This $20 Cream Blush Feels Luxe For an Affordable Price

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I am a big blush girl. Cream, liquid, powder — if it leaves behind perfectly-tinted cheeks, I am all for it. That being said, during my time as an editor, I've come to realize that not all blush is created equal. As a result, I've become much more selective about the formulas I use versus when I was a beauty enthusiast first starting out in the mid-'00s.

One of the things I look for in my beauty products, especially in the complexion category, is a consideration of deeper skin tones. So often, brands launch a product saying they will come out with something for darker skin "later" or they'll blatantly disregard their Black and Brown audience completely. As a result, I've made it a point to pay particular attention to the brands that pay attention to me, and LYS Beauty is a brand that consistently keeps deeper skin tones in mind.

You may know them for their viral No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick ($20), but the brand just came out with a Higher Standard Cream Glow Blush ($20) that has a similar formula and the exact same packaging, with shades that are right up my alley. Of course, I had to give it a try, so read ahead to see how the experience went.

No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick

From

$20

$20 at Sephora

Higher Standard Cream Glow Blush

From

$20

$20 at Sephora

I was immediately drawn to the shade range of this line. Every color looks like it would work beautifully on my skin tone, and this is still rare for me as someone with a deeper skin tone. Additionally, the formula is extremely pigmented but soft to the touch, so I knew I'd have no problem blending it out on my cheeks. With that, I opted for the shade Bubbly, which is a soft pink.

Just like the bronzer, the formula of the blush is incredibly pliable, so I opted to use a fluffy brush to pick up the color and deposit it onto my cheeks, instead of applying the stick directly. The specific brush I used was an old one that has since been discontinued from Japonesque. However, the Real Techniques Makeup Setting Brush ($8) is extremely similar.

Real Techniques Makeup Setting Brush

From

$8

$8 at Amazon

After lightly tapping some blush onto my brush, I applied the product onto my cheeks in short, stippling motions. It was the perfect amount of color, and it left behind a dewy flush of color. The finish almost made it look like I had also applied a highlighter, so I decided not to set it with powder and leave it as is.

The formula of this blush has a pearlescent finish, which gives it a high-shine effect. As someone with acne-prone, textured akin, I thought this would make my pores look massive, but it was the exact opposite: my cheeks looked blurred and healthy. However, if you're not a fan of blush with a dewy finish, you'll likely want to stay away from this one.

Additionally, I have three of the blushes, and in two of them, the highest point of the triangular shape has broken off into the packaging. When I twist it up, not all of the product comes out. It's not an egregious amount, and you can scoop it out with a makeup spatula, however, it's something I noticed occurred more than once — so should you also decide to get this blush, check to make sure it doesn't have this issue.

You can buy the LYS Higher Standard Cream Glow Blush at Sephora.com and Lysbeauty.com.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Ariel Baker is the assistant editor for POPSUGAR Beauty. Her areas of expertise include celebrity news, beauty trends, and product reviews. She has additional bylines with Essence and Forbes Vetted.