5 of the best blushers for a no-makeup look that gives you that natural glow

I say no! But for quite a few years, I abandoned the pots of rouge and pink powder palettes and like everyone else, joined the contour army, brandishing highlighters and creams instead. It wasn’t until I started doing campaign shoots where I’d have my makeup professionally done that I realised, you can’t beat the appearance of a youthful flush and you can’t achieve that without blusher. Don’t let the Instagram #MUA push a good category into irrelevancy and out of your makeup bags. These are the best blushers for a no-makeup look that gives you that natural glow:

Glossier Cloud Paint

Even the name is kind of delicious. This sheer but buildable formula comes in four shades that are just too pretty. Even though I don’t personally own this, I’m tempted to go for one after it’s been used on me on shoots.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

Ethereal Glow is the one to go for, if you can get your hands on it. The popular blusher has the tiniest bit of shimmer that brings out your skin’s radiance. It’s a lot softer in colour than most of the others on the list, so perfect for those that don’t do heavy makeup and want an everyday sweep of pink.

Nars blush

Everyone knows Orgasm but I’m a fan of their bolder hues, like Luster, a warm orange (if unavailable, Liberte is a close match but darker) and Robotic, a light rosy pink. These don’t have as much sparkle as some of their Nars counterparts, which I like, and are quite opaque yet easy to blend.

Bobbi Brown pot rouge

I take the Powder Pink shade everywhere with me in my everyday bag and apply it on my cheeks and lips, and on occasion my lids for a glossy pink sheen. It’s a multi-use product, much like Cloud Paint, except this comes with a mirror and that simple feature has been the tipping point when it comes to what I use the most.

Becca Mineral Blush

Is there any product this brand can’t totally own?! From their primers to their highlighters and now their blush, Becca knows exactly what a girl wants. One upside is that being mineral based, this actually helps shield your cheeks against harmful pollutants. A shoutout for their perfect use of gold flecks in Flowerchild!