Revlon | 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% [?]

Revlon New Complexion One Step Foundation

Awhile back I was in Vegas and realized that I had left my makeup bag sitting at home. Now, a girl can’t be in Vegas without makeup, so I popped into a CVS and grabbed a few items to get me through the trip and purposely picked out things I had not tried before so that I could review them.

For foundation, I grabbed Revlon New Complexion One Step Oil Free Makeup With SPF 15. This is a cream to powder type of foundation. The foundation comes in a compact that flips up to expose an included sponge applicator—something else I needed since I left mine at home! Overall, the Revlon New Complexion Foundation wore fairly well. It wasn’t the best I have ever tried, but I liked it fine. Coverage was medium, and it stayed put for most of the day. I didn’t experience any breakouts or serious issues with it. Mostly, the color wasn’t perfect. What I hate about shopping for drugstore products is the general inability to test the times in the store.

At $12, the price is OK. I don’t know if I would buy the Revlon foundation again, but it certainly was perfectly serviceable, and I liked that it came with a sponge applicator, which is always good when traveling.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Revlon Illuminance Creme Eye Shadow

Revlon Illuminance Creme Shadow comes in quads of four creme shadows. I tried the quad Not Just Nudes, which turned out to be a fairly nice set of nude creme shades.

The shadow itself is quite sheer, and only fairly buildable. If I had a complaint, I guess that would be it–I would rather see a bit more color payoff. But the sheerness still worked for me and the shadows blended very well because of it.

I did not experience issues with creasing, although I have seen other state that they had issues with that when using the Illuminance shadows. It appears that creasing is more problematic in those with oily skin, and I don’t have particularly oily lids, so that may be why I had no issues with it.

The shadow lasted most of the day for me. It did not stick around as long as my favorite, MAC paint pots (read review), but it did a decent job. Mostly I just love the shades, which are swatched below:

Revlon cosmetics are available at most drug stores and big box retailers.

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Revlon Glimmer Gloss Nail Lacquer

Revlon Glimmer Gloss is a lightly tinted, glittery nail lacquer that can be worn alone or over regular polish. Personally, I like it over an opaque polish to add subtle extra shine and shimmer. In the picture, I am wearing the shade Strawberry Sizzle over Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Polish in Pink Splash (read review). The glimmer is hard to see in the picture though

The look can be rather fun, and Revlon has a number of shades, so there is likely a Glimmer Gloss that will layer well over almost any polish. Give it a try for a fun summer look in nail polish!Shop for Revlon Cosmetics

Popularity: 1% [?]

Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation

Revlon, like just about everyone else, has entered the mineral makeup market. I rate their effort, Revlon Colorstay Mineral Foundation in the fair to OK category–I just can’t find anything special about this one.

This powder foundation provides decent sheer coverage at a fairly good price. For those that require an included brush, it also includes one that is serviceable, although it is rather small. I would recommend the L’Oreal mineral makeup instead for those who really want their minerals to come prepackaged with a brush (read review).

Unfortunately, there are also several issues with the product. The packaging does not allow for easy use with a different brush because the mouth of the shaker is narrow. I did not fare well trying to cram my favorite kabuki brush in it, and was unable to tap off excess back into the container without making a mess.

Also on the unfortunate side is Revlon’s decision to cut the product with both talc and bismuth. Leaving out the talc allows mineral makeup to provide better coverage and bismuth can cause irritation and itching in some people. For a drugstore mineral makeup without talc and bismuth that has a nice standard container for use with personal brushes, try Maybelline Mineral Power instead. Other higher end options, such as Jane Iredale (highly recommended), are available online.

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Revlon Spring Collection, Nice Colors at a Nice Price

Revlon has a number of really nice items in their Spring collection. I picked up a bunch and have made good use of them.

Revlon Soft on the Eyes Palette Eyeshadow

For the eyes, I purchased a set of Revlon Soft on the Eyes Sheer Loose Shadow in a palette with beautiful pink and brown shades. This loose powder is great for a sheer, light look. It isn’t as well pigmented as say M.A.C., Stila, or any of the better mineral shimmers out on the market, but for a quiet, daytime look, it is just fine. It also comes packaged with a very usable brush. If you like loose powder shadow and are on a budget, this one is worth checking out.

Revlon A Floral Affair Sheer Powder Blush, in Pinking of You is another excellent sheer color for Spring. I adore all of the pretty pink sheer blushes that Spring is bringing in and this one is a current favorite. I have seen quite a few people raving about this one.

For the lips, you can get some incredible shine with a hint of berry red color from Revlon Mix & Mingle Lip Palette, in Chatty Cherry. For more, see my review over at Girl Gloss.Finally, there are some great spring shades in the Revlon SuperLustrous Lipgloss line. Revlon is generally my favorite drugstore gloss. It has the shine and quality of many of the better and more expensive glosses, yet carries a decent price tag and has a great selection of colors. Revlon also tends to put out particularly nice limited edition shades. This season is no different. There are some gorgeous new shades available!

Revlon cosmetics are available both online and at major drugstores and big box retailers.

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Revlon Pinch Me Gel Blush Cheek Stain

I really like cheek stains as long as I can blend them well enough and they are not overly dark. Revlon Pinch Me Sheer Gel Blush meets that description perfectly!

This gel cheek stain is absolutely perfect for me. I picked it up in the shade Playful Pink, which is a nice natural rose/pink shade that worked well with my ultra pale skin. I noted that there were several more shades available, so those of you with darker skin tones might want to look at the other shades like plum and cherry. Because the stain is in gel form, I found that it blended much better than a liquid stain such as Benetint. So it was a bit more forgiving of mistakes. Although I do still love Benetint as well!

I paired the Revlon cheek stain with its roller ball lip stain, Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain, in a plum shade with a little gloss. On bare skin, and with a bit of mascara on the eyes, this made for a nice, natural looking day-time makeup combination. For a further look at the lip stain, head on over to my review at Girl Gloss!

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