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We Tried Rare Beauty’s Liquid Blush on Different Skin Tones and Here are Our Honest Thoughts

Rare Beauty liquid blush

Some beauty product launches have a way of gaining momentum as soon as they land on store shelves, seemingly developing a cult following overnight. But what’s worth the hype and what’s merely clever marketing buildup? We’re here to suss out the difference and show you the results first-hand.

Case in point: Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty Liquid Blush. Many of the glowing reviews for the product tout it for its colourful punch and long-lasting formula, so we thought we’d give the blush a try on our team’s wide range of skin tones and types, and below are our honest takes on the experience. 

But before we get into that, we wanted an expert makeup artist’s insight on all things liquid blush, and some tips and tricks on the best way to apply it and make it last. For these, we spoke with Kristen Saxton, a Toronto-based MUA specializing in makeup for on-air talent and special occasions, such as weddings and celebrations. 

Related: Does every celeb need a beauty brand? (Plus the ones we actually love).

What you need to know about liquid blush

In noting some key differences between liquid and cream- or powder-based blush, Saxton explains, “Liquid blush has much more longevity typically than powder or cream blush. It gives a more hydrated, stained look that is more natural versus a powder or even cream.”

She also cautions that “play time” with a liquid as opposed to a cream is shorter, as it tends to set fairly fast, so you’ll want to blend it right away and fully.  

In terms of favourite application tools and techniques, Saxton has a go-to: “Typically, I use a flat top synthetic brush for liquid versus a real hair for powder or duel fibre, fingers or sponge for cream.” Her reasoning for this is simple. “A synthetic brush does not absorb the product in the bristles and allows you to buff it right into the skin without wasting the product and having more control as it is runny (Mac #196) is great.”

See also: How to get the glowy, clean girl makeup look.

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Her pro tip? “For a sculpted look, blend on and up the middle of the cheekbone, all the way to the ear. For a more pretty fresh look, focus more on the apples of the cheek. You can even put a small amount across the eyes and bridge and tip of the nose (just be careful to be light-handed with this technique and that you don’t bring the blush too close to the nostrils or it can look like a sunburn!).”   

Rare Beauty liquid blush soft pinch in Believe
Sephora

For those sweaty summer days, when your makeup needs to work harder to stay in place, she also offers a few suggestions.

“After your foundation, take a small amount of translucent powder and dust it over the cheeks before you put the liquid blush. This will help to absorb any oil and help the liquid blush stay on throughout the day. If you really want to make it bulletproof, you can finish with a mattifying setting spray (Urban Decay has a great one) or even mix the liquid blush with the setting spray and blend it over the cheek.” 

You may also like: Selena Gomez’s style evolution: From cute to glam.

Saxton’s last pro-tip comes down to choosing shades? If you’re striving for a natural look, you’ll want to choose a blush with the same undertone as your skin. Otherwise, “if you want a bold looking blush, pick one with the opposite undertone as your skin. So If you have a warm skin tone (a yellow undertone), choose a warm blush shade for a natural look and a cool blush shade for a pop of colour.” However, there is one colour Saxton finds works on every skin tone: “Different shades of peach are always a safe bet on every skin tone.” 

With this in mind, here is what our Slice staff had to say about Rare Beauty’s Liquid Blush in various shades (note: all shades of Soft Pinch Liquid Blush are available at Sephora for $26).

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Related: Zodiac scents: A summer fragrance for each zodiac sign.

Mali R. holding Rare Beauty's Liquid Blush

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in Happy

“I finally understand what all the hype is about – I’ve never used a product that has packed so much pigment in a single, tiny dot! I’ve always stuck to powder and cream blushes, but Miss Selener really knew what she was doing with the Soft Pinch Blush.

“My first thought was how easily it glides on with the perfect consistency (no thickness or runniness here). Trust me when I say that a little goes a long way, so make sure you’re starting off with a minimal amount and building up more, if needed.

“I would also recommend diffusing the product upwards with your fingers before going in with a brush (tip: a flat brush helps create a more “lifted” look) to really get that beautiful, healthy glow that lasts the full day. All my favourite South-Asian beauty influencers have been highly recommending the shade “Happy”, and being of a similar skin tone, I’m glad this bubblegum pink did not disappoint. This is definitely going to be my new go-to for when I need that fresh pop of colour, and luckily it seems like this bottle is going to last me years!” – Mali R., Content Creator, Slice 

See also: Our favourite new beauty drops for July 2022.

Natalie H. showing Rare Beauty's Liquid Blush on her cheeks

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in Believe

“I don’t think I’ve ever used a blush that’s been so pigmented, and to say I am a fan would be an understatement.

“Over the years, blush has been a beauty product I’ve stayed away from because if it’s the wrong shade of pink it clashes with my skin tone. However, the shade “Believe” from Rare Beauty is perfect, in that it gives off a perfect, natural-looking flush. The mauve-y, dewy finish is perfect for my combination skin, and I love how easy it is to apply – I simply put it on with my hands since I don’t have a blush brush, and it’s super easy to blend and build with your fingertips. If you’re looking for the perfect blush, this is easily a holy grail product.” – Natalie H., Assistant Editor, Slice  

You may also like: How to get Hailey Bieber’s glazed-doughnut nails this summer.

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Tracey M. showing Rare Beauty Liquid Blush on her cheeks

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in Love

“With my deep skin tone, I know that blush can look good on my skin – it just has to be the right colour. I haven’t found that colour yet, so I had high hopes when I kept hearing about the Rare Beauty Liquid Blush. I spent a while on their website, trying to find the best one for me, all while being afraid I’d mess it up and choose the wrong one. But, Rare Beauty makes it hard to make the wrong decision – their blushes are shown on a variety of skin tones and they all look so good on each one.

“I decided on the colour “Love,” a bold peach colour that didn’t disappoint. I love the natural flush it gives my face while enhancing the warmth I naturally have in my skin tone. I wear this on my ‘no makeup’ days and on my nights out. The buildable colour makes it so versatile. If you have a deep skin tone like mine, give Love a try!” – Tracey M., Digital Content Strategist, Slice  

Related: Want to turn your powder bronzer into a cream? This viral TikTok makeup hack may help.

Sharon showing Rare Beauty's Liquid Blush on her cheeks

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush in Grace

“Whether you’re devoted to glamour or you’re into that clean girl aesthetic right now, there are two key reasons to try Rare Beauty’s cult-fave Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. First, that soft flush of colour looks good on pretty much everyone. Second, once you figure out how pigmented the product is, it’s actually quite easy to apply and build, even if — like me — you never really learned how to put makeup on the “right” way. While I usually gravitate towards peachy blush tones, the rosy-mauve shade I tried (“Grace”) was flattering on my neutral-to-yellow-tone, Asian-Caucasian skin.

“A bonus? The liquid formula was long-lasting — even in the makeup-melting west coast summer heat and humidity.” Sharon C., Editor, Slice  

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You may also like: Everything you need to know about sunscreen but were too shy to ask.

Dragana K. holding Rare Beauty's Liquid Blush

Rare Beauty Matte Liquid Blush in Bliss

“This was my first foray into liquid blush territory, and I have to say I’m a convert! This particular matte blush in “Bliss” packs a lot of concentrated colour in a little dot and I loved the matte effect (I tend to go for a shimmery finish cream blush).

“I followed MUA Kristen Saxton’s aforementioned beauty tip to blend and diffuse the liquid blush using a synthetic flat-top brush, and have to say, as someone who tends to default to tapping (or stippling) product on with my fingers, I loved the option and the lack of mess. The colour gave my normally light-but-olive-undertoned Mediterranean skin a fresh, bright natural flush that was subtle and soft. And, as I mentioned, my dry skin is a fan of anything liquid, so Rare Beauty’s Matte Liquid Blush is my new favourite makeup addition.” – Dragana K., Producer-Editor, Slice.    

Related: Thin eyebrows are back — should you get them? We investigate.

All products featured on Slice.ca are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy through links in this article, we earn an affiliate commission.


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