Summer makeup is all about looking like you spent more time on your face than you actually did. When it’s this hot outside (90s F here), I’m trying to use as few products as possible. Since I know myself and that I’m still going to use some kind of tinted sunscreen/skin tin and/or concealer, a brow product, and mascara, I need everything else to be super minimal. I want one product that can do almost everything else: cheeks, forehead, and lips too.
That’s where cream blonzers make so much sense to me, and I’ve been super into them lately. I want a single cream product that adds color, warmth, shape, and a slightly more alive look without making me think too hard. The problem, as always, is that a lot of bronzy blush products go very orange on me. My olive skin turns “warm and sun-kissed” into “why does it look like I put Cheeto dust all over my face” very quickly. I pulled together four cream blonzers I’ve been using for my minimal, too-hot-for-anything-else summer face. I don’t know why I haven’t seen more people talk about this category, because this is exactly what I want from summer makeup.
In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own. Swatches are under a ring light to show true to color (photo #1) and then standard lighting to show the formula a little better (#2) for all the products.
Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Coco – This is the one I would tell the green friends to look at first. Coco is annoying to describe because it’s not just brown, pink, purple, or tan. It’s kind of all of those things at once. It has this rosy purple-brown tone that works as a contour, but it has enough of the rosy/warm shift of color that I can blend it higher into the blush/bronzer area and not feel like I’m wearing a gray stripe on my face.
On me, this is the perfect olive skin version of the cream blonzer idea. It gives me some sculpting because it is cooler and more muted, but it still gives a faded, sun-kissed, slightly reddish warmth without turning orange. The formula is also beautiful. It blends easily, sits down well, and looks smooth on the skin. It also lasts very well. The only thing that keeps this from being my ultimate go to is that this is the least dewy and least comfy on the lips (it’s not supposed to be because it’s not a lip and cheek product, but I’m team use products how you want unless they come with warning).
Lisa Eldridge Velatura Balm Dewy Lip and Cheek Stick in Cinnamon Bun – This is the one I reach for the most. The color is not quite as perfect for me as Coco, but it goes on so easily, and no effort is the name of the game when it’s hot out and you’re trying to do 5 minute makeup in your car.
Cinnamon Bun is sheerer than Coco, as well as warmer, redder, and glossier. It is less sculpting and more “I went outside and got a little flushed.” It gives me a glossy red-brown wash of color that makes it look like I actually slept and drank water (I didn’t), and it works really well on both lips and cheeks. I can put it on without overthinking placement, blend it with my fingers, and end up looking better in about 20 seconds. I really do love this formula (I have 4 shades and might just grab the 5th one for an in-depth review at this point). It’s also absolutely the best of these as a lip product.
That all said, the biggest downside for this one is wear time. It doesn’t last as long as the other three on me, but for quick summer makeup, that’s not a huge issue, and it just looks so pretty.
Haus Labs Color Fuse Glassy Blush Balm Stick in Glassy Cinnamon – This was the first product that made me fall in love with the whole cream blonzer category, so I still have a soft spot for it. Glassy Cinnamon is the warmest one here and the closest to orange in the swatch, but blended out it turns into a really pretty terracotta brown. On my skin, it gives more warm bronzy blush than anything close to contour, so I like it best when I want the look to very sun-kissed.
The formula is great. It blends easily, lasts pretty well, sits down nicely, and works well over other products. I have three of these and use them all the time. I’m just more hesitant to recommend this specific shade to green friends because it has the highest chance of pulling orange of everything in this post.
Versed Everything Balm Complexion Color in Canyon – This is the most affordable by far and also the one I’d get if you want your look to lean more blushy than bronzy. Canyon is the closest to a regular blush because it has so much more pink in it, but it still gives that soft sun-touched effect. It’s not as sculpting as Coco or as rusty as Cinnamon Bun, but it’s the least likely of these to go orange. It also really makes my skin look so pretty in a very effortless way. The formula blends seamlessly, sets down much better than I expected from this kind of balm format, and works well on the cheeks and the lips.
Because it’s so much pinker, I like this the least on my forehead compared to the others, but none of these are perfect. I’m hoping this helped you pick one if you were in the market because you definitely don’t need all four of these! But I would love more muted red/rosy browns, red-browns, purple-browns, and not-orange bronzy blushes personally if y’all have any recommendations for ones you love!
As always, some products may have been gifted, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
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