There was a point in time in the last decade where we went through a Clean Girl renaissance: of flushed cheeks, glowing skin and slicked-back hair. We took our cues from beauty mogul Hailey Bieber, who then went on to launch her beauty brand, Rhode in ‘22. It began with a concise selection of products which has since grown—and beyond her viral peptide lip tint which she keeps close (in her phone case), another cult-favourite product has proven to be the pocket blush. In its name, the cream-based, stick formulation has garnered immense popularity since it dropped last year; it’s extremely well-pigmented; the formulation proves to be buildable and blendable; and the range of available shades are simply a win in our books.
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It’s a sign of the times. What Bieber’s Rhode pocket blush simply did was set the turning wheels of our beauty market in motion once again. In the past year alone, we’re seeing more and more blush cream formulations being perfected—and packaged to a tee. Forget the blush pot or a runny liquid blush, we want things to feel easy, fuss-free and yet still be rewarded with a pigment payoff that blends like a dream. Minimal product, maximum impact.
Take Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Blush Stick which boasts pigment beyond measure and an elevated, lifting effect or Haus Labs’s bold shade additions to its Glassy Blush Balm Stick line, for example. Meanwhile Asian beauty brands—from South Korea to China and the Philippines—are also hard at work with brands such as Hince, Issy Cosmetics and Joocyee all releasing their own takes on the cream blush stick, all equal parts creamy, weightless and hydrating. Below, a judicious list of blush sticks to suit various skin tones, all boasting inclusive shade ranges; balmy, blendable formulations; and the promise of imparting their wearers with a soft, glowing radiance.
