Maybelline | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Best Affordable Makeup Series: Best Drugstore Blush

Readers often ask about the best drugstore makeup or affordable cosmetics, and a previous syndicated post on the best drugstore mascara has been rather popular here on the site. So,welcome to the first installment of series on drugstore makeup. Today, I take a look at some of the best drugstore blush items. Plus, I will tell you a few I thought were duds. Over the coming weeks I will write more on the best affordable makeup in other categories.

When it comes to finding the best drugstore blush, there area few key considerations. The best powder blush will have good pigment concentration for lasting color, be finely milled for good blending, and have a pleasing shade. The best cream blush will also have good pigment and will be soft and creamy. Where drugstore makeup brands often fail is in using little pigment and more fillers. When that happens, the product might look quite lovely in the package, but won’t actually wear well when applied. It will either be too light, wear off too fast, or both. Also, don’t get fooled by the name “mineral blush.” Some mineral makeup products are wonderful because they pack in mineral pigments with few fillers, but others will dilute the blend with fillers to the point that the product is not very well pigmented. Most mineral makeup items will also contain bismuth, which is an irritant for some people. That is true both at the drugstore and premium levels of cosmetics.

Below are a few drugstore blushes that do particularly well in terms of pigment and long wear. Although I have provided some affiliate links to the products, you should also be able to find them in drugstores or big box stores.

Best Powder Drugstore Blush

There is no need to spend extra for a good cheek color. Several companies make highly pigmented blush that rivals, or is even better than, many higher end and luxury cosmetics brands. I particularly like Milani Mineral Blush, despite that it includes bismuth as an ingredient.

Milani Mineral Blush is the best pigmented drugstore blush that I have found. It is also talc free—something rare for a drugstore blush. However, a word of warning, instead of being cut with talc, it uses bismuth, which some people are sensitive too. It is very well pigmented and comes in a variety of lovely shades. At just under $6, you can’t beat Milani for value. Milani’s Mineral Blush is honestly better than a number of high end items that I have tried. If you are a Nars Orgasm fan, look in stores for the shade Luminous (which I linked to). It is essentially the same as Nars Orgasm with perhaps slightly more shimmer, but much more affordable. By the way, also check out Milani eye shadows, they too are highly pigmented and are top on my list of best drugstore eye shadows.

Jane Blushing Cheeks is very affordable at $3.69 and has decent pigment, wears well, and comes in some nice shades. Jane also has a Nars Orgasm clone. Look for the shade Blushing Earth, which is almost a dead ringer for it. Jane cosmetics are pretty good all around, but their blush is my favorite item from them. For more see my previous review: Jane Cosmetics Blush.

Revlon ColorStay Cheek Color Mineral Blush is at the higher price range for a drugstore cheek color. At around $13, it comes in cheaper than higher end lines, but frankly, I recommend Milani and Jane before it because of their incredible prices. regardless, Revlon Mineral Blush is a darn nice blush. Although not talc free like Milani, it is still high in pigment and it blends and wears very nicely.

Best Cream Drugstore Blush

I have not fared as well at finding a quality affordable cream blush. Many seem to lack pigment or simply don’t wear as long as some of my favorite department store brands (Estee Lauder and Nars are a couple of favorites). I do, however, particularly recommend Maybelline Dream Mousse, which I prefer over many of the higher end brands. The entire Maybelline Dream Mousse line is rather nice. My other recommendations from Revlon and Sally Hansen Natural Beauty also fare pretty well

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush is one of my all time favorites. Dream Mousse has a light texture (hence the mousse name) that makes it blend incredibly well. It is also seriously packed with pigment. If you want a good cream color, this it the way to go. At around $6 it is also an incredible value. For yet another Nars Orgasm look, check out the shade Peach Satin.

Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Blush (link is to previous review) has a good texture and decent pigment. It also comes in some particularly pretty shades. I like the Sally Hansen line as a whole and their powder version is also pretty good.

Revlon Cream Blush blends nicely and lasts pretty well. It is not as highly pigmented as some higher end brands that I have tried, but then again, I prefer my cream blush to be on the sheer side anyway. It builds fairly well for extra color and usually lasts all day. Revlon also leaves out the shimmer, which I appreciate. For more see my previous review: Revlon Cream Blush

A Few Duds

Just as there are some good drugstore makeup bargains, there are some items that just don’t cut it. A few that I didn’t care for were Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Blush (the one with loose powder and built in brush) which, although easy to use, took the word “sheer” to a whole new level by being barely visible on the face and wearing off quickly. Almay and Physician’s Formula blushes have also not fared as well with me for the same reason—there simply is not enough pigment.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Mascara Monday: Controversial Beauty Products

Today’s Mascara Monday post is syndicated from Total Beauty because it include a mascara that I really dislike, yet others love—Maybelline Great Lash. I agree that this one is controversial. You will see magazines and such rate it as a cult favorite time and again, yet many beauty writers will state that they hate it! Ultimately, I think it is a love it or hate it product. There doesn’t seem to be much in between. For me it first clumps and then smudges or runs off.But I do know of people who personally love it.

10 Most Controversial Beauty Products

See which skin care, hair, body and makeup goodies TotalBeauty.com readers can’t see eye-to-eye on

Normally, readers generally agree if a product is good or bad and why. But sometimes they have extreme opinions on products, or they simply can’t agree if a product is worth buying. Here we share the most hotly debated products on TotalBeauty.com.

See products

Too face Lash Injection is included in this piece also. That one was middle of the road for me (read previous review).

Popularity: 1% [?]

Mascara Monday: Maybelline Lash Discovery

MAyb mas Maybelline Lash Discovery is one of my old favorite mascaras. Before I ended up getting so many different kinds of mascara in order to test them, it was the one that I bought over and over again.

My favorite thing about Maybelline Lash Discovery is the small brush. I find that it makes precise application easy and there is less risk of clumping. Getting those corner lashes is a breeze with this one. The formula allows for good basic lengthening. It isn’t going to be super dramatic or curling or any of those things—just nice clump free length. The mascara has always worn well for me and it removes easily. Overall, it is just a good drugstore basic that has been around for some time and hopefully will continue to stay around!

Shop for Maybelline cosmetics

Popularity: 1% [?]

Mascara Monday Review: Maybelline Lash Stiletto

Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara is a bit interesting. It lengthens very well—in fact I may have gotten more length from this one than from any other mascara. It also defines fairly well. But it does so in a way that made my lashes look thicker at the base and a bit spindly at the top. That was an interesting and rather dramatic look that I wasn’t personally crazy about, but I could see some people really liking it.

How the mascara achieves the different look, I don’t know. The brush is quite long, and it has a very tapered appearance, so perhaps that has something to do with it. It also seems like a thinner formulation than many mascaras. Aside from the interesting look from Lash Stiletto, the mascara wore well. I had no issues with flaking, and it lasted all day when I tested it. I have seen a review (at drugstore.com linked above) mentioning an odor. I never noticed any issues along those lines.

I’m curious what others who have tried this one think of it! Also, I was sent an extra one or two packages of Maybelline Lash Stiletto, so watch here next Monday for a giveaway of those!

Popularity: 1% [?]

Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation

Maybelline has done an impressive job entering the mineral makeup market. Their Mineral Power liquid foundation (read review) is one of the few liquids branded as a mineral foundation in the drugstore price range. With its Mineral Power Powder Foundation, Maybelline has done a nice job of providing a good basic powder foundation in a wide variety of shades.

Maybelline advertises their mineral makeup as talc free, but they do not mention bismuth. I did not see it on my ingredient list of the one that I purchased, but I have seen others report that they saw it listed as one of the “may contain” ingredients.

The number of shades is quite nice. Women with pale skin like mine up to dark brown skin shades will find something that works for them in this line. The range really is quite impressive.

The downside to the powder seems to be for those with oily skin. For example, Makeup Moxie tried it and found that it didn’t quite cut it–she got oily not too long after applying it. I too found that it didn’t really absorb oil well when I wore it on an oily day.

However, when I used Mineral Power on my drier days, it worked quite well. I did not experience issues with it settling into lines and wrinkles and it never looked flaky.

Coverage with this one is light to medium. I found that it covers redness fine, but it didn’t really hide my areas of melasma and hyperpigmentation. So if you have pigmentation that you want to hide, this one might not be quite enough.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Polish

I grabbed a bottle of Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Color because I loved the bright summer pink shade (pink splash, number 822). Turns out that I also love the polish in general.

Maybelline Salon Expert covers really well. You can get away with only one coat of this stuff, but I went ahead and did two. It has a great shiny look when dry, and boy does it last! I type so much and tend to be hard on my nails, so I generally chip the heck out of polish within a day or two. I managed to make the Salon Expert lacquer last about 5 days, then I stretched it a few more by tossing another coat on top.

I was so impressed that I went and bought another bottle in a different shade. It is affordable, quality, easy to find, and has some great shades. What more can a person ask for?

Shop for Maybelline Cosmetics

Popularity: 2% [?]

Maybelline Dream Mousse Eye Shadow

I love Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation (see review). Now I am in love with the eyeshadow as well!

Mousse Eye Shadow is an extremely good creme shadow–better than many of the expensive department store brands. Like the other dream mousse products, Maybelline’s dream mousse shadow has a light whipped texture. In fact, this is one of the few cream shadows that I could apply just fine with my fingers. Not that I recommend that over a brush, but fingers really can work with this one.The shadow has a nice subtle shimmer and goes on sheer, but can be built in color with additional application. I first used the shade Ivory Illusion on my lid up to the brow bone area. That shade alone provides a nice nude shimmer look. I then applied the shade suede sensation to the lid and built the color a bit in the crease. Suede sensation is one of the prettiest brown shimmers that I have worn in some time, and it is perfect for a neutral look with a bit of shimmer. The shadows last well and I have had no issues with creasing.

At $5-7 or so at your local drugstore, these shadows are an incredible value.

Shop for Maybelline cosmetics