Purple definitely isn’t the most conventional color when it comes to blush and probably conjures up images of clown-like effects. And yeah, we’ve got some really out-there shades of purple like the new Fenty Beauty cream blushes. But if you’re willing to venture outside of the traditional blush color families, you’ll find that certain purpley hues can be incredibly flattering on the cheeks. So here I’m counting down my top picks for the best plum, mauve, lavender, and purple blush.
Clinique Cheek Pop Blush | Pansy Pop
This is an extremely cool toned pink with strong lavender undertones. It’s a very brightening shade on the cheeks and really gives a pop to the face. I like pairing this blush with a charcoal eye look and a cool toned lip. Pansy Pop has a satin finish so I usually top it with a neutral toned highlighter which I find makes it more wearable.
Girlactik Star Blush | Milan
This looks like a pale cool toned mauve in the pan but the color is slightly deeper once applied. It’s a medium mauve with a distinctly plum undertone. I love the subtle flush it gives the cheeks and the color pairs well with a nude lip. This blush has a matte finish and so it definitely benefits from being paired with a highlighter.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush | Mood Exposure
Mood Exposure looks like a very pale neutral plum in the pan but it actually warms up considerably in a swatch to more of a mauve shade. The blush itself is infused with Hourglasses Mood Light Ambient Lighting Powder which itself has a lavender hue. It’s got a barely-there radiant quality to the otherwise satin finish and looks beautiful on the cheeks.
- Best For: Fair to Medium Skin
- $40 | Sephora, Ulta, Hourglass, Beautylish, Amazon
100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Blush|Mauvette
The concept behind this brand is pretty unique. The blush is made using fruit pigments to color the powder and is also vegan. Mauvette is a beautiful muted mauve shade with a satin finish. I will say that the pigmentation is pretty sheer and I usually need to build the color on my light-medium skin.
theBalm Instain Blush | Houndstooth
This is one of the warmer mauves in my collection. It’s a medium mauvey pink with hints of plummy undertones. This blush has an ever-so-slight satin finish and strong pigmentation.
theBalm Instain Blush |Pinstripe
This shade is cooler and deeper than Houndstooth. It’s a deep plummy berry with a satin finish and the same strong pigmentation as the other Instain Blushes.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush | Blushing Bride
Blushing Bride is probably one of the deepest shades in the Amazonian Clay Blush line and it’s a deep berry with plum undertones. This shade does have scattered gold micro sparkles so if you’re not a fan of that I’d skip this one.
Inglot Freedom System AMC Blush | #55
While not the easiest product to get a hold of, this is truly one of my favorite shades of blush. It’s a very cool lavender toned mauve with a matte finish a intense pigmentation. What I particularly like about this shade is how it retains its true color, unlike many other blushes which warm up considerably once applied to the cheeks.
- Best For: Light-Medium to Tan Skin
- $11| Inglot, Camera Ready Cosmetics
Nars Blush | Sin
This is the product that started my love affair with purple cheek products. It’s one of the strangest looking blushes in the pan and one of the most beautiful shades on the cheeks. I’d describe it as a cool toned plum shade, almost reminiscent of the color of a bruise. Doesn’t sound too appealing but it actually gives the most gorgeous flush to my cheeks. There are some micro-fine particles of sparkle visible in the pan but it doesn’t translate that much on the face.
Cover FX Monochromatic Blush Duo |Sweet Mulberry
This is intense plum in a blush. It’s got a matte and shimmer blush in one compact. The matte side is a brighter, more purpley shade of plum while the shimmer side is deeper and bit more muted. This has very strong pigmentation and is not for the faint of heart but will give a really unique effect on the cheeks.
Swatches
I will say that there were more than a few blushes that I wanted to list but couldn’t as they’re no longer available. Mac Lovejoy, Mac Britwit Cream Blush, It Cosmetics Sugarplum CC+ Radiance Blush, Bare Minerals Posh, Urban Decay Rapture Afterglow Blush. These were all great shades and it’s a shame that they’ve been discontinued.
So those are my top reccomendations for the best purple hued blush shades. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got a favorite purple blush or if it’s something you’d even try.
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Bye now,
