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These Five Cream Blushes Won't Ghost You

Erin Eliopulos photographed by Tom Newton. Makeup by Juan Jaar. Hair by Yukiko Tajima. Styled by Carolina Orrico and Maria Montane.

by Ali Oshinsky

It’s so hard to write about blush without falling on, well, prissy cliches. A blushing bride, a post-coital glow, an embarrassed flush… especially dissonant considering that when it comes to wearing blush, I want something a little less delicate. My ideal blush is cream, for easy application and blending, and beet red like my skin’s been left to the elements. More burn than blush, you know? But so many good cream blushes inevitably fall victim to the 3PM dip out—I put on what feels like more than enough blush in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s nowhere to be found. Where does all the blush go? Hiding with the socks and hair ties, perhaps?

There are just as many cream blushes around as there is hearsay. I often tested two at a time, one on each cheek, just to get through them quicker. Among the lot, I noticed a few patterns: the waxier, more solid formulas tend to hold up best. Stick formulas seem to be a safe bet across the board, while ones poured into a pan can be hit or miss. The water-based gels are OK, and oil-based blushes, while the most beautiful, disappear the quickest. After testing for a month, here’s my final edit: the five cream blushes that lasted the longest on me, with the best shade options. If you’re no shrinking violet, there’s no reason for your blush of choice to be a disappearing rose—read on to find a new favorite.

As the name might suggest, Nudestix's Nudies Blush offers the best range of nude, tonal blush. For the first look, Juan created a wash of tonal, peachy browns. The bottom end of the blush stick holds a dense, flat brush, but Juan chose to apply it with a small fluffy one instead. (When I used it on myself, I applied straight from the stick and blended with the pad of my ring finger—easier!) He brought In The Nude up to Erin’s cheekbones, and then went back in with a tiny bit of a brighter, pinkier shade—Sunset Strip—making short, downward strokes on the apples of her cheeks for a take on monochrome that’s equally chic and wearable.

Juan also used MAC Shape and Shade Brow Tint in Taupe to fill in Erin’s brows, with a little bit of Covergirl Clump Crusher mascara on curled lashes. He used MAC lipstick in Kinkster, a weirdly flattering brown-gray, on her lips, and finished with balm on the high points of her face.

Erin wears a white Michael Stars turtleneck under a sleeveless button down and khaki layered trench coat from The Frankie Shop. She also wears pants from Michael Stars.