The 9 Best Cream Blushes for Flushed, Glowing Cheeks

Best Overall

Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Cream Blush

$32 at Amazon $32 at Sephora $32 at Ulta

Shades: 7 | Finish: Natural radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We tried lots of great formulas, but this one from Anastasia Beverly Hills is in a league of its own. It felt smooth and hydrating during application and, once set, had a non-sticky texture. It was super blendable too, even with just fingertips, but you can also use the handy built-in brush to buff into your skin or even a damp sponge for a more diffused finish.

Once blended out, our cheeks had a nice glowy radiance and a natural-looking flush. There are seven colors to choose from to compliment a range of skin tones, though we would love to see the brand expand this to include more undertones. Since the formula is somewhat sheer, you won't get a ton of pigment with a single swipe. However, it's very buildable, so you can achieve the exact level of color you want without accidentally overdoing it.

Best Budget

Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush

View on Ulta $10 at Amazon $11 at Ulta

Shades: 4 | Finish: Dewy/natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Milani is a go-to for high-quality, budget-friendly makeup, and you can expect nothing less from the brand's cream blush. The Cheek Kiss formula has a slick, lightweight consistency that sets quickly without feeling tacky. Once applied, it looks seamless and slightly radiant on the skin. Since it absorbs quickly and the four shades are pretty intensely pigmented, we recommend starting with one small dab so you don't overdo it. We found that applying it with a sponge made for the most even application and it also helped to tone down the pigment a bit. The packaging is compact, but the pan is big enough to dip a blush brush into.

Best Sheer

Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush

$6 at Amazon $6 at Target $7 at Walmart

Shades: 6 | Finish: Natural/sheer | Cruelty-Free: No

Those who feel intimidated by overly pigmented blushes or just prefer a subtle wash of color on their cheeks will appreciate how sheer this one from Maybelline is. We loved how the lightweight formula applied effortlessly to the skin, making it easy to achieve a smooth, even layer. This jelly-like cream blush feels slightly wet when it goes on, but it doesn't dry sticky and leaves a nice dewy glow in its wake. Although the shades look vivid when you squeeze the product out of the tube, the formula doesn't offer much pigmentation or buildability—it's pretty sheer. We could also see running out of it quickly since you need a substantial amount of product, but at a few bucks per tube, it's still a great value.

Best Splurge

Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Blush

$49 at Walmart $30 at Walmart $51 at Nordstrom

Shades: 4 | Finish: Radiant/sheer | Cruelty-Free: No

We highly recommend treating yourself to Clé de Peau Beauté if you have the budget to indulge in top-shelf makeup. This cream blush glides on smoothly and melts into the skin when you blend it out with your fingers or a sponge. It has a very fine pearl in the formula that creates a subtle luminous finish that doesn't look greasy. Once applied, it feels weightless and undetectable on the cheeks. Since the pigment is somewhat sheer in some shades, you'll need a few swipes to get the color to show up, but this could be a good thing if you're naturally heavy-handed.

Best Lightweight

REFY Cream Blush

$20 at Sephora $16 at selfridges.com View on Refybeauty.com

Shades: 5 | Finish: Dewy | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With an incredibly lightweight and creamy texture, this blush formula from Refy is perfect for those who prefer non-sticky formulas that feel like you're not wearing makeup (or hardly any). It's super easy to apply—a few taps with your fingertips, a brush, or a sponge to create an even veil of color on the cheeks, and once applied, we loved how soft and non-sticky it felt on the skin. Despite how pigmented it is and how glowy it looks, you won't be able to feel the product sitting on your skin.

One thing to note is it's not the longest-lasting and may come off easily on oily complexions. If blush tends to fade quickly on you, we recommend setting this one in place with a long-wearing setting spray.

Best for Full Glam

Makeup By Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick

$32 at Sephora $32 at kohls.com

Shades: 6 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Unlike some cream blushes that feel super emollient and look dewy on the skin, this one from Makeup By Mario offers a natural finish and comes in a solid stick format. But it's also great for full-glam looks thanks to rich pigmentation and long-wearing formula. During testing, we loved that the non-sticky and non-greasy formula was easy to blend and offered excellent color payoff. Regardless of the application method, you can achieve a streak-free result with a finish that truly looks like skin. The shade range also offers a great variety of colors that vary in depth and undertone. While we appreciate that it comes with a built-in brush, the packaging is a bit clunky.

Best Natural Finish

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush

$22 at Sephora $40 at Walmart $38 at Walmart

Shades: 5 | Finish: Satin/natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Rare Beauty has mastered the art of creating excellent blushes; just take the beloved liquid blush for example. Unlike that super-pigmented formula, the brand's Stay Vulnerable Blush is more subtle, with buildable pigmentation and a creamy, buttery-smooth consistency. It glides on effortlessly and melts beautifully into the skin. The satin finish has a hint of dewiness, though it's not so dewy that it loses its skin-like appearance. Considering how creamy it is, we were pleasantly surprised by the lightweight, non-sticky feel.

Just a heads up: You might need a few layers to get the sheer formula to show up, but it's buildable and easy to blend. It's not the most long-wearing formula—it fades significantly after a few hours. However, it's an easy blush to re-apply and touch up throughout the day thanks to the workable texture that can be applied with your fingertips.

Best Stick

Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick

$24 at Sephora View on Walmart $34 at Walmart

Shades: 11 | Finish: Natural/radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We love a good stick blush for convenient and easy application, and this one doesn't disappoint. The lightweight, ultra-creamy formula blends out effortlessly and feels comfortable and not greasy or heavy on the skin. It offers buildable color and a natural-radiant finish. It comes in 11 shades, so everyone can find one that suits their preferences.

Although it contains a pretty standard six grams of product, the stick is so tiny (it almost looks like a sample) that it feels a bit funny to hold and apply. But considering how great the formula is, and that the small size makes it easy to keep in your bag, we can definitely look past it.

Best Shade Range

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

$26 at Sephora $26 at Ulta View on Fentybeauty.com

Shades: 15 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Leave it to Fenty Beauty to create a killer shade range. Available in 15 colors that range from neutral pink to red to even vibrant purples, there's something for everyone in this line-up. As for the formula, the super-smooth and creamy texture was easy to apply and even easier to blend. It didn't settle into pores and we could build the pigment without worrying about a patchy look. We also loved that it played well over foundation and also looked nice on bare skin. If you struggle to find blush shades that compliment your skin tone or you're looking for something fun and different, we highly recommend checking it out.