Bronzer + Blush Archives - The Beauty Look Book

Rhode Summer Collection 2026

July 3, 2026

The Rhode Summer Collection 2026 is here and it exceeded my expectations in every way. I placed an order the day it launched and it took weeks to arrive but I have to say I think it was worth the wait. I hauled a little bit of everything and if you’re trying to decide on your best bronzer shade I have four of them swatched along with lots of comparisons below. Quick note I have a tan now that summer is here – I’m no longer mixing shades and can wear the Dior Forever Perfect Foundation Stick in 3N or 3WO without mixing the 2.5. I am still a Chanel Les Beiges BD41.

Pocket Bronze

The Rhode Pocket Bronze ($25 each) really surprised me because I didn’t expect to like them more than Dior or Westman Atelier (for a cream formula). I still find the other two formulas excellent but the Rhode Pocket Bronze is the most effortless to apply and blend on the skin. It’s creamy and blends out to a very natural looking bronze.

To compare formulas, the Rhode is the most creamy, Dior is the most satiny, Westman Atelier is somewhere in between. I think the biggest challenge with bronzer is finding the right undertone for you. So many of you prefer neutral or cool while I usually prefer warmer colors. This launch I was surprised to find the most golden one ended up looking very yellow on me.

If you’re my skin twin, here’s how the 4 shades I bought compare. Also wearing the Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation in 3WO, Natasha Denona Tan Palette, Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown, Merit Tubing Mascara, Aritzia Halter Tank, Nail Polish is Essie Geranium, Hoop Earrings Mejuri

Pebble – the most neutral undertone

Sip – warm golden, but pulls a little yellow on me

Sunbed – my perfect summer bronze (my favorite)

Bake – warm reddish undertones for that sun-kissed look

Do note that I have a tan now! I’m probably at least 1.5 shades darker than I usually am. I still think Sunbed would be my pick with my winter skin tone.

Swatch comparisons below to the Dior Forever Skin Bronze Sticks (review here), Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Duos (swatches here), Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Sticks (I picked up a few of the new shades to try and they pull really pink on me) and Merit Bronze Balm.

The Pocket Double Sided Brush ($25) is a really nice one that blends the cream out perfectly. I still have mixed feelings about double ended brushes because of the storage issue. This style you really need to store flat on a counter so you don’t mess up the bristles.

Highlight Milk – Luminizer

I’m also loving the Highlight Milk Luminizer ($28). I’ve been a huge fan of the regular version and I think the highlighter variation is a really nice addition to the Rhode lineup. This has a very thin fluid texture and the shimmer is very natural looking. It’s not thick or greasy, it really is the most natural out of the luminizer/mixers I’ve tried. For a quick texture comparison I feel like the L’Oreal Glotion is thicker and more shimmery, Armani Fluid Sheers is more sheer and a little more emollient, Saie Super Gel has a completely different texture.

I’ve tried all four shades, and my favorites are Shade 01 and Shade 02. Shade 03 gives my skin a tanned glow which is slightly too dark for me, while Shade 04 is a definitely too deep for me right now. You can apply these all over the face, mix with moisturizer or foundation. My favorite way to apply is to mix in with foundation. The finish is naturally radiant glowy without looking frosty or glittery.

Peptide Lip Tint

And I couldn’t resist the limited-edition Peptide Lip Tint ($20) shades. For now they seem to be exclusive to Rhode and they sold out really fast. Every color is a beautiful variation of the perfect tan nude. I’m really hoping Rhode restocks them or considers making them permanent. It’s heartbreaking to fall in love with something limited-edition.

You can find the collection out now at Sephora and Rhode.

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Bronzer + Blush Sephora

Refy Water Bronzer + Blush Review

June 8, 2026

Refy launched new cheek products with one of the most innovative formulas I’ve tried this year. I was able to get an early preview of this a month ago and am thrilled I can finally share this!

They just dropped their new Water Bronzer ($30) and Water Blush ($24) in a cushion format which I feel is a completely different take on blush and bronzer compared to anything currently in my collection. They also created their Duo Brush 2.0 for Liquid Blush and Bronzer ($26) to go with this launch.

Inspired by K-beauty cushion technology and made in South Korea, these formulas are housed in a cushion compact that delivers sheer yet buildable color with a fresh, skin-like finish. These are water-infused color cushions suspended in a sponge which actually makes it easier to apply compared to a pump dispenser format.

I think the tones are beautiful. I hope they will expand the shade range to more blush colors eventually because the colors are all so stunning.

Here’s a look all the shades swatched:

Water Bronzer

These days, it’s rare for a new bronzer formula to genuinely excite me. So many of you ask for bronzer recommendations over the years and until recently, there haven’t been many that truly stood out to me. For the longest time I relied on my tried and true from Chanel (which I still love, but unfortunately was discontinued). This year, however, a few brands have introduced formulas that feel genuinely innovative.

I particularly loved the recent bronzer launches from Dior and Westman Atelier. Both brought something unique to a category that can often feel oversaturated. The Dior formula impresses me with its exceptional wear time, while the Westman Atelier bronzer has one of the best dry-downs I’ve experienced in a cream formula.

The new Refy Water Bronzer is another launch that has earned a spot on that short list. The formula feels fresh and different from what’s currently on the market, and the finish it creates on the skin is absolutely beautiful.

Bay is a light warmer golden bronze
Cove is a cool neutral bronze
Sol is a reddish bronze
Palm is a deep bronze
Selene is the deepest bronze

I can pull off the lightest 3 shades. I think my favorite is probably Cove even though it pulls more neutral-cool on me. I also really love the other two. Bay is the perfect golden bronze and Cove gives that slightly sunburnt bronzed glow.

Water Blush

The Water Blush shades surprised me because given the intensity of color you see in the compact, they really apply a lot sheerer on the cheeks. You can layer for more pigment but I am really loving how they’re almost like water colors for the cheeks.

Apricot is a light peach
Lychee is a vibrant healthy pink
Acai is a perfect berry

I am really surprised how easy these are to control. The color melts into the skin and can be layered from a subtle wash to something more sculpted and vibrant. The new Refy Duo Brush 02 is also incredible and makes application a breeze although I do think you can use anything from your current stash to apply the products. I would definitely recommend using a clean brush though so you don’t contaminate the compact sponge with other colors.

Skin Base

I also wanted to share a quick mention of the Refy Skin Base ($40). A number of you were very excited about this as it’s a gel skin tint. I tried the shade 170N and I have it in action here. It’s a very sheer natural looking skin tint. There is noticeable coverage but it’s a barely there kind of finish. It’s a gel but it has a balmy feel to me. It has a thicker feel compared to some other skin tints like the one from Lisa Eldridge or Summer Fridays. This one blends best with a sponge for me. Since the coverage is so natural looking you will most likely also need some concealer and if you have combination skin or live in a warm humid area you will 100% need to set with a powder.

I give it am 8.5 out of 10 stars. It’s an excellent product for a skin tint, but I prefer something with a little more coverage like the It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow or even the Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint.

You can find the new Refy launches at Sephora and also at Refy Beauty.

Water collection gifted for review. Skin Base purchased.

Bronzer + Blush

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.

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

___________

Peach is a soft but buildable peach

___________

Bow is a tan mauve shade

___________

Dahlia is a soft rose pink

___________

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.

Older Posts

Bronzer + Blush

Rhode Summer Collection 2026

Pocket Bronze

Highlight Milk – Luminizer

Peptide Lip Tint

Refy Water Bronzer + Blush Review

Water Bronzer

Skin Base

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

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