We tried Glossier Cloud Paint's bold new summer colours and were hella impressed
Product
Glossier Cloud Paint Blush in Storm and Dawn, £15 Glossier
THE HYPE:
Glossier Cloud Paint is no well-kept industry secret, the gel-cream liquid blush has been around in four classically Glossier muted colours (Beam, Haze, Puff and Dusk) for a while, but when we heard two new, bolder shades were coming for summer, we could hardly contain our excitement.
REVIEWER:
Jen Garside, Engagement Executive
BEAUTY BIO:
Fair skin, round-cheeked, I’m in need of a little delicate colour to contour and give the illusion of cheekbones.
WHAT I USUALLY LOOK FOR IN A BLUSHER:
I usually wear a powder bronzer across my cheeks (Laura Mercier, to be precise) for a pop of colour, and it’s been a while since I’ve dabbled in cream blusher for fear of it clashing against my foundation formula. I like quite a full face, so while I’m a sucker for a Glossier product (a full Lidstar convert, and a daily user of their Haloscope highlighter), I don’t often use Cloud Paint for want of a stronger look.
With the general rule for cream blush being ‘use sparingly’, I added a small dot of both Storm and Dawn to my wrist for a quick swatch, and was glad I did. Boy, are they bold...
STORM CLOUD PAINT REVIEW
Glossier describe Storm Cloud Paint as “A warm rose shade that leaves a flushed-from-the-cold look on cheeks”. On my wrist, this shade looked like it would be most complementary to my dark lipstick and fair skin, so I decided to try it out first. Upon first dab, I would describe the colour as a muted raspberry-brown that gives a sophisticated, modern take on the classic pink blush.
A tiny amount of product really goes a long way here. I dabbed lightly with my finger, carefully blended into my already set foundation, and was surprised to find that no caking ensued. Like its predecessor Cloud Paint sisters, this bold new Storm shade didn’t seem to mess with my existing base.
On my second cheek, where I’m having a slight breakout, the colour caught a little and I had to work harder to blend it more subtly – this is a product that probably sits better on a bare cheek. Nevertheless, I fell fast for the new Storm shade, and found it a great, hydrating alternative to a powder blush.
DAWN CLOUD PAINT REVIEW
Dawn is described as “A sunny coral, like you spent a restful weekend on a yacht”, and sunny it definitely is. Vibrant and bright, with colour akin to my favourite Tom Ford liquid lipstick, the pigments of Dawn were stronger than many of my eye or lip products – and certainly more intense than any Glossier product I’ve ever experienced.
The tangerine shade complemented my fair complexion reasonably well and would be the perfect sunny colour for a festival or holiday, but I could tell it would be better suited to a darker skin tone than my own. I quickly passed it on to Kiké, who found it complemented her better.
Kiké said “I love the colour pay-off and how easy it is to blend; it literally melts into your skin giving you perfect, slightly flushed cheeks. I’m pleasantly surprised at how well this orange shade complements my skin tone, I think I’ve found my summer blush.”
Above you can see Kiké glowing with Dawn and my cheeks lifted to rosy glory by the Storm shade.
FINAL VERDICT
These are two great additions to the shade range of the best cream blushes in town. In true Glossier style, my cheeks were left hydrated to touch and energised in colour. The vibrant shade of Dawn can be a lot for a day-to-day look, but makes a brilliant holiday pop of brightness to any complexion. Storm is a subtle dark rose that I personally found more wearable. The best thing about Cloud Paint? You only need one tiny drop (no really) to see the results. With a little going such a long way, this really is the bargain buy of the summer.
Best blush for hydration
Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk, £15, Glossier
A suits-all shade in the lightweight gel-cream blush that gives a natural flush of colour as it also hydrates skin.
Best blush for looking fresh faced
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, £29, Charlotte Tilbury
Portable, easy to apply (just swipe on using the sponge tip, then blend with fingers) and stunning on cheeks, this luminous blusher comes in several shades including pink and peach and is the epitome of fresh faced.
Best blush for dewy skin
Milani Baked Blush, £10.95, Beauty Bay
A favourite of Kylie Jenner's makeup artist, Ariel Tejada, this baked blush has quite the cult following. It has an extremely luminous, shimmer finish that will leave the skin looking fresh and dewy.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Beauty Bay discount codes.
Best blush for lasting all night
Too Faced Love Flush Blusher, £20.40, Boots
Too Faced's Love Flush blusher is light on the skin and straddles both a blush and a highlighter due to its slightly iridescent formula. Long-lasting, if you like the glowy look, this is a great option.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Boots discount codes.
Best blush for brightening
Benefit Dandelion Brightening Blush, £14.50, Look Fantastic
An oldie but a goodie, Benefit's Dandelion blusher gives a delicate natural flush with rose tones and a little shimmer. Best used on pale skin tones.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these LookFantastic discount codes.
Best blush stick
Nudestix Nudies Bloom, £30, Cult Beauty
A dewy balm that's ideal for a subtly flushed, natural look. The dual-ended tool comes with a colour stick at one end and a blending brush at the other, making it a great makeup bag space-saver.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best blush for mega shimmer
Milk Makeup Colour Chalk, £14, Cult Beauty
The guys at Milk know how to do mega-watt colour and these sticks are no different. Use the pressurised powder pigment across eyes, cheeks or lips and choose from 15 silky, shimmering shades. The product is buildable and can be used dry or wet (for big colour payoff).
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best blush for a natural wash of colour
Illamasqua Colour Veil, £20, Beauty Bay
This jelly-like formula is unlike any blusher you've ever tried before. Watch it wibble wobble in the pan and then swipe across your apples for a seamless wash of colour with a fresh and glowing finish.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Beauty Bay discount codes.
Best blush for multi-tasking
Stila Convertible Color Dual Lip & Cheek Cream, £16.50, Beauty Bay
Extremely dewy with a beautiful sheen, we like the shade 'Lilium' for an everyday flush and 'Camellia' for a sunkissed bronze.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Beauty Bay discount codes.
Best blush for creating depth
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic, £30, Charlotte Tilbury
If you're more into the matte makeup look rather than dewy, a powder blusher is what to purchase. Charlotte Tilbury's Cheek to Chic Swish & Pop Blusher is a two tone product meaning you can create depth to your blush and "pop" the apples of your cheek for added lift. Major bonus: it's made to suit all skin types.
Best blush for pigmentation
NARS Beauty Blush, £25, Cult Beauty
NARS' blushers achieve cult status many moons ago (who hasn't heard of Orgasm?) and the brand isn't showing any signs of losing it. Pigment-rich, the formula blends seamlessly onto the skin and delivers glowing colour every time. The colour range for this product is worth noting: you'll find anything from bright tangerines to deep berries and poppy pinks.
Save when you shop for the best blush with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best blush for your-skin-but-better makeup
Chantecaille Cheek Gelée, £39, Space NK
Chantecaille's Cheek Gelée combines a gel with a stain meaning the formula is delicate but the colour delivers. Feather-light, it makes you feel like you've got fresh makeup on all day.
Best blush for blending
Smashbox L.A. Lights Blendable Lip and Cheek Colour, £26, Look Fantastic
This range is brilliant for darker skin tones and the compact, ready-to-use stick is brilliant for travelling or on-the-go. Super blendable, you can build this up depending on your desired intensity. It also doubles up as a lip stain, too.
Best blush for looking sun-kissed
By Terry Compact Expert Dual Powder, £38
This multipurpose compact is a one-stop shop to healthy looking cheeks with a pretty, rosy blusher encircled by a shimmery sun-kissed shade.
Best blush for dry skin
Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, £62, Selfridges
A duo-blusher, Tom Ford's Shade & Illuminate contains a highlighting cream as well as a shading cream meaning you can contour the face. You can create a subtle sheen or a full-on flush and with its creamy formula, it's an ideal alternative to powder for those with dry skin. For lighter skin tones opt for Scintillate and for darker go for Sublimate.
Save when you shop for the best blusher with these Selfridges discount codes.
Best blush palette
Benefit Fouroscope 'Fire Queen', £32.50, Benefit Cosmetics
This new cheek palette from the complexion queens at Benefit has everything you need for a healthy, sun-kissed glow: a full-sized Hoola matte bronzer and three never-before-seen blush shades that complement each other perfectly. We can't get enough of the Starlette shade.
Save when you shop for the best blusher with these Benefit discount codes.
Best blush for creating impact
Chanel Joues Contraste in Rouge Profound, £35, Chanel
This deep pink blusher from Chanel has a silky texture and glides effortlessly onto the skin. Use on top of the cheekbones, rather than the apple, for a bigger impact.
Best buildable blush
Refy Cream Blush, £14, Refy Beauty
Cult brow brand Refy have just launched their second collection, Summer Skin, which includes a buttery cream blush that has been tested on all skin tones and types. It's highly pigmented so you only need a dot of colour to start with, making it perfect for building colour to the level you want.
