The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush Is Viral For A Reason

Small confession: As someone who loves makeup but also loves sleep, I often find myself choosing between the two (and sleep wins every time). I always go to bed with the best of intentions. “Tomorrow I’m going to wake up early. I’m going to do my makeup, try a new hairstyle, write in my journal, and make a healthy breakfast and a good cup of coffee.” And then when my first alarm goes off... Immediately no. Thirty minutes later, another alarm. Ten more minutes, another alarm — before you know it I’m rushing out of bed, and I only have time for my bare minimum morning routine. I may compromise on the concealer, eyeliner, and even the mascara, but the blush stays. No questions asked: I need my blush.

If you frequent the makeup side of TikTok then you may already be familiar with the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. Whether you’re into the no-makeup makeup look, the clean girl aesthetic, a full-glam moment, or even the newest ombre under-eye blush trend, this blush honestly works for any and every occasion. It adds the perfect flush of color to my skin when I’m running out of the house, adding a youthful radiance to my overall look. Best of all, it only takes me 30 seconds to apply. Quick. Easy. And now I actually look like I put a little bit of effort into my appearance!

Stats

• Price: $23
• Size: 0.25 oz.
• Colors: The blush comes in a wide range of 13 shades with the option of both matte and dewy finishes. I have the shades “Joy” and “Grateful,” and I’m currently deciding what shade I will be getting next.
• Who it’s for: Anyone who wears blush — whether they’re going for a no-makeup or full-glam look. This blush is very user-friendly. It’s great for adults, but also a great beginner makeup product for tweens and teens just starting to get into makeup.

The ingredients

The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is a vegan and cruelty-free formula that is free of parabens. This blush might work well for those with sensitive skin. It’s described as being made with a “botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white water lily to help soothe, calm, and nourish skin.”

The packaging

The product comes in a cute, sleek bottle with a doe-foot applicator. The wand makes it easy to apply, and the small bottle is very convenient for travel. My only complaint would be that I have experienced the top slightly loosening while traveling. While the top has never completely twisted off, it can get a little messy.

How I use the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

I love a good “I woke up like this” natural makeup look. After completing my skin care routine, I choose a shade, swipe excess product from the applicator back into the tube, and apply about three dots to my cheekbones. Using a blush brush, I blend it around the desired areas. Most days I like to place my blush a bit higher towards my temples for a more lifted look, but I don’t stop there. (I would bathe in this stuff if I could.) I love the warm, sunkissed effect blush gives, so I also like to dust whatever is leftover from my cheeks over my nose and add a few small dots to my forehead and chin as well.

I personally prefer using a brush to distribute the blush, but you could use a sponge or your fingers. This product doesn’t need to be set, but I have oily skin so on hotter days sometimes I opt for some powder blush, setting powder, or setting spray on top to make sure everything stays in place. I would recommend starting off with one or two dots of the product on each cheek and blending it to your desired look. There’s no need to freak out if you apply too much (I know, easier said than done) but I speak from experience when I say that this product is easy to blend away if you tend to get heavy-handed. The blush is also buildable if you decide you want to add even more color.

Similar products

Saie Dew Blush Liquid Cheek Flush ($25): This blush is pretty and similarly packaged to Rare Beauty’s liquid blush. The main difference is that Saie’s blush has a creamier formula. I prefer to blend this blush with my fingers or a sponge as opposed to a brush, because the bristles lift away too much of the product for my liking, so I find myself having to use more in order to build up the product. I have the shade “Poppy” which appears to be a really pretty coral shade in the packaging; however, I find that once blended, it looks more pink on my complexion. Still pretty, just not exactly the shade I was hoping for.

Glossier Cloud Paint ($20): This product is the most lightweight liquid blush option I’ve used. It will give you a nice, sheer flush of color without feeling too heavy on the skin. The application isn’t as easy as Rare Beauty because as opposed to coming with a wand applicator, it’s packaged in a squeeze tube. I find it’s easiest to apply and blend out with your fingers, so it’s just a tad bit messier.

Pros & cons

Pros:

• The formula is vegan and cruelty-free
• Doesn’t fade throughout the day
• Comes in a wide range of gorgeous shades (in mauve, red, and pinks) to compliment all skin tones
• Affordable — a little bit goes a long way

Cons:

• The screw cap on the packaging can get a little messy, and has loosened (though not totally fallen off) during travel
• Might be hard to get your hands on this product in stores because it sells out so fast

The final verdict

I love for my makeup to look seamless and natural, like it’s a part of me and not just sitting on top my skin’s surface, you know? This blush does exactly that. It’s perfect for full-glam looks and minimal days as well. Even though my skin gets very oily throughout the day, the blush still lasts and looks good. I also love that a little bit goes a long way (I’m confident I will still be using my bottles well past their expiration dates). I appreciate all the different shades Rare Beauty offers that compliment so many different skin tones.

The TL;DR

I get tons of compliments and people always tell me I look radiant when I wear this blush. It just gives you that perfect glowing-from-within look.

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