The Best Cream Blushes You Need In Your Life (Yes, There’s More Than One)

We love cream blush here at Milabu HQ. In fact, it might just be our favorite blush formula. We know – cream blush can look scary at first glance. But, we think it’s the most user friendly blush formula out there and promise you’ll fall in love too. The versatility, easy application, and long wear are just a few of the reasons we stan cream blush. We’ve put together a list of the best cream blushes, AKA our favorites, from ‘Best Overall’ to ‘Most Iconic’ and even ‘Most Fool-Proof.’ Whether you’re a cream blush novice or looking for something new, you’ve come to the right place. Buckle up!

Price: $30.00

(4.6)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 6

Finishes Available: Dewy/natural

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Infused with vitamin E, squalane, and shine-minimizing marine ferment extract; Long wearing; Buildable color; Blurs appearance of pores; Brightening; Hydrating; Non-comedogenic; Cruelty free; Refillable packaging

Best Applied With: Brush or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Best Cream to Powder Blush, Most User Friendly, Creamiest Cream Blush, and more, ROSE INC Blush Divine is the #1 clean blush on the market (at least, according to the Milabu Team). Blush Divine is a user-friendly, cream blush formula that blends in easily using the fingertips or a brush. It delivers a natural radiant glow to cheeks, while smoothing imperfections such as pores. It’s long wearing, boosts hydration, and keeps skin looking radiant all day long. The buildable blush color glides on effortlessly, blending easily and evenly for a fool-proof application. And, it can be used on the lips for a gorgeous monochromatic lip and cheek look!

Tip: Once you’ve hit pan, don’t throw out the compact! ROSE INC products are refillable. A blush refill is just $18, which will save you money in the long run.

Price: $20.00

(3.5)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Gel-cream hybrid

# Of Shades: 8

Finishes Available: Natural

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Contains Special Blurring Pigments that give a soft-focus effect without accentuating texture or pores; Lightweight, bouncy feel; Cruelty free; Dermatologist tested; Free of fragrance

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Glossier Cloud Paint is the OG that started it all, really kicking off the cream blush revolution. This unique cream-gel blush hybrid is one of the most user-friendly out there. What’s fun about Cloud Paint is that it can be mixed easily for a custom shade cocktail. It feels lightweight on the skin and glides over imperfections, never accentuating texture, pores, lines, or dry spots thanks to the inclusion of Special Blurring Pigments. Squeeze a tiny bit on the back of your hand and dab onto cheeks using your choice of brush, sponge, or fingers. Cloud Paint applies easily with any tool for a buildable, natural wash of color. You really can’t go wrong with this icon!

Price: $34.00

(4.2)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 12

Finishes Available: Natural or luminous

Pigment: Buildable wash of color

Extra Benefits: Contains shea butter, avocado oil, and orange peel wax to condition skin; Cruelty free; Free of gluten, fragrance, and silicone; 99% naturally derived

Best Applied With: Brush or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Easy, peasy! That’s what ILIA Multi-Stick is. This Best Clean Cream Blush has a super creamy formula that can be worn on both cheeks and lips. Packed with good-for-skin ingredients like shea butter and avocado oil, this cream stick nourishes while you wear it. You won’t get an intense pop of color with this stick blush, but you will get a stunning, natural flush. We find these are best applied with the fingers, as the warmth of the fingertips helps to melt the color in easily and evenly. Because of how sheer and creamy these are, they are perfect for those new to the cream blush world. Multi-Stick is the perfect product for the newly popular clean girl makeup aesthetic and are perfect for on the go girls. Toss it in your makeup bag for a convenient, travel friendly lip and cheek color!

Price: $7.00

(4.6)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Putty/cream to powder

# Of Shades: 8

Finishes Available: Semi-matte

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Infused with argan oil and vitamin E to nourish skin; Cruelty free; Vegan; Free of parabens and phthalates

Best Applied With: Brush

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Putty Blush is an absolute steal and by far one of the best cream blush formulas at the drugstore. This cream to powder formula is easy to work with, blendable, and long wearing. Dab your brush into the pot to pick up pigment and tap onto your cheeks to build in intensity, achieving anything from a natural hue to a bold pop of cheek color. Affordable and high performing, this e.l.f. blush wears well on the skin for over 8 hours without settling or looking dry – we love!

Tip: Putty Blush is a solid cheap dupe for both Tower 28 BeachPlease and NARS Air Matte Blush.

Price: $42.00

(4.4)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 7

Finishes Available: Satin, soft-focus

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Infused with clean botanical actives (blue lotus wax, jojoba esters, surface treated pigments, ginseng extract) for smoother, brighter, healthier cheeks; Dermatologist tested; Safe for sensitive skin; Hypoallergenic; Vegan; Free of gluten, soy, and nuts

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Housed in a sleek, tortoiseshell tube, Victoria Beckham Cheeky Posh Cream Blush Stick oozes luxury. This cream blush stick is incredibly creamy and soft. It glides onto cheeks effortlessly, blending out seamlessly for a soft-focus finish and lit-from-within glow. The formula is foolproof as Victoria Beckham promises and can be built up for a sheer flush or a more bold cheek. It layers beautifully without disrupting any makeup below. Cheeky Posh also delivers when it comes to longevity. It stays put all day with minimal fading, settling, or accentuating imperfections. We do wish it had a bit larger of a shade range, but the shades do flatter most all skin tones!

Price: $32.00

(4.5)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 7

Finishes Available: Natural

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Lightweight feel; Long lasting; Gives a soft focus look to cheeks; Has an attached brush; Cruelty free; Free of parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, fragrance, and oil

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: If you love a cream to powder blush formula, but the convenience of a stick, this is the one we recommend. ABH Stick Blush is our pick for Best Stick Cream Blush for a few reasons. First, the shade range is stunning. Though it is a smaller range (only 7 shades), the shades ABH does have work on most skin tones. Second, it’s easy to apply. This formula applies well with a brush, fingers, or a sponge and is buildable in intensity. It blends in without disrupting the makeup underneath, even blurring pores and lines. And, finally, it’s long wearing. It doesn’t settle, it doesn’t smudge, and it doesn’t look patchy.

Tip: Skip using the included brush – it isn’t our fave. We find it too dense to blend out this formula and can cause the product underneath to lift.

Price: $36.00

(4.6)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Palette includes cream and powder textures

# Of Shades: 6 palette variations

Finishes Available: Natural cream and powder; Sheen powder

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Long wearing; Features three textures and shades for layering and custom cheek color; Cruelty free; Vegan; Free of gluten, parabens, sulfates, and fragrance

Best Applied With: Brush for all (the cream formula can be applied with fingers for a sheer look)

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Who doesn’t love a versatile blush palette?! ONE/SIZE Cheek Clapper is perfect for on-the-go gals who want multiple cheek looks without having to carry a million blushes in their makeup bag. This blush palette has three different formulas: a cream, a matte powder, and a sheen powder. We love the endless cheek looks this blush palette provides. You can wear the cream or powders on their own or layer them for bold color. All of the formulas are stunning: they’re easy to apply, blendable, and buildable. Cheek Clapper wears beautifully, too. It lasts all day on the skin without looking patchy, settling into lines or pores, or clinging to texture/dry spots. What’s not to love about this blush palette?!

Price: $10.99 (individual), $14.99 (palette)

(4.5)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Balm, gel to cream

# Of Shades: 4

Finishes Available: Natural luminous

Pigment: Buildable

Extra Benefits: Infused with pomegranate, watermelon, and rose extracts, plus vitamin A, C, and E to hydrate and brighten; Cruelty free; Vegan

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Milani has some of my favorite blush formulas at the drugstore and Cheek Kiss Cream Blush is no exception. Because of its balmy texture, this cream blush is incredibly easy to use. It is lightweight and buildable in intensity for a custom color payoff. Regardless of the tool you use to apply (brush, sponge, or fingers), there are no harsh lines left behind and the color looks seamless and airbrushed. This is one of those blushes that you can’t really apply too much of, and, if you do, it blends out super easily. It also comes in a convenient palette that contains 3 of the 4 available shades. We love the palette especially for its versatility and being travel-friendly. It’s perfect to layer and create custom shades!

Price: $34.00

(4.3)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 8 dewy; 10 matte

Finishes Available: Dewy or matte

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Long wearing; Can be worn on cheeks, lips, or eyelids; Has an attached brush; Cruelty free; Vegan; Eco friendly

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

Why We Love It: NUDESTIX is known for their multitasking cream makeup crayons, perfect for on-the-go. Nudies Blush is the perfect cheek accessory that can be worn on the eyes and lips too, for a monochromatic makeup look. The balms are creamy, easy to blend, and buildable for a wash of color to a bold pop. This cream blush comes in both matte and dewy finishes that span a range of 18 shades. You’re sure to find a color that suits you in this range – or try something bold and new! The choices can be overwhelming, and if you’re not sure where to start, they’ve put together curated kits that are a great place to start.

Tip: Skip using the included brush – it isn’t our fave. We find it too dense to blend out this formula and can cause the product underneath to lift.

Price: $22.00

(4.3)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream

# Of Shades: 10

Finishes Available: Natural

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Lightweight; Non greasy; Sweat and water resistant; No-fuss, natural looking blush; Cruelty free

Best Applied With: Brush or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Not only is Rihanna a bonafide popstar, but a beauty mogul too. Her Fenty Beauty line is one of the most inclusive in prograde beauty and has made a huge impact since its launch in 2017. From the collection is a raved about cream blush: Cheeks Out, which we think has the one of the most fun shade ranges. You can find your typical baby pink, coral, and berry tones, but also a vivd tangerine and violet shade. In addition to a rockin’ shade range, it’s got a great formula. Cheeks Out is lightweight, ultra blendable, and long wearing. Its even sweat and water resistant, making it perfect for hot, summer days!

Price: $18.00

(4.3)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream pigment

# Of Shades: 35+

Finishes Available: Matte, Foils, Metallic, Nudes, Neons, Glossy Glazes

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Long wearing; Waterproof; Smudge proof; Heat resistant; Extremely customizable; Can be worn below or on top of makeup, mixed, and on eyes, lips, or cheeks; Cruelty free

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: One word. Versatility. That’s the only way to describe Danessa Myricks Colorfix Eye, Cheek, & Lip Pigments. These cream makeup products pack a punch. With an impressive 30+ shade range spanning multiple finishes, there’s a color for every look imaginable. Plus, these little guys are incredibly long wearing, smudge proof, and heat resistant making them virtually life proof. Perfect for use as an all over eyeshadow or lip color, or as a waterproof base for concealer – there’s not much Colorfix can’t do.

Note: Colorfix can be tricky to work with. The pigment dries down super fast and can be hard to blend if left sitting too long. If you’re newer to cream blushes, we recommend starting with the something a bit more user-friendly, like ROSE INC Blush Divine or ABH Stick Blush.

Price: $20.00

(4.5)

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HIGHLIGHTS

Formula: Cream balm

# Of Shades: 6

Finishes Available: Natural luminous

Pigment: Buildable sheer to bold

Extra Benefits: Infused with plant-based ingredients like green tea and aloe vera extract for a skincare boost; Cruelty free; Vegan; Free of silicone, parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, talc, gluten, fragrance, and more; Safe for all sensitive skin, including those with rosacea, acne, and eczema

Best Applied With: Brush, sponge, or fingers

See Blush in Action ▶️

Why We Love It: Sensitive skin friends, we see you and raise you your new favorite cream blush. Tower28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm is designed for all skin types, but specifically those that are privy to rosacea, acne, eczema or any other sensitive skin issue. The whole brand is allergy and dermatologist tested, as well as noncomedogenic, non-irritating, plus gluten and fragrance free. The six shades of BeachPlease inspired by the colors of Santa Monica sunsets, with shades like rosy nude, orange, terracotta, and berry tones. This cream blush applies like a dream, building and blending seamlessly for a natural, luminous finish to cheeks or lips (perfect for a monochromatic look!). It never looks cakey, leaves any harsh lines, or settles/clings to imperfections. BeachPlease isn’t the longest lasting cream blush on the market, but, if it does fade, it still looks incredibly natural and glowy.

^{Edited by Maddie}