A lot of affordable makeup is pretty fantastic, and I don’t spend enough time talking about it. So for May, I’m dedicating the entire month to posts about products under $20. I originally planned to do one big YesStyle blush roundup, but there were way too many good affordable blushes to fit into one post. So after starting with the powder blushes, I’m back with the cream, cushion, and liquid blushes as promised. I did order a few more blushes based on your recommendations so far, so there will be another YesStyle under $20 blush follow-up later. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.
Swatches are in the same order from left to right as the order of blushes are reviewed in the post. 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) based on your feedback – thank you!
Joocyee Glazed Multi-Purpose Stick in G402 Wheat Nude – This is one of my favorite blushes from this whole YesStyle haul. G402 is a rosy brown that actually stays rosy-brown on me instead of turning orange, and it’s one of those colors that immediately looks at home on my skin. The formula is creamy, easy to blend, and makes my skin look hydrated without looking greasy. I also like it as a lip product, so it’s very easy for a soft monochromatic look. My only complaint is the packaging, which is chunkier than I want it to be, especially because this is exactly the kind of product I’d otherwise travel with all the time. *Out of stock at YesStyle, but I did find it in stock at Stylevana.
Gege Bear Air Cushion Blusher in 303 – This might be the most perfect blush color I’ve ever found. It’s my ideal everyday beige-mauve, and it looks so good every time I put it on. I do have to build it up a little, but I don’t mind that because the cushion format makes it so easy and hard to overdo. I use this all the time, especially paired with the NAMING powder blush from my last post. I’ve used the included puff, brushes, and fingers to apply it and never have any issues. The packaging is cute, but it does feel a little like a kid’s toy. If luxury packaging matters to you, this may annoy you, but at this price (under $5), I don’t care, and I would absolutely repurchase it.
TFIT Fluffy Velvet Cushion Blush in B01 Charming Berry – This one did not work for me at all. I don’t know if mine arrived dried out or if the formula is just this low pigment, but I cannot get it to show up on my face at all. I can get a little pigment if I really press into it for a finger swatch, but on my cheeks, it basically disappears. It also doesn’t pick up well with the puff, a brush, or my fingers, so it feels harder than it needs to be. If you are very fair and want an extremely pale cushion blush, maybe this is for you, but there’s so many amazing blushes out there. If you have this and love it, please comment and let me know if mine is just a bad batch! *This is actually over $20 when it’s not on sale, but I had to include it because it was my only product that didn’t end up working for me.
Bbi@ Ready to Wear Downy Cheek in Downy Taro – I love this formula so much that I already have another shade in my cart. Downy Taro is a brighter cool-toned pink that actually stays cool on me, and it brightens up my face so well. The formula is so easy to work with and makes my skin look dewy and hydrated. It’s also tiny and compact, so it’s one of the easiest blushes here to travel with. I especially like tapping it over a look that has gotten a little too powdery because it brings the skin texture back in a really pretty way.
A’pieu Juicy-Pang Jelly Blusher in PK01 and BE02 – PK01 is definitely the shade I should’ve gone with. It’s a neutral rose with a little warmth, but it doesn’t go orange on me. It has a slightly red-leaning quality in a good way, and it feels like a perfect, easy summer blush color on me. BE02 is a tangerine-orange shade, and it absolutely reads orange on my skin. It was recommended as an orange that an olive can actually wear, and I don’t totally regret having it because it does work for a fun, intentionally orange look since it isn’t super Cheeto bright once it’s blended out. This is one of the only blushes I own that I can use for that kind of look. The formula is easy to blend, blurring, and definitely more of a cream-powder hybrid than a dewy cream blush, which is one of my favorite blush formulas. The packaging is small and travel-friendly too.
Before we get into the liquid blushes, I’m not usually a liquid blush person. Before trying these, the only liquid blush I consistently used was the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flushes. Otherwise, I almost always reach for a cream, cushion, or cream-powder blush. These really surprised me. They’re easy to blend, easy to layer, and I’ve been using them a lot either as a first blush layer or on their own when I want something quick and fresh. Swatches are in the same order from left to right as the order of blushes are reviewed in the post. 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) based on your feedback – thank you!
Peripera Syrupy Tok Cheek in 03 Friendship Mauve – This is the liquid blush I use the most. Friendship Mauve is mauve in theory, but on my face, it turns into a soft, springy pink that brightens up my face. The formula blends out beautifully and stays dewy without being sticky. I also love that I can build it up without it getting patchy, so if I want more color, I can just tap on another layer, and it still looks good. My only complaint is the packaging. It has one of those little buttons at the bottom that you have to press, which can be frustrating if you have any kind of mobility issues.
House of Hur Moist Ampoule Blusher in Rose Brown and Berry Purple – I have two shades of this because I liked the first one enough to buy another. Rose Brown is a rosy brown that doesn’t go bright orange on me, though it’s definitely a little warm. Berry Purple is a brown-berry color that looks very at home on my skin. These are more of a watercolor wash than the Peripera, so I don’t always wear them alone, but they’re really pretty when I want something soft and skin-like. The formula blends out well and makes my skin look nice without looking like I’m wearing blush. This is much more of a watercolor, could never put on too much, kind of formula.
nuse Mousse Care Cheek in 05 Crema Mauve – This is such a pretty cool-toned pink. Compared to the Peripera, it’s lighter and brighter, but it still works really well on my olive skin and doesn’t go orange. The formula is more opaque than the House of Hur, so instead of giving that watercolor wash, it looks more like I put on a cream blush. But then it dries down and really stays. Once it sets, it’s pretty matte and blurred, but it still looks really pretty. I like this one so much that I actually already bought two more nuse blushes to test, one in this formula and one in a different nuse liquid formula that one of you swatched that I just had to try.
What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
Makeup and Skincare Reviews 