The consistency was smooth, slightly creamy, and moderately pliable with a fair amount of slip – more than the shimmerless colors in the same formula – which was better applied with a brush than a fingertip for this purpose. In the photos, my initial application was using fingertips, but later when I was actually testing them to actually wear and check them out, I used a brush that gave me a much more even, diffuse coverage that I couldn’t do easily with my fingertips to reach.
It had a semi-opaque, buildable cover, though it could be used with a lighter hand or spread more vigorously for a sharper effect. However, I would only recommend using a lighter hand if sheer coverage is desired. The product dried out and didn’t feel sticky or wet to the touch, but I had plenty of time to work with it and it was still a bit miscible (with a slightly denser, dome-shaped brush) whenever I needed to do a little more mixing. It carried well for eight hours before noticeably fading.
MORE READING: Formula overview for details on general performance and properties (such as fragrance).
- Salt New York Spice (P, $ 16.00) is less shimmery, lighter, and warmer (90% similar).
- Glossier Storm (P, $ 18.00) is less shimmery, lighter, cooler (90% similar).
- LYS Beauty Empower (P, $ 16.00) is less shimmery and cooler (90% similar).
- ColourPop Beyond (P, $ 7.00) is less shimmery, darker (90% similar).
- NARS Hot Tin Roof (LE, $ 30.00) is less shimmery, lighter, brighter (85% similar).
- Rare Beauty Love (P, $ 20.00) is less shimmery, darker, warmer (85% similar).
Formula overview
$ 22.00 / 0.14 oz. – – $ 157.14 per ounce
The product is primarily marketed as a cream blush, but the brand also stated that it can be applied to the lips as well, with some colors acting as cream eyeshadow for a monochrome look. There was nothing about the coverage that I could find, even though the brand’s swatches – both live and in promotional imagery – were opaque.
The formula was light, moderately pliable, and slightly gelatinous, which made it spread better on bare skin and base products. Most paints did not tend to lift base products and worked well with both fingertips and brushes to apply.
Since the formula was more pigmented with most shades from semi-opaque to fully opaque, I found brushes were especially good for a sharper, more diffuse application, especially around the edges. If you want a sharper effect I would recommend using less product and building more, as these are more pigmented than most cream-based blushes.
They dried off to a more transfer-resistant finish so they didn’t soften, which helped them last longer on my skin. They could still be faded out after drying, and if I rubbed a fingertip the product would carry over, but the color didn’t lift off when I had to brush stray eyelashes or hair off my face (as examples). They still had a natural sheen on my skin, less than damp but definitely not dull either!
On average, they lasted eight hours with me, with a few shades that lasted a tad longer. I found that the shimmerless shades lasted a little longer than the shimmery shades, which were also smoother in the pan.
Browse all of our Melt Cosmetics Cream Blushlight swatches.
ingredients
Isoamyl Laurat, Isononylisononanoat, Polyglyceryl-2-triisostearat, Polyethylene-, Mica, Octyldodecanol, SILICA, Behenyl Dimethicon, Tribehenin, Dimethicone / Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Calcium Sodium Borosilikat, Talcum, Disteardimonium, Tocophery Acetate, Zinnopherdimonium, BHTocopheric Acetate, ZinnopherDimonium / BENZYL BENZOATE. MAY CONTAIN: TITANIUM DIOXIDE CI 77891, IRON OXIDE CI 77491, IRON OXIDE CI 77492, IRON OXIDE CI 77499, BLUE 1 SEE CI 42090, RED 7 CI 15850.
Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are available from the brand (or distributor) at the time of publication. Please always check the product packaging, if any, on the ingredients list for the product you are purchasing or the brand or retailer’s website for the most up-to-date ingredients list.
