Bronzer + Blush Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm

May 20, 2026

Summer Fridays launched a new cream bronzer called the Bronzer Butter Balm ($27.20 each, six shades) along with a Bronzer Brush ($28).

If you love a dewy cream bronzer, I think you will really like the Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balms. Cream bronzers can be hit or miss on my skin especially with the Miami heat and humidity, but I put these to the test and I really like these! They’re dewy but they aren’t too emollient/glossy.

If you like the Sarah Creal Just Like Paradise Bronzers, I think you will really like the ones from Summer Fridays. The ones from Sarah Creal are just the slightest more dewy, but they are really close to me in terms of texture and pigment.

Out of all six shades I like Clay and Desert the best for my skin tone. I like my bronzers a little bit warmer since cool/neutrals tend to pull grey on me. I shared a demo of both shades here. Clay is just a little more golden while Desert pulls a little more red.

Based on your feedback, a lot of you seem to be drawn to Dune which is more of a neutral/cool tone. I find the lightest shade they created really interesting! I think if you struggle to find bronzers light enough in color, this particular one might work for you!

The angled Bronzer Brush is very well made. I like the minimalist design and the density is perfect. It’s also really soft and smooth. The brush blends the product to perfection on the skin. I also really love the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush, Hourglass Brush No 15, Fenty 195 and Laura Mercier Cheek Brush.

Lasting power for the bronzers seems to be decent for the temperature right now. I haven’t done an extended outdoor wear test, but indoors the lasting power is pretty good. Given that it’s a cream it does tend to look a little more dewy after 3-4 hours, but so far it still wears pretty well.

Overall love. If you have oily skin or need something with a longer wear, I’d opt for either the Dior Forever Skin Bronzing Balm Stick or Westman Atelier Sun Tone Crème Duos since those have a more satin finish and longer wear.

You can find the Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balms out now. Available at Sephora, Revolve and Summer Fridays.

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Bronzer + Blush Westman Atelier

Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Creme

May 18, 2026

Westman Atelier launched a new cream bronzing duo called the Sun Tone Bronzing Creme ($75 each) along with a Blender Brush II ($85) designed specifically for this formula. I’ve been playing this for over a month now and can say this is the bronzer I’ve been reaching for the most these past few weeks. Available at Westman Atelier, Nordstrom, Credo Beauty, Sephora.

There are four shade options available now. I picked up Soleil Parfait 1 and 2. The shade charts recommended 2 for me, but after swatching in store I decided to try multiple options. For her Vital Skin Foundation Stick, I still alternate between V, VI and VII – right now I am in between V and VI (always in between foundation shades!).

This is a hydrating cream bronzer that has a nice satin finish, so it glides on the skin nicely but doesn’t have that dewy finish (which I prefer). Formula is very easy to blend and while I really love the Blender II Brush, I think any brush will work. I usually like the Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush or Fenty Brush 195 to apply cheek products.

I know a lot of you really loved the Sun Tone Bronzing Drops. I have this in Soleil Parfait 2 and while I really like them, they aren’t always easy for me to blend. I think the Crème Duos are much easier to work with, they blend better and I like the solid cream compact style more.

Soleil Parfait 1 pulls more neutral/cool but still warms up the skin.

Soleil Parfait 2 is a deeper variation and warmer.

Right now I am just starting to get my summer tan back, so while I’ve been reaching for Shade 1 the past month, I think I will start using Shade 2 soon. If you’re my skin twin I think you can really opt for either one.

Swatches next to a few other cream bronzers (note that my arm is a lot lighter/cooler than my face). I was really surprised to find how warm some other bronzers pull compared to the Westman Atelier options.

Linking reviews for the other options swatched:

Chanel Les Beiges Cream Bronzers reviewed here
Westman Atelier Face Trace in Truffle on the face here
Dior Forever Skin Bronzing Balm review here

Overall love and I do think it’s worth the splurge. I still think the Dior Bronzer stick is a close tie in terms of ease of blending and exceptional formula but they are scented and I know a lot of you can’t do fragrance in your face products.

I do have the new Sarah Creal Just Like Paradise Bronzer Shade 2.5, Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm and something new coming from Refy to test/compare. So if you’re debating between all the new launches this year, I will have a few more I’ll be testing soon.

You can find the Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Creme available at Westman Atelier, Nordstrom, Credo Beauty, Sephora.

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Bronzer + Blush

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

April 16, 2026

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.

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.

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

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Peach is a soft but buildable peach

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Bow is a tan mauve shade

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Dahlia is a soft rose pink

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Waterlily is a bright pink

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

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

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:

Swatches side by side of the Pocket Blushes I own:

Peptide Lip Tints – new shades

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:

Looks wearing two combinations below, also wearing:

Foundation – Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint in ST 12.75
Concealer – Ilia Skin Blur Serum Concealer in 17W
Eyeshadow – Natasha Denona Essential Eye Duo
Eyeliner – Sarah Creal Eyes Up in Jet Black
Brow Pencil – Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Medium Brown
Mascara – Diorshow Overvolume Extreme Waterproof Mascara
Nail Polish – OPI I’m a Bubble Bunny (back in stock!)

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!

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 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.

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.

Below wearing each shade on the cheeks. Also wearing:

Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5 (review new formula here, demo here)
Powder – Laura Mercier Ultra Blur Loose Powder Tone Up in Rose
Brow Pencil – Victoria Beckham Beauty Baby Blade Brow Pencil in Medium Brown
Eyeshadow – Prada Dimensions Eyeshadow Palette 08 Pansy (swatches here)
Eyeliner – Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal in Cocoa
Lipstick – YSL Beauty Candy Glaze Shade 15 (also reviewed here)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Lip + cheek pairings below:

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

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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

Blended on the skin with a brush

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

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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

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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

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

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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 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:

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

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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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.

Older Posts

Bronzer + Blush

Summer Fridays Bronzer Butter Balm

Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Creme

Prada Touch Cream-to-Powder Soft Blur Blush

New Pocket Blush + Peptide Lip Tint Shades Rhode

Pocket Blush – new shades

Peptide Lip Tints – new shades

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush – New Shades

Dior Forever Blush Soft Filter Review

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Powder Blush Duos

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