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Bronzer + Blush

Bronzer + Blush

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

April 16, 2026

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

Prada Beauty launched a new cream blush called the Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush ($42 each). I splurged on a few of the shades to try and I think they’re worth the hype! These are cream blushes with an ultra lightweight formula. It blends like a dream without any effort and I love how it sets to a blurred soft matte finish on the skin.

Lasting power is very good for a cream blush although I haven’t been able to put it to the humidity test as it’s a pretty mild spring here in Miami Beach weather-wise.

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

Packaging is super cute, stackable, unique and I love the pale pink color! Color is easy to blend and build. I do wish there was a little mirror inside, but it’s not a deal breaker. I actually love the minimalist packaging.

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Tulip

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush swatches

Shades I picked out all seem to work well on my medium-tan skin. I’m wearing the Dior Forever Foundation Stick in 3N and the Prada Concealer in MN6. The pigment is really good with these blushes! Not too opaque and not too sheer. It’s just right.

Tulip is a soft medium bright pink

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Tulip
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Peach is a soft but buildable peach

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Peach
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Bow is a tan mauve shade

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Bow
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Dahlia is a soft rose pink

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Dahlia
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Waterlily is a bright pink

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush Waterlily

Some of these look a little dark or bold in the compact, but on the skin they blend out to a more natural looking finish. It gives that effortless wash of color. Given how natural they look I might try the Cherry shade before the Sephora sale ends!

I’ve been applying with the fingers, but I also love the Fenty Brush 125, Brush 195 or Hourglass Brush 15.

You can find these now. I bought mine from Sephora.

Bronzer + Blush Lips

New Pocket Blush + Peptide Lip Tint Shades Rhode

March 29, 2026

New Rhode Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint Shades

Rhode added new shades of their Pocket Blush ($25) and Peptide Lip Tints ($20 each) and they’re perfect for spring. As a huge fan of the cream blush I picked up both shades along with the new lip gloss colors to try.

Pocket Blush – new shades

New Rhode Pocket Blush Teacup and Candy Apple

The Rhode Pocket Blushes are probably my two most-worn cream blushes. I love them for that easy pop of color to the cheeks. Colors are flattering and they’re easy to blend. They’ve traveled with me on numerous trips!

Teacup is a mauve raspberry pink and Candy Apple is a bold reddish pink. Both shades pull bold when swatched but since they blend well you can definitely control the pigment for a more natural looking blush. Both new shades are a solid win for me. I think Candy Apple is a really pretty flattering red.

Swatches of the new shades:

New Rhode Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint Shades swatches

Swatches side by side of the Pocket Blushes I own:

Rhode Pocket Blush swatches

Peptide Lip Tints – new shades

Rhode Peptide Lip Tint Pretzel and Sweet Pea

I’ve had really mixed feelings about the Peptide Lip Tint. It’s been a while since I’ve used one since I tossed most of mine a year ago when we moved to Miami. I did a substantial de-clutter and found that most of them developed that weird gritty texture to them. Reviews I’ve read say it’s due to temperature fluctuations but just as a precaution I tossed them. I’ve since bought fresh new ones. Newer more recent reviews say this issue has been fixed and so far it seems to be the case!

Time will tell about the formula situation but I really like the new shades. Sweet Pea is a warm sheer pink. I think it’s similar in the vibe color-wise to Patrick Ta’s Major Moisture Smoothing Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm in Pink Salted Caramel (the Rhode version is more glossy with a glass shine). Rhode describes Sweet Pea as “pearly” but for some reason I don’t see any shimmer or iridescent quality in mine.

Pretzel is a shimmery mauve. This one is described as “warm” but on me it’s definitely not warm. It pulls more neutral or cool toned on my complexion, but it’s still a really pretty one. This one is also on the medium-sheer side but has enough pigment to show up on the lips. I pulled the glosses I have and one from Patrick Ta to swatch side by side below:

Rhode Peptide Lip Tint swatches

Looks wearing two combinations below, also wearing:

Rhode Candy Apple and Sweet Pea

Rhode Candy Apple and Sweet Pea

Rhode Teacup and Pretzel

Overall love the blushes! New gloss shades are beautiful, but I still need to see how they hold up to any temperature fluctuations. If you have purchased one of the Peptide Lip Tints recently let me know if yours has any developed any gritty particles too!

New Rhode Pocket Blush and Peptide Lip Tint Shades

You can find the new Rhode Peptide Lip Tint and Pocket Blush shades online at Rhode Skin. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check out some of the bundled edit sets. They offer a nice price break!

Armani Bronzer + Blush

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush – New Shades

March 13, 2026

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush - new shades

Armani added three new shades of liquid blush to the Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush lineup ($40 each, Sephora). To date this formula is hands down my favorite formula for lasting power in the natural finish. It is one of the few that stays put well on my skin without needing a powder blush on top.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush - new shades 12, 13 and 63

There are two finishes in this formula: natural and shine, I prefer the natural one. It’s matte but doesn’t look flat on the skin. (More details, review + swatches here.) The new shades are all in the natural finish. The finish is very natural looking once blended but you can easily layer for more color without it looking cakey or too heavy.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush swatches - new shades 12, 13 and 63

Below wearing each shade on the cheeks. Also wearing:

12 Rosy Nude is a pale beige nude and on my Luminous Silk Foundation 6.5 skintone, it’s truly a barely there color. Pigment is pretty good but since it matches my skin so closely you can’t really tell there is anything on my skin. I wish they made this in a few more slightly deeper shades as I love a good neutral blush.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush 12 Rosy Nude

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush 12 Rosy Nude

63 Rosewood Pink is a neutral rose pink. Swatches show it’s pretty close to 62 Delicate Mauve. The new Rosewood Pink is warmer and I prefer this one because of that.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush 63 Rosewood Pink

13 Brick Brown was a pleasant surprise as brown tones can be a bit tricky for me to pull off. Many are either too warm or too cool. This one is just right.

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush 13 Brick Brown

For brushes I really like the Hourglass No 15 Blush Brush or Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush to apply these. New shades also in action here so you can see how they blend on the skin with each brush.

Adding a few swatch comparisons below to the Saie Dew Blush, Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter (review here) and Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Mimi.

liquid blush swatch comparisons Armani, Dior, Saie

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush - new shades 12, 13 and 63

Three new shades available now at Sephora. In case you’re curious about other liquid blush formulas, I did a roundup here with lots of swatches. Let me know if you have any favorite formulas! Or if you prefer a cream or powder.

Bronzer + Blush Dior

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter Review

August 21, 2025

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter

Dior has several new beauty launches this month and I am loving them so far! I picked up the new Forever Blush Soft Filter ($49 each, out now at Dior and Nordstrom) from my local Dior Beauty Boutique and really love the formula. These are soft matte liquid blushes with a whipped texture. They do take a little bit more extra work to blend out but once blended with a brush or fingers you get a very smooth almost airbrushed look.

Since liquid blushes tend to darken on my skin, I decided to pick up the lighter neutral shades. I am happy to report that these don’t oxidize or darken – they stay true to color, but once blended they have a very soft look on the skin. You can layer for more pigment or color without it looking or feeling heavy.

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter

The texture is very soft, almost like a mousse formula. These come with a sponge tip applicator to dot onto the skin. To blend I’ve been loving the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, No 15 Blush Brush and the Fenty Brush 125 – but you can really use any blush brush you own in your stash.

Lasting power has been pretty good. They stay put and look fresh for hours without budging from the skin. I haven’t put them to the full outdoor humidity test for extended periods since it’s too hot right now to be outside long (unless you’re in the shade). It did last remarkably well through a couple hours at dinner outdoors though, so I’m really happy with the performance.

I swatched them all in store except for one (they were missing the tester). Even though they are very pigmented and opaque, I really love how they blend out on the skin.

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter swatches

I picked up six shades and I think the shade range is really good. They have neutrals and bolder shades in a diverse range of colors. I still wear the Dior Forever Perfect Foundation Stick in 3N.

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter swatches blended

Lip + cheek pairings below:

01 Petal is a soft neutral warm pink, wearing it with the Rouge Dior in 100 Nude Look Velvet

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Petal 01
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02 Peony is a cool-toned rose, pairing this with Rouge Dior in 100 Nude Look Velvet + Addict Lip Maximizer in 204 Nude Mania – swatched right on the skin

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Peony 02

Blended on the skin with a brush

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Peony 02

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03 Bloom is a brighter coral peach, wearing the + Addict Lip Maximizer in 019 Shimmer Peach

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Bloom 03
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04 Daisy is a light peach, this pulls barely there on my skintone, pairing this with Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Balm in Nou Nou

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Daisy 04

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Daisy 04
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05 Lily is a pastel pink, I think this one is a little too pale/chalky on its own for my olive/golden skin, but I think it would look beautiful on neutral-cool tones, wearing this with the Chanel Rouge Coco Baume Shine in 758 Blushing Pink

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Lily 05

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07 Orchid is a neutral tan beige brown, wearing this with Addict Lip Maximizer in 204 Nude Mania

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter in Orchid 07
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Overall really happy with these splurges. I’m not usually a matte blush or liquid blush fan but I really love these. I’d say my top three favorites are Petal, Bloom and Orchid.

Available now at Dior and Nordstrom.

Bronzer + Blush Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos

May 8, 2025

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos

Westman Atelier launched Powder Cheek Duos in two different formats ($75 each). I picked up two of the Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos and two of the Baby Cheeks Powder Blush + Sculpting duos. I also splurged on the Powder II Brush $85) to try.

I love the unique powder formula. It has an interesting almost creamy powder texture with a very blurred matte finish. It makes the skin look very blurred. I’ve been a huge fan of the tones in her Cream Blush Baby Cheeks and had high hopes for these powder versions. While I really love the formula, I don’t love all the colors – but I think that is to be expected since they have different variations and undertones.
Colors are all mattes.

For skintone reference I wear her Vital Skin Foundation Stick in Shade VI which I still really love. I also wear Shade V in the winter and Shade VII in the summer months when I am very tan.

Here are the swatches, these are applied with a heavy hand:

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos swatches

Here are the swatches next to the cream blushes with the same names:

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos swatch comparisons

Lip + Cheek looks with each duo layered on the face:

Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Coquette/Mimi
Lip Suede Lacker + Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm Nectar

This duo pulls very light on my skin, if I were even 1/2 shade darker I don’t think this would show up on my skin tone.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Coquette/Mimi

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Coquette/Mimi

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Baby Cheeks + Face Trace Sculpting Powder Duo Petal/Biscuit
Lip Suede Petal + Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm in Petal

This is the only duo I really did not like. The colors are very dark and almost look muddy on the skin when it sets. The cool undertone of biscuit isn’t flattering on my skin with the grey color and for some reason is hard to blend.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Petal Biscuit

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Baby Cheeks + Face Trace Sculpting Powder Duo Tulle/Truffle
Lawless Forget the Filler Gloss Velvet Daisy

I think I love this one the most!

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks + Face Trace Sculpting Powder Duo Tulle/Truffle

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks + Face Trace Sculpting Powder Duo Tulle/Truffle

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Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Suede/Sable
Lip Suede Pique + Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm Biscuit (discontinued)

Another cheek duo that pulls dark but since it has warmer undertones works with a light hand for me.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Duo Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Suede/Sable

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Duo Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duo Suede/Sable

I splurged on the Powder II Brush and don’t think it was worth the splurge. I’ve tried a few of her brushes which I think are beautifully made, but I think they are very overpriced and I’m just not a fan of the design/density. For the pigment and texture of the Powder Duos I prefer something a little more fluffy like the rephr brush 04 and brush 05 (both more affortable) or the Hakuhodo J110 (splurge).

Overall really pleased the quality, formula and packaging. Colors aren’t all for me but I found a couple I really love. Wear time is really good and has minimal fading by late afternoon. If you need a bit of glow/depth then be prepared to add highlighter on top because these are VERY matte.

You can find the duos out now at Nordstrom, Sephora, Westman Atelier and all other Westman Atelier retailers.

Armani Bronzer + Blush

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine

May 1, 2025

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine

Armani Beauty recently launched a shine version of the Luminous Silk Cheek Tint ($39 each). I’ve been such a huge fan of the original satiny/matte formula because they have the best wear time for a liquid blush. The shine versions have a soft luminous glow in a very subtle way. They are noticeably more glowy than the originals but aren’t too shimmery or too dewy.

I shared a demo earlier in the week here to show how they blend and look on the skin in action. I find the shine versions for the two lighter shades to be on the sheer side while the darker colors have more pigment.

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine

Overall pigment is on the softer side. Lasting power on me is still very good. Not quite as long-wearing as the natural finish, but still very very good. For skintone reference I am still a Luminous Silk Foundation Shade 6.5. It’s one of the best color matches for me in terms of undertone and color. Did a few different lip combos to coordinate with each cheek color.

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine swatches

53S Cosmic Pink is a soft cool baby pink, wearing it with the Chanel Rouge Coco Baume in Blushing Pink + Armani Prisma Glass 08 Sugar Halo on the lips

53S Cosmic Pink

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50S Starlit Peach is a soft peach, wearing this with Chanel Rouge Coco Baume in Flirty Coral + Armani Prisma Glass 03 Honey Gleam

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine 50S Starlit Peach

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62S Magnetic Mauve is a mauve pink, pairing this with the Prisma Glass in 05 Berry Beam

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine 62S Magnetic Mauve

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42S Sunlit Sienna is a brownish terracotta, wearing the Prisma Glass 06 Amber Shine on the lips

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine 42S Sunlit Sienna

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Some of the shine formula colors pull very similar to the natural finish variations so if you already own some of these, I think you can skip some of the shine formulas. I think the pigment is more easy to build with the natural finish but both are very good. Swatch comparisons below to: 53 Bold Pink, 50.5 Rosy Peach, 31 Vivid Coral and 62 Delicate Mauve.

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint swatches

For brushes I used a few in my demo on Instagram including the Hourglass No 15, Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Brush, Laura Mercier Angled Cheek Brush and Makeup by Mario F4 Dual-Ended Brush.I also shared my favorites in my Liquid Blush Roundup here too. I still think my favorite for cream or liquid blush is the Hourglass No 15 Blush Brush and for cream products even though dish soap and warm water will clean them, sometimes long-wear creams can be stubborn to remove. I highly recommend the Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner (I buy the jumbo size and the travel mini one is great for trips) as a second wash/cleaner to really remove any cream residue.

Favorite Brushes for Cream Liquid Blush

Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine

Overall really love these blushes. You can find these at Nordstrom, Sephora and Bloomingdale’s.

Bronzer + Blush Dior

Dior Forever Nude Bronze Review

April 13, 2025

Dior Forever Nude Bronze

Dior Beauty launched new bronzers in two different formats called the Forever Nude Bronzer ($52, available in 8 shades) that come in a soft glow and matte option along with a Forever Nude Bronze Jumbo ($64, available in 4 shades) in an oversized compact.

Both come in a stunning quilted stitched mirrored compact that has an ultra luxurious feel. These are soft bronzers with a floral gardenia/jasmine like scent (I can’t quite pinpoint the exact notes, but it’s a nice floral).

Dior Forever Nude Bronze - new formula Regular and Jumbo

The bronzers launched online first and while they both have recommended shades based on your Dior foundation color, I was still unsure of which color to get. I ordered a few to try based on their charts. The names and numbers in the regular option aren’t the same as the jumbo which is a little confusing. The regular size has shades in the 01, 02 through 08 numerical order while the jumbos are listed at shades 10, 20, 30 and 40.

I wear either a 2.5N or 3N in Dior foundations depending on the formulas. I have a medium tan golden undertone that shifts depending on how tan I am. My winter shade pulls more olive and neutral while my summer shade pulls more golden. The Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick has the best matches for me. I’m getting a little bit more sun so 3N is my best match now.

If you’re thoroughly confused on which one to get, you’re not alone. Here’s what I bought and my thoughts on each shade. Beauty breakdown for what I’m wearing below too:

Dior Forever Nude Bronze - new formula Regular and Jumbo

Dior Forever Nude Bronze - new formula Regular and Jumbo swatches vs contour stick

Dior Forever Nude Bronze (regular sizes)

Dior Forever Nude Bronze - new formula Regular size 03 Soft, 04 Warm and 04 Warm matte

Dior Forever Nude Bronze in the regular size is what I like the most because of the shades. I love that they have a soft glow version and a matte, although on my skin the glow one looks matte and I can’t really tell the difference in finish.

  • 03 Soft is almost like my skin, definitely noticeable but subtle
  • 04 Warm is my favorite of the ones I tried, this is my perfect soft bronze shade, the name is misleading because it’s really not “warm,” it’s just what they named it
  • 04 Warm Matte is a little darker and cooler than 04 Warm, similar on my skin, but the matte version pulls darker on me

Dior Forever Nude Bronze 03 Soft

Dior Forever Nude Bronze 04 Warm

Dior Forever Nude Bronze 04 Warm Matte

Dior Forever Nude Bronze Jumbo

Dior Forever Nude Jumbo Bronzer

The Forever Nude Bronze Jumbo bronzers are so beautiful and if you’re going to be using a lot of bronzer I love that they have an oversized version.

  • Shade 20 Medium Matte is the better option for me out of the two jumbos I tried because it’s warmer in undertone.
  • Shade 30 Tan Matte is significantly more cool in undertone and while it’s a good bronze color, cool tones end up looking grey and ashy on my skin.

Dior Forever Nude Jumbo Bronzer 20 Medium Matte

Dior Forever Nude Jumbo Bronzer 30 Tan Matte

Overall a solid A+ for formula and performance. I love that they’re really soft and natural looking. I like the range of undertones and I think finding the right shade is a little tricky since I know we all have different preferences for how warm or cool something looks. Right now I think 04 Warm is my favorite and for the Jumbo one I’m partial to 20 Medium Matte.

You can find the Regular Sized version at Dior, Nordstrom, Saks, Macy’s.
The Jumbo Size is available at Dior, Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

There’s still one more day to shop the Sephora Sale with code SAVEMORE! It ends 4/14. I will be posting my haul tomorrow but I don’t know if I will have time to give a full review to the other bronzers I hauled but I did swatch them in this video here.

For those who asked here are some quick thoughts. I did try the new Haus Labs Powder Sculpt Powder Bronzer in Terra Sol Light Medium (third shade) and I am still undecided. I swatched multiple options in store and the sales associate thought the one I picked would be too light, but it’s definitely dark on my skin. It has a beautiful texture with a soft glow to it. The product is just a little hard to get right in terms of application and they seem to just sit on my skin. They look so beautiful swatched on the hand but don’t translate well on my face. Same goes for the blushes in the line. I love how they look on other skin tones but on me they just look very muddy.

A lot of you have been really curious about the Westman Atelier Suntone Hydrating Matte Bronzing Drops. I picked Shade Soleil Parfait 2 in store. As a liquid bronzer it’s so sheer once you blend it, it disappears. I do really like it mixed in with a liquid foundation all over. It definitely gives you a more bronzed look but in a subtle way. I think it’s similar to the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Drops, but the Westman Atelier option has more pigment with a matte finish. So my thoughts are if you want a traditional bronzer, this is not the product for you (it’s just too sheer). But if you’re looking for something to mix in with moisturizer or foundation for an all over bronzed tint then I think you’ll like these.