10 best blushes for every skin tone and type 2021

1. NARS Orgasm Blush

This product has icon status in the world of beauty. Makeup artists love it and beauty YouTubers are obsessed. Since its launch in 1999, NARS Orgasm has made its way into makeup bags all over the world.

The colour is a perfect mix between peach and pink. It has a slight gold shimmer that adds a youthful glow. Thanks to this unique composition, NARS Orgasm is one of those products that gives your face dimension. It adds colour and highlights at the same time. The formula is a silky powder that glides effortlessly across the cheeks, leaving you with a blended, even wash of colour. Even total makeup rookies can use this one.

The shade Orgasm is so popular that NARS has since released six other beauty products in the same unique colour. If you haven't tried this product, this is one to add to your list.

• MECCA's store rating: 4.8/5
• Price: $48 for 4.8g
• Where to buy: Amazon and MECCA
• Suits all skin undertones

2. Benefit Cosmetics Benetint

This rose-tinted stain is a double-duty product. It gives the perfect flush of colour to the cheeks and can also be used as a lip tint. The formula is not a cream or a powder. Instead this is a liquid gel-like consistency and as a result, it's easy to blend out and still holds its colour.

The Benefit Cosmetics Benetint is a great choice if you're in the market for something quick and easy with a rich colour pay-off. Especially if you don't have a whole set of fancy brushes as this product is best applied with your fingers.

We recommend brushing a few light strokes onto the cheeks and very quickly blending into your skin. Benetint is technically a stain, so if you let it sit too long before blending, it might come out patchy.

• Sephora's store rating: 4/5
• Price: $33 for 6ml
• Where to buy: Sephora, Myer , Adore Beauty
• Suits all skin undertones

3. MAC Cosmetics Powder Sheertone Blush in Peaches

MAC's Sheertone Blush formula is fabulous. It creates a light, matte wash of colour that never looks cakey, even if you use a lot. The effect of this blush is an effortless and natural look. Although it can be dialed up if you prefer something full-glam.

The MAC Cosmetics Sheertone blush formula comes in five colours, but our top pick is the Peaches. Like the name suggests, it's a true peach shade that looks great on many skin tones. This shade is an excellent complement to bronzer and it gives you a pretty summer glow.

• MYER Rating: 4.7/5
• Price: $43 for 6g
• Where to buy: Myer
• Best suited to neutral and warm undertones

4. Sephora Collection Colorful Blush

When you walk into a Sephora store, it's easy to overlook the store's in-house brand but we recommend taking a closer look at the Sephora Collection. It's cheap and gets the job done with no gimmicks or fancy packaging. It comes in a sleek compact with a built-in mirror, perfect when you're on the go. The colour is long-lasting and never hard to blend. It comes in a range of shades and can be used and loved by anyone, whether you're a makeup beginner or a makeup artist.

There are 12 shades to choose from with a variety of matte and shimmer options. So no matter your preference of blush, there's sure to be a perfect shade for you.

• Sephora's store rating: 4/5
• Price: $23 for 3.5g
• Where to buy: Sephora Collection Colorful Blush
• Shades for all undertones

5. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

Not only does this product look beautiful on when it's sitting in the compact, it looks even better when applied on the skin. With the rose gold packaging and marbled colour inside, this blush is a luxurious stand-out. Hourglass uses an innovative technology in the Ambient Lighting Blush, which smoothes pores and imperfections while creating a soft-focus light effect that we've never seen before. Sounds too good to be true, but it's not. This product is unique and will give you a flawless complexion every time you use it.

There are six marbled shades for you to choose from, so there are options for light, deep, cool and warm skin tones. We love this product because it gives you a natural flush and the skin remains to look glowy and poreless.

• MECCA's store rating: 4.9/5
• Price: $64 for 4.2g
• Where to buy: MECCA
• Shades for all undertones

6. Wet N Wild Color Icon Blush

Not only is this product long-lasting but the formula is silky smooth. And most importantly, it's actually very affordable. This line has seven shade options, some in shimmer and some in a flat matte. This is a great blush for beginners because the formula is easy to blend and it's not overly pigmented. It allows you to build your colour slowly and is very forgiving if you have a heavy hand. You can definitely pack on the colour for an intense look or tone it down for a natural finish.

Our favourite shade is Mellow Wine, a dusty rosy-orange. But the other shades are gorgeous too. At just $5.99, this is a high-performance, budget-friendly option.

• Cosmetic Capital's store rating: 4/5
• Price: $5.99 for 5.85g
• Where to buy: Amazon, Cosmetic Capital
• Best suited to neutral and warm undertones

7. Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain

Another cheek stain to make the list, this product by Jane Iredale is perfect for those who love a natural finish. This beauty brand is cruelty-free and all the ingredients truly nourish the skin. This is why we love the Jane Iredale Lip & Cheek Stain. You can read our full review on the product here.

The consistency of this cheek stain is glossy and very easy to blend. This means it works really well on bare skin or minimal makeup. The standout shade in this range is called Forever Red. Despite the name, it isn't a true red but rather has rich coral undertones to it. This cheek stain sits beautifully on bare skin or over the top of foundation. When it's used as a lip and cheek tint together, you look naturally flushed and sun-kissed.

• Adore Beauty's store rating: 4.6/5
• Price: $60 for 3g
• Where to buy: Amazon, Adore Beauty
• Suits all skin undertones

8. Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Powder Blush in Pillow Talk

The Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush has been designed to give the face dimension. Charlotte Tilbury says that a natural looking flush always has a lighter epicentre so it has been recreated in this blush compact. It's a two-tone powder blush with a centre of champagne shimmer, just like you might see in a natural flush. The powder is ever so lightly luminous so that the finish has radiance and glow. The colour is buildable and won't come out too intense on a first application. And like all Charlotte Tilbury products, the powder is silk and blendable so even a beginner can get a beautiful finish.

Our favourite shade is Pillow Talk, an iteration of the famous Charlotte Tilbury lip colour of the same name. The dusty pink tone in the blush is just as pretty as the original lipstick. This colour is universally flattering, for any age and any skin tone. This is one of the best selling products from Charlotte Tilbury. In fact, it's so popular that it's very often sold out.

• Charlotte Tilbury's store rating: 4.7/5
• Price: $60 for 8g
• Where to buy: Amazon, Charlotte Tilbury
• Best for neutral and cool undertones

9. Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur Blush

This blush from Benefit is designed to enhance your natural complexion with a single swipe on the cheeks. It delivers a rich colour pay-off and gives a luminous glow to the skin. The formula is soft, velvety and finely milled so it gives a silky satin finish. It effortlessly blends over other powder products so it's perfect if you like to use bronzers or powder foundations as a base. The product comes with a small brush inside the compact, so it is travel-friendly and can be used on the go. And the brush is actually a good one! More often than not, the applicators that come with makeup products are useless but this one gives a blended and natural finish.

The shade Rockateur is a dusty-mauve colour which is flattering on many skin tones. If this shade is not the one for you, there are six other Benefit powder blushes with very similar formulas. They're all rather lush, but this is our top pick.

• MYER's store rating: 5/5
• Price: $54 for 5g
• Where to buy: Amazon, Myer and Adore Beauty
• Best suited to neutral and cool undertones. But there are other shades for warm undertones.

10. Nude by Nature Virgin Blush

This blush from Nude by Nature is a loose mineral powder, so it's a lot more blendable than your average pressed powder products. No harsh lines, just a flush of colour that looks natural and healthy. Perfect for those who have trouble blending their products evenly. The Nude by Nature blush is buildable, so you can decide how intense you want your blush – add a little or add a lot. It comes packaged in a sturdy container with a lid that allows you to dispense the loose product as you please.

The shade Virgin is a rosy colour that enhances a fresh, youthful glow. It's the kind of colour that suits any skin tone from light to deep.

• Chemist Warehouse's store rating: 4.4/5
• Price: $19.95 for 4g
• Where to buy: Nude by Nature and Chemist Warehouse
• Suits all skin undertones

MAC Powder Blush in Margin

NARS Unlawful Blush

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour

My favourite blush is Margin by MAC. It's not too peachy and gives me the perfect golden bronze, all while adding a glow. I can literally wear it with no highlighter and it still looks so good. I work as a freelance makeup artist and I find that it looks great on pale and medium skin tones. - Demi

Unlawful by NARS is perfect if you love a subtle mauve or a pink cheek. It has shimmers in it that add a soft glow and it really makes your cheekbones pop! I especially love the look of it when it sits on top of bronzer, it makes you look like a Greek goddess. -Tina

This blush by Clarins gives my complexion both a pop of colour and a glow that lasts all day. It looks great on my mature skin and I have gone through quite a few of these in my lifetime. It's my favourite! -Debbie