24 Vibrant Blushes for a Cherub-Like Glow (2025)

A cult classic among blush lovers, the reputation of NARS's blush precedes itself (even Meghan Markle swears by it). "In the pan, the color looks very pigmented but it blends so nicely onto cheeks and gives a touch of finely milled shimmer," says GH Beauty Lab chemist Danusia Wnek.

• Shades: 18
• Coverage: Buildable pigment
• Finish: Shimmer and matte options

Housed in a sleek compact, this cream blush warms complexions with just a few taps of your finger. The 2022 GH Beauty Award winner comes in universal hues of berry, rose and peach that leaves a plush, dewy tint on all sorts of skin types. "It adds glow to the skin and makes it look hydrated," Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann says.

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Pigmented
• Finish: Radiant

Liven up your look for less — for just $5, choose from well over a dozen color swatches. Forever classic and youthful, this CoverGirl drugstore makeup is also a GH Beauty Award winenr. Our Lab pros found its velvety formula blended seamlessly onto skin for a soft, natural finish.

• Shades: 19
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Shimmer

Budge-proof and long-lasting, Rare Beauty's liquid blush lives up to its hype. Just one dot does the job as it packs a powerful pigmented punch. Tap it on with fingertips for a natural look or blend with a brush for a more focused flush. "When you apply it atop a foundation, it blends perfectly," says GH analyst Emma Seymour. "I especially love shade Happy for a natural, glowy look." Another GH editor loves the matte deep berry shade Faith for a unique flushed look on her medium skin.

• Shades: 13
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Matte and radiant options

Pigmented, matte, creamy and satiny all at once, the Physician's Formula butter blush checks every box. "It slips and blends on skin effortlessly," Wizemann says."It feels light and gives a radiant, healthy look that lasts." It's on par with the brand's sister butter bronzer that our Beauty Lab chemists swear by.

• Shades: 1
• Coverage: Pigmented
• Finish: Matte

Sculpt cheeks or instantly awaken a tired-looking face with this silky-sheer powder blush. Designed for mature skin, its coconut oil-infused formula won't sink into fine lines. In a study, 92% of women felt that it gave them a healthy look, per Lab data. We also love its berry blush for dark skin tones, especially those with warm or neutral skin tones.

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Radiant

Alas, a powder blush that actually stays. Formulated with mineral pigments, it layers on without the chalkiness while the namesake ingredients mattify those shiny areas. GH editor Jessica Teich dubs the Exposed shade universally flattering.

• Shades: 14
• Coverage: Buildable pigment
• Finish: Natural matte

The Swiss army knife of blushes, Makeup By Mario's blush stick and built-in blending brush makes it easy to stash and go. "This blush is the longest-lasting formula I've ever tried among countless cream, powder and liquid formulas," Teich says. "It's super pigmented, so I prefer to buff on with a separate brush — definitely not foolproof but amazing wear and color payoff."

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Pigmented
• Finish: Dewy

"I reach for this bright cream blush whenever I'm looking tired or dull, and my face needs a quick boost of life," GH Beauty Director April Franzino says. She keeps the shade Bikini Martini on hand, a hot pink color that looks intimidating but goes on skin sheer. "I love that it comes in a mirrored compact for convenient application."

• Shades: 9
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural

It's more than a blush: The marbelized powder combines its powers to create a super soft, filter-like finish. Celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg says, "It gives you a glow but also cancels out imperfections on the skin, like redness. I love a big fluffy blush brush when applying this kind of blush."

• Shades: 2
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Soft, semi-matte

Brushing on Chantecaille cheekers means an instant bright-eyed and bushy-tailed look. Its finely milled pigments blend on skin smoothly. "These small blushes are so convenient to have on the go, and they last a long time, which justifies the price for me," Wizemann says. "Chantecaille is a luxury brand, but they do a lot of philanthropy work and donate proceeds to protect endangered species." You can also opt for refills once you inevitably hit the pan.

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Radiant

Cloud-like and creamy, this NARS blush is like finding a pot of gold. Its lightweight, airy texture feels bouncy on skin. Though it could afford to be more pigmented, according to a tester, its creamy formula is blendable and buildable. Plus, its pretty pink hue looked natural on medium skin.

• Shades: 5
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Shimmer and matte options

Novice makeup lovers can take great solace in this trusty compact. Its buildable pigment lets you achieve your perfect rosiness at an excellent price point. "The formula has a sheen to it, eliminating the highlighting step that I don't really care for," GH editor Adrianna Freedman says. For those with dark skin and yellow undertones, its peach color contains a beautiful, natural shimmer.

• Shades: 8
• Coverage: Buildable
• Finish: Radiant

A full face of color in one twist-up stick: This tinted balm in three flattering colors can be blended on cheeks, lips and even eyelids for a face that looks polished and refreshed in a flash. It “makes skin glow and lasts forever” one of our testers raves.

• Shades: 3
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural

The opposite of heavy, powdery rouge, Giorgio Armani Beauty’s “water” blush instantly melts into skin for a believable translucent flush. “Not at all makeup-y,” it’s “like that healthy vibrance your cheeks get after a jog out in the cold, but in a bottle,” one tester said. Its beautiful coral color makes a flattering pop on dark skin tones. Our tip: Dot the lip gloss-like applicator on apples of cheeks, then tap out and slightly up toward temples with fingers to blend.

• Shades: 7
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural

Think of this cream formula as the blush equivalent of classic blue jeans. The "subtle pink-beige tint gives skin just enough glowy color without looking 'makeup-y' and can be dabbed on lips and eyelids, too, for a fast polished, natural look," Franzino says.

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural

Fairer complexions, you've met your match. Dust on Clinique's soft-pressed powder blush for a buildable, natural pop of color. A decades-long devotee to the compact, GH staffer Lexie Sachs has never found another that compares. "The pressed powder blush goes on easily with a barely there feel," she says. "The mocha pink shade is my favorite."

• Shades: 7
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural

Bottled-up glow, the perenially sold-out Charlotte Tilbury beauty wand packs in a highlighting formula with beautiful tinges of pink. Our tester loves its dewy shimmer on the high points of cheekbones. Simply twist and squeeze the packaging, then pat it on with the cushion applicator. Et voilà!

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Buildable glossiness
• Finish: Shimmer and radiant options

Like finger paint for cheeks, this tube of sheer gel-cream blush gives a natural watercolor-like flush that melds into skin. “It goes on with fingers and is truly foolproof,” one tester said. “My face looked less tired.” We also think it's one of the best blushes for dark skin — for cool or neutral undertones, its pink base works perfectly.

• Shades: 6
• Coverage: Sheer
• Finish: Natural