The 10 Best Blushes for Flushed, Healthy-Looking Cheeks

Best Overall

Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush

$38 at Sephora View on Kohls.com $38 at Kohls.com

The best of both worlds, this blush compact offers both a cream formula and a powder formula in one. The cream is smooth and blendable while not being overly emollient and greasy, and the powder is soft and buildable for a natural finish. We adore the versatility of this product as you can use each formula alone or layered together for a beautiful look that lasts. We found that the formulas layer really well together no matter what order you apply them in, which is pretty rare since typically creams don't apply well on top of powders. These blush duos come in a range of everyday shades and fun pops of color, and the brand paid extra special attention to the details by including a plastic cover for the cream section so the powder doesn't get it dirty. It's a 10/10 blush and we highly recommend it.

Finish: Natural | Shades: 8 | Size: Cream 6 grams, powder 4 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Make Beauty Heat Stroke Dewy Gel Cheek Tint

$30 at Amazon View on Makebeauty.com $30 at Revolve

Read Full Review: Make Beauty Heat Stroke Dewy Cheek Tint Review

"This product deserves more love—it's without a doubt, one of the best cream blush formulas on the market," says Commerce Writer, Alyssa Kaplan. It’s a thin, gel-like consistency that blends into bare skin or on top of foundation seamlessly. It offers buildable pigmentation that you can layer on for bold color payoff or sheer out for a more subtle look, and because it's not completely opaque, it works across a wide range of skin tones and even lets a bit of your natural complexion peek through. "It creates the most stunning, juicy-looking finish on the cheeks, and while the formula doesn’t dry, it's not sticky or heavy," she notes. We also love that it comes in a convenient stick format.

Finish: Dewy | Shades: 8 | Size: 5 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Drugstore

Milani Baked Blush

View on Ulta View on Amazon $9 at Ulta

Read Full Review: Milani Baked Blush Review

Blendable formula? Check. Silky texture? Check. Range of flattering colors at an affordable price? Check and check. The powder is baked on Italian terracotta tiles, making for an ultra-smooth feel, and each of the shades is multi-dimensional, creating the perfect, natural-looking flush every time. We love that it provides a luminous finish that's not full of chunky glitter, rather it's radiant and reflective on the skin in a subtle way. Shannon Bauer, Senior Commerce Editor, says it performs just as well as many of her high-end options, making it a product she reaches for often.

Finish: Shimmer | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Liquid

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

$14 at Sephora View on Kohls.com View on Kohls.com

Read Full Review: We Tried Five Shades of the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush—Each Gave a Different Look

There's a reason this Rare Beauty blush has reached TikTok virality—it checks all the boxes in terms of what you could want in a liquid blush. It's pigmented, blendable, buildable, and long-wearing. It comes in a wide range of wearable shades and chic packaging that's easy to throw in your makeup bag. Figuring out how much to apply can take some getting used to due to the extreme color payoff, but once you get the hang of it, we have a feeling you'll be hooked.

Finish: Matte, dewy | Shades: 13 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Matte Cream

Nudestix Nudies Matte Blush

$35 at Amazon $35 at Sephora $35 at Ulta

If you like cream products but don't like how emollient and dewy some of them are, chances are you'll love this formula from Nudestix. It's creamy and blendable, but it sets to a matte (but not dry) finish on the cheeks. It layers beautifully on top of foundation and underneath powder blush if you choose to layer, and we love that it can be used on the eyes and lips, too. While we appreciate that it comes with a blending brush on one end, we find it a bit for blush application. All-in-all, it's an easy-to-use cream formula in a convenient stick format that's perfect for anyone who likes a matte finish.

Finish: Matte | Shades: 12 | Size: 7 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Dewy Cream

Tower 28 Beauty BeachPlease Cream Blush

$20 at Sephora $21 at Walmart View on Tower28beauty.com

Read Full Review: Tower 28 Tinted Balm Review

Byrdie Social Media Editor Star Donaldson hearts this do-it-all, which looks equally gorgeous dabbed on lips, cheeks, or lid. The squeaky-clean formula is also super hydrating, and it comes in a range of gorgeous, wearable shades. The color payoff definitely veers more toward the sheer end of the spectrum, though it can be layered for those who want a bit more pop. We also love that it can be applied on the lips too for a monochromatic look.

Finish: Radiant | Shades: 7 | Size: 4.5 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Matte Powder

Haus Labs Color Fuse Blush

$32 at Sephora View on Hauslabs.com

You can't go wrong with a classic, matte powder blush, and this one has totally captured our hearts. We've found that it layers on top of both matte and dewy foundations, and it looks great on our editors with various skin types and skin tones. The formula is incredibly smooth and easy to blend, and the rich color payoff is unmatched—so much so that those with fair skin tones should be careful not to over-apply. Just a few swipes of the vibrant shades on the cheeks is all you need for a healthy-looking flush with a natural matte finish. It wears all day long, and we love that the compact comes with a big mirror so you can apply at home or on-the-go.

Finish: Matte | Shades: 5 | Size: 11 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Luminous Powder

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

$45 at Amazon $29 at Sephora $46 at Ulta

Hourglass knows a thing or two about creating luxurious powders, and this blush is one of our favorites. Each shade combines their iconic Ambient Lighting Powder or Strobe Powder with colored pigments via a stunning marbleized design, and they blend together to give the cheeks a natural flush of color with an elevated, luminous finish. The formula is effortless to blend and it can be built up for more color payoff, though we do hope the brand comes out with more shades to suit deep and dark skin tones. If you're looking for a luminous powder blush to give your complexion a subtle glow, we highly recommend checking out this beloved blush.

Finish: Matte | Shades: 5 | Size: 4.25 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Read Full Review: The 10 Best Blushes Perfect for a Flushed Glow

Best Gel

Glossier Cloud Paint

$22 at Sephora $22 at Glossier.com

Read Full Review: Glossier Cloud Paint Review

For a wash of color on your cheeks that you can easily dab on with your fingertips, consider trying this gel-cream blush from Glossier. The lightweight formula applies smoothly on bare skin or over foundation, and we love that it can look sheer or more opaque if you choose to build it up. It can take a bit of practice to figure out how much to apply, but once you do, it's pretty effortless to work with and it creates a beautiful, natural finish on the skin.

Finish: Natural | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Cream-to-Powder

Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed

$25 at Sephora View on Danessamyricksbeauty.com

If you like cream and powder blushes, this one essentially combines both formulas in one. When you touch it and apply it to your cheeks, it feels like a smooth cream. But once it sets, it dries down to a weightless powder. It's extremely easy to blend out, it can be built up for some serious color payoff, and it lasts all day long. We also appreciate that it can be applied smoothly with your fingers, a damp sponge, or a brush, though we've found that it looks the most airbrushed when blended out using a sponge. We wish the brand would expand the range to include more shades (most of the current ones are warm-toned), but the formula is fantastic.

Finish: Matte | Shades: 6 | Size: 6 grams | Cruelty-Free: Yes