10 best blushes for 2025, tested by a beauty expert

Red blush gained huge popularity last year, after Rose-Marie Swift, founder of RMS Beauty, revealed in a make-up demo that when she was a make-up artist for the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows, she would use red on the models’ cheeks to mimic the natural skin flushing.

While this Vieve liquid formula in shade ‘strawb’ may look daunting, it’s anything but. The thin nozzle makes it easy to apply a tiny dot to the cheeks initially and then build up the colour if desired. It gives the most natural-looking flush of colour; it instantly brightens, and the fluid-liquid texture blends seamlessly when applied with your fingers. It leaves behind a smooth finish, with a healthy glow that isn’t sticky, shiny or overpowering. If you love a bold blush moment, layer up this product as much as you like – it will still look fresh and feel weightless.

This brand was first launched by Boots in 1968 as a bargain make-up offering accessible to all. Although it was discontinued by the retailer in 2018, the brand has since been revamped and relaunched. The result? A complete make-up range (170 pieces to be exact), with everything costing less than a fiver. We put this cream blush through its paces and were left impressed by its buttery soft texture and easy blendability, all for the budget price of just £4. We particularly enjoyed the shade ‘020 peach vibes’, thanks to its velvety soft finish, which, admittedly, leans more pink than peach, but it’s subtle and flattering, even on our tester’s rosacea-prone skin. It’s quite sheer, meaning it blends easily – you can’t apply too much – but it does fade slightly throughout the day. For the price, though, it makes an intimidating-looking colour a foolproof experience.

Among the many make-up gems from Victoria Beckham’s eponymous beauty line are her cheeky posh sticks. These creamy formulas are housed in ultra-chic twist-up casings that are compact, and make for precise application and easy blending. Dot directly onto cheeks or pick up colour with a fluffy brush and dab onto cheeks – in an instant, your complexion will look lifted, luminous and brighter. There are seven shades, but our pick of the bunch is ‘fever’ – a reddish orange that may look strong but blends into a beautiful bloom across your cheeks. While expensive, this is a luxury blush worth the splurge, with a dewy finish and buildable texture.

If you’ve ever found blush intimidating and are wary of looking clownish, this domed balmy option from Merit deserves a spot in your make-up bag. Simply apply it straight onto cheeks, with a dot or a single swipe, and pat into skin with fingers (or use a brush) for an instant wash of sheer, creamy colour. You can never apply too much and this will be the quickest pick-me-up product in your arsenal. Our tester’s go-to shade is ‘le bonbon’ – a bright pop of pink that’s not nearly as intimidating as it may look – but there are 13 shades in total to pick from, spanning vibrant pinks and corals, classic dusty pink tones and neutral golden browns.

In October 2024, No7 unveiled a new luxury make-up line, pro artist, developed in collaboration with 115 make-up artists, to create a range of cosmetic essentials at more accessible price points. While the cream bronzer went viral for its similarity to Chanel’s pricier les beiges healthy glow bronzing cream, for us, the underrated star of the collection is this liquid blush. It has a cushioned doe-foot applicator – a couple of dots is the perfect amount for an immediate healthier-looking complexion – with a buildable colour payoff. It has a soft-focus, blurring effect, making it ideal if you have textured or blemished skin on your cheeks. It also has a radiant yet powdery feel that delivers a silky-smooth finish. We tried shade ‘coral blush’, which is the perfect balance of pink and orange tones that’s very flattering on fair skin. It is very pigmented, however, so, start with a small dot, blend with a dense brush and layer, if you want a stronger payoff.

This is another blush product with a doe-foot applicator but you can be more generous with your application, as it has a decent colour payoff, and a dewy, glowy finish (hence the name). We love the shade ‘poppy’ – a bright coral pink that disperses across skin to leave a subtle, healthy-looking flush. It’s one of the most fuss-free blushes you’ll find, if you’re after a radiant complexion and want to avoid looking too matte. However, you won’t find the colour fading after a couple of hours (which is a common problem with cream formulas), instead, it’s pigmented enough to add a hue to cheeks that lasts all day and never overpowers the rest of your make-up.

PH blushes are a dime a dozen but Lashify’s gel stick doesn’t feel like a gimmick, instead, it provides a dewy, warm flush of colour to cheeks, for a glowy, luminous finish. Typically, PH formulas contain dyes that react to your skin’s natural PH level, so, it will appear a different colour on your complexion than it looks in the packaging. In our case, it transformed into a rose shade. We like to apply it directly to cheeks and use two fingers to tap it into the skin. Don’t be too overzealous when you first use it, as it applies clear but, once you blend it, the colour starts to transform. The formula spreads across skin easily and the initial slight tackiness fades to a smooth-to-touch finish. An added bonus is its vanilla scent, which lasts for hours after applying.

Powder blushes have a bit of a bad reputation, as chalky formulas can settle into fine lines, emphasise areas of texture and be difficult to apply with a skilled blending hand (and brush). Thankfully, Guerlain terracotta blush is one of the few that make the cut. It’s a weightless texture that’s buildable, and, once you’re armed with a fluffy brush, this product leaves your complexion looking healthier, with a sheer dusting of colour that doesn’t age you. We also love that the compact comes with a mirror inside, ready for touch-ups. Our top tip? Take it slow when applying – build up layers bit by bit and exercise caution. While we loved ‘01 light pink’ on fair skin tones, it is expensive (especially given there’s only 5g of product inside the tortoiseshell case), compared with some other options.

Innovative, long-wearing formulas are Danessa Myricks’ bread and butter. The make-up artist has created a laundry list of products that are well worth the splurge, including the cult favourite ‘yummy’ skin-blurring balm, a clever complexion product that applies as a cream and transforms into a powder that leaves skin radiant, smooth and texture-free. This blush is part of the same family, and one of the most long-wearing ones we tried. Like magic, it applies like a typical cream blush, but blends into a powder-like finish that blurs texture and the appearance of pores, doesn’t budge throughout the day and leaves the perfect flash of colour to leave you looking brighter and healthier. This is thanks to key ingredient upsalite, which absorbs excess sebum and hydrates skin simultaneously. We loved the shade ‘primadonna’, which is a vibrant hot pink. Apply with caution, however, as a little goes a long way, and each shade is very pigmented. We’d recommend swirling a brush into the pan, pressing onto cheeks and using a tapping motion to blend.

Blonzer’s are an emerging category in make-up, combining the brightening effect of blush with the warmth of a bronzer. This liquid formula from Bareminerals is an easy way to dip your toe into the trend, thanks to its buttery soft texture and fresh finish. It delivers a rosy hue across cheeks and can be applied with fingers for a soft wash of a colour tint that also streamlines your make-up bag. It has a subtle but impactful glow and is perfect if you take a minimalist approach to your make-up and don’t want to wear anything too heavy or overly pigmented. A small dot of product can make a big difference, so, start with a small amount and apply more, if desired.