning blend of mango butter, avocado oil, and apricot oil. It's also worth noting that this glowy blush has a pretty extensive shade range: currently, you can choose from 11 different berries, reds, and neutrals. Each stick provides over 1,000 swipes of highly pigmented color, so a little goes a long way.

Tester Feedback: "I’ve stuck to the same tube of Milk Makeup's cream blush for nearly a year, and it's not even close to running out, so when I say this tiny tube lasts, I truly mean it," says Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein. "I never leave home without my essentials: phone, keys, and Muse, the deep burgundy shade in this creamy blush's 11-shade lineup. Its saturated pigments are enough to wax poetic over, but its texture deserves some kudos, too. It's easy to blend out for a sheer, everyday makeup look or can be layered for a more dramatic effect."

Key Ingredients: Mango butter, avocado oil, apricot oil | Finish: Satin | # of Shades: 11

Allure Readers Love It: Ilia Multi-Stick

Why It's Worth It: Ilia Multi-Stick's easy-wearing, buttery, and Allure Readers' Choice Award-winning formula is sure to be a hit with people of all skill levels. It just melts into your skin like it's always been there. Bicoastal makeup artist Tobi Henney used the shade A Fine Romance (a bright berry) on Megan Fox while she was filming Till Death and tells Allure that the resulting healthy flush didn't budge after filming for 10 to 12 hours.

In case you needed more convincing, Los Angeles-based makeup artist Carola Gonzalez says that the brand's Multi-Sticks "are on another level." Her favorite shade is Lady Bird (a neutral rose), which she describes as "a mix of bronzer and burnt apricot." The cherry on top is the lovely finish, which she says isn't too oily, shimmery, or sheer — talk about the perfect, Goldilocks-like situation.

Tester Feedback: Allure commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann says this cream blush has a thicker, denser formula that works perfectly with a brush (her go-to is Ami Cole's The Complexion Brush). "Using a brush gives me a ton of control with placement and allows me to adjust how strong the color is, which I love—it's like having multiple shades in one," she says. "'A Fine Romance' is the perfect berry to me because I can use it as a soft, delicate pink or go full just-ate-a-popsicle by applying it directly to my cheeks or lips."

Key Ingredients: Shea butter, avocado oil, orange peel wax | Finish: Radiant | # of Shades: Nine

More Cream Blushes We Love:

Best for Face and Body: Nars The Multiple Stick

Why It's Worth It: While we absolutely love Nars's powder blushes, save some precious time in the morning and give your complexion a few swipes of the Multiple (pictured above in the iconic, peachy-pink Orgasm shade). This multi-use, cream-to-powder stick can be used on the lips, cheeks, eyes, and even your body for a tinge of eye-catching, buildable pigments anywhere you'd like. The sheer colors — 10 total, including pearly pink, coral, and light apricot — blend effortlessly and leave behind shimmering flushes, contours, or highlights on all skin tones.

Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, açai oil | Finish: Shimmery | # of Shades: Four

Best for Mature Skin: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick

Why It's Worth It: Sometimes, makeup products can accentuate fine lines and wrinkles, but that won't be a problem when you swipe on Westman Atelier's Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick. This creamy, satin-finish blush contains skin-friendly ingredients like jojoba seed oil, antioxidant-rich grape extract, and raspberry seed extract that firm and condition skin for a smoother, suppler finish.

Key Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, grape extract, raspberry seed extract | Finish: Satin | # of Shades: Six

Best Liquid Blush: Saie Dew Blush Liquid Cheek Blush

Why It's Worth It: So, technically Saie's Dew Blush Liquid Cheek Blush isn't cream-based, but its liquid formula feels so velvety-smooth on skin that it blows most of its solid competitors out of the competition. Florida-based makeup artist Allison Kaye previously told Allure that this particular liquid blush "blends out like a dream," and all you need is a small dot to create a natural, second-skin-like finish. Its water-based, gel-cream formula provides a cooling effect as it glides over your skin, treating your pores with a cocktail of hydrating glycerin and antioxidant-rich extracts from licorice root and elderberry extracts.

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, licorice root extract, elderberry extract | Finish: Demi-matte | # of Shades: Eight

Best Multistick: Ami Colé Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick

Why It's Worth It: Ami Colé's Desert Date Cream Blush & Lip Multistick blends out like a creamy dream, plus it leaves skin feeling moisturized with its conditioning blend of desert date and baobab seed oils—just one swipe is all you need to know how it nabbed an Allure Best of Beauty Award. As its name suggests, this buttery formula comes in four shades that can be used as blush, lipstick, or both for a monochromatic effect.

Key Ingredients: Baobab seed oil, desert date oil, hibiscus flower extract | Finish: Matte | # of Shades: Four

Best Longwear Formula: Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush

Why It's Worth It: Rare Beauty's Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush gives off a romantic feel from the very first swipe. The liquid-like, water-resistant formula feels like a second skin and won't cake, crease, or clog pores. It's spiked with a nourishing blend of meadowfoam and sunflower seed oils, as well as lotus seed, to leave skin utterly glowing. Fun fact: this creamy blush compact is an Allure Best of Beauty Award winner for its satiny finish and no-budge formula that stays put from the moment you dab it on until it's time to wash off.

Key Ingredients: Meadowfoam seed oil, sunflower seed oil, lotus seed | Finish: Satin | # of Shades: Five

Best Dual-Ended Blush: Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick

Why It's Worth It: Makeup by Mario's dual-ended Soft Pop Blush Stick is the real deal and Henney can't get enough. The other end of the stick features an angled buffing brush—detachable, too, for easy cleaning—designed with five raised nubs that guarantee the perfect amount of product pick-up and even application. "Raspberry [shown above] is such a bright fun pink shade that instantly makes you look awake and [takes] your makeup to the next level," Henney says.

Key Ingredients: Synthetic wax, mica, titanium dioxide, iron oxide | Finish: Dewy | # of Shades: Six

Best Shade Range: Patrick Ta Major Beauty Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush

Why It's Worth It: Patrick Ta thought it wasn't enough to give you one blush, so he decided to pair two complementary shades — one powder, one cream — inside a gorgeous rose gold compact. The Major Beauty Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush (pictured above in the deep mauve shade Oh She's Different) blends into your skin like silk, thanks to a creamy, emollient base and ceramide-like pigments. Speaking of said pigments, this blush duo is available in 12 shades that compliment a wide range of skin types.

Layer the two formulas for maximum impact (Ta recommends starting with the powder) or wear the cream color alone for a perfectly even, luminous finish.

Key Ingredients: Patented biomimetic pigments (mimic ceramides for a conditioning effect), mica, silica, capric triglyceride | Finish: Radiant | # of Shades: 12

Best Blush Compact: LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush

Why It's Worth It: LYS Beauty made history as Sephora's first Black-owned clean makeup brand and none of the brand's skin-care-infused products disappoint. The Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush (pictured above in Empower, a deep berry plum) is spiked with moisturizing avocado oil, soothing vitamin E, and shine-controlling kaolin clay for ultra-comfortable wear. The color payoff is quite impressive, too, and adds the perfect finishing touch to any look.

Key Ingredients: Avocado oil, vitamin E, kaolin clay | Finish: Demi-matte | # of Shades: Nine

Best Buildable Finish: Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

Why It's Worth It: All 10 shades of Fenty Beauty's Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush are impeccable but the range particularly nails the warmer tones. Just take a peek at Fuego Flush, a soft tangerine packed with personality and sunshine. No matter which shade you choose, the weightless, emollient formula truly sinks into your skin, leaving a sheer and dewy finish that looks like you just got back from vacation in Barbados.

Key Ingredients: Candelilla wax, capric triglyceride, silica | Finish: Dewy | # of Shades: 10

Frequently Asked Questions

Well, it's all about your textural preferences, as both cream and powder blush formulas have their time and place. That said, cream blush formulas generally contain oils, making them comparatively more moisturizing than their powdery counterparts (take note, dry skin types), and won't disturb dry spots or highlight textured areas of the skin. These balmy, putty-like formulas don't highlight fine lines or seep into wrinkles like powder-based formulations, so they're also a great flush-enhancing alternative for mature skin types.

First, finding a complimentary shade to your skin tone is key for a natural-looking finish. As a rule of thumb, Los Angeles-based makeup artist Carissa Ferreri previously told Allure that she recommends using a cream blush (or gel) formula in rosy tones. Once you find your shade of preference, it's time to dab on your cream-based blush. "Focus the blush a bit higher on the cheeks, like right under the eyes, and then diffuse any harsh lines," she explained. Joseph Carrillo, a makeup artist based in New York City, also suggests "smiling and applying the color in the center of the apples" before gently fading the edges.

While some come in stick form and others in pots, it's the same deal: Simply apply straight from the bullet and blend out with fingers, a beauty sponge, or a stippling blush brush for more precision. Whatever you do, it's hard to mess up, especially considering most cream blushes are on the sheerer (but buildable) side. If you've gone overboard with the intensity, you can always use your brush or sponge to diffuse the color.

• Tobi Henney, a bi-coastal makeup artist
• Carola Gonzalez, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist
• Carissa Ferreri, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist
• Joseph Carrillo, a makeup artist based in New York City

Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?

For our review of the best cream blushes, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.

A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we can fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.