Blush is the easiest make-up cheat code for fresh, healthy-looking skin, and the right one can make a transformative difference to your overall complexion with little effort. Using them, however, can be daunting. We’re looking for pinks, reds and peach shades that flatter, not overwhelm, after all. One of the easiest ways to achieve this? Using one of the best cream blushes.
These can be intensely pigmented for a long-wear swipe of colour, or super-sheer for a natural-looking flush. They’re also the most forgiving blush format, easy to blend with fingers or a brush, and can be layered with more control (without fear of ending up looking a little clownish). On the other hand, even the best liquid blushes can look streaky if you’re not careful, and powder can often emphasise areas of texture.
There are traditional round pans to dip a brush into, chubby sticks that can be applied directly onto cheeks, and pots that are perfect for dipping a finger into. While tapping product onto the skin imparts a natural, skin-like finish, you may find richer textures require a stippling or dense-bristle brush to soften edges and smooth coverage.
Finding the blush for your skin type and tone isn’t nearly as simple as it should be, considering the options are endless. So, to help you pin down yours, I’ve spent a month putting a wide range of cream blushes to the test. Keep reading for my top picks.
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The best cream blushes for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Merit flush balm cream blush: £26, Sephora.co.uk
- Best budget buy – 17. melting cream blush: £4, Boots.com
- Best stick – Victoria Beckham Beauty cheeky posh: £39, Selfridges.com
- Best matte formula – Nars the multiple: £33, Sephora.co.uk
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Merit Beauty flush balm
Best: cream blush overall
Size: 9g
Shades: 13
Why we love it
- Beautiful sheer finish
- You can never apply too much
Take note
- Sheer pigment means colour will fade slightly throughout the day
After lots of research and testing, it’s Merit Beauty flush balm that I ultimately found to be the best cream blush for lots of reasons.
If you’ve ever found blush intimidating and are wary of looking clownish, the domed, balmy option from Merit deserves a spot in your makeup bag, as you can never apply too much. Simply apply it straight onto your cheeks, with a dot or a single swipe, and pat it into your skin with fingers or use a brush for an instant wash of sheer, creamy colour.
My go-to shade is le bonbon – a bright pop of pink that’s not nearly as intimidating as it may look, but there are 13 shades in total to pick from, spanning vibrant pinks and corals, classic dusty pink tones and neutral golden browns, so you can find a shade to suit your skin tone. The only downside is that because it is so sheer, it doesn’t have the best staying power. That said, this is the quickest pick-me-up product in my arsenal and is easily the best blush I’ve tried.
Buy now £26, Sephora.co.uk
Victoria Beckham Beauty cheeky posh
Best: stick cream blush
Size: 5g
Shades: Seven
Why we love it
- Very flattering
- Muted and neutral shade range
- Blends seamlessly
- Luxury packaging
Take note
- Expensive
One of the many makeup gems from Victoria Beckham’s eponymous beauty line is her cheeky posh sticks. The creamy formulas are housed in ultra-chic twist-up casings that are compact and ideal for precise application and easy blending.
You can dot this directly onto your cheeks, or pick up the colour with a fluffy brush and dab it on – in an instant, your complexion will look lifted, luminous and brighter.
There are seven shades, but my pick of the bunch is knickers – a light peach that blends into a beautiful bloom across your cheeks. While expensive, this is a luxury blush worth the splurge, with a dewy finish and buildable texture. It blends seamlessly into the skin, making it a great choice if you’re new to blush.
Buy now £39, Selfridges.com
17. melting cream blush
Best: budget cream blush
Size: 4g
Shades: Three
Why we love it
- Easy to blend
- Budget-friendly
- You can’t apply too much
Take note
- Doesn’t last as long as other options
If you’re looking for something affordable to add to your makeup bag, 17. melting cream blush is the best budget option. I put this cream blush through its paces and was left impressed by its buttery soft texture and easy blendability, all for the budget price of just £4. I particularly enjoyed the shade 020 peach vibes, thanks to its velvety soft finish, which, admittedly, leans more pink than peach, but it’s subtle and flattering, even on my rosacea-prone skin.
The formula is quite sheer, meaning it blends easily – you can’t apply too much – but it does fade slightly throughout the day. For the price, though, it makes an intimidating-looking colour a foolproof experience.
Buy now £4, Boots.com
Nars the multiple
Best: matte blush
Size: 8g
Shades: 12
Why we love it
- Matte finish
- Subtle colour payoff
- Skin-blurring finish
Take note
- Quite pricey
Nars the multiple stick is a satin, matte, multi-purpose formula for cheeks, eyes and lips. The texture has no shimmer, while a sophisticated shade range offers a palette of comfortable, easy-to-blend, soft-focus finishes. My go-to shade is behave, a soft mauve pink, but you’ll also find deep plums, peachy pinks, and reds among the 12 available.
It’s ideal for a tonal (using one shade) make-up look that requires little effort, and it’s very forgiving. No brushes are needed for a seamless application, and the cream-to-powder formula delivers long-wearing colour payoff without disrupting makeup underneath.
Buy now £33, Sephora.co.uk
Jones Road lip and cheek stick
Best: multi-purpose cream blush
Size: 8g
Shades: Eight
Why we love it
- Lightweight formula
- Natural finish
- Sheer colour payoff
Take note
- Not particularly pigmented for lips
If you love low-commitment makeup that barely needs a mirror to apply and looks immediately more polished, Jones Road is hard to beat. The creamy lip and cheek stick comes in an array of shades, ranging from plums, pinks, peaches and chocolate mocha – my favourite is bright pink rose.
Delivering a lightweight wash of colour, they’re convenient, easy to blend and offer the same natural finish as the rest the brand’s make-up line, blended in with just a tap of your finger.
It also doubles up as a subtle lip colour, toeing the line between a radiant finish and a hydrating lip product that’s flattering no matter how much you apply.
Buy now £36, Libertylondon.com
Soko Glam dasique souffle color pots
Best: Korean beauty cream blush
Size: 6.5g
Shades: 10
Why we love it
- Whipped, mousse-like texture
- Very cute packaging
Take note
- Use the brush inside the lid rather than your fingers for less mess
Hailing from Korean beauty brand Soko Glam, the dasique souffle color pots are a fresh, fun and innovative product for a reasonable price. The cream blush is unlike any other in this review – it has a whipped mousse texture that’s playful and fun, but no less effective.
With a silky-smooth texture, two to three dabs of this blush using the included brush is all you need for a soft matte finish and brightening flush of colour.
Despite how pigmented it looks, the payoff is actually sheer and velvety, and easily buildable, so there’s room for error if you apply too much or too little.
Buy now £16, Spacenk.com
Trinny London lip2cheek
Best: cream blush for dewy look
Size: 4g
Shades: 10
Why we love it
- Convenient stackable packaging
- A hybrid between blush and highlighter
Take note
- Not very convenient for on-the-go touch-ups
Similar to the Jones Road cream blush, Trinny London lip2cheek can double up as a glossy wash of colour for the cheeks and the lips. Unlike a traditional pigment-rich cream blush, the shimmery formula adds a sheer, dewy finish that can be worn alone for a subtle wash of colour or as a highlighter for an iridescent glow.
It has tackiness that keeps it in place, and is ideal if you like to steer clear of anything matte. My favourite shade is Emily, a russet rose colour that can be layered up to build intensity.
My only gripe is that it can be tricky to top up on the go if you're wearing it as lipstick, particularly if it has faded after eating and drinking, as you'll need a wipe or tissue to clean your hands afterwards. If you'd prefer not to do that, you can always use a flat brush to apply and bring it with you.
Buy now £26, Trinnylondon.com
Rhode pocket blush
Best: buildable cream blush
Size: 5.3g
Shades: 10
Why we love it
- Easy to blend with just fingers
- Pretty shade range
- Instantly revives skin
Take note
- Clunky packaging
If you love a lightweight cream blush formula that you can easily blend and build, I’d recommend Rhode’s viral pocket blushes. It’s available in 10 shades, and although toasted teddy has rave reviews on TikTok, for my rosacea-prone cheeks, the neutral peach tone of “freckle” was much more flattering.
It provides a sought-after sun-kissed look without overpowering your face and is the easiest formula to blend with just your fingers. The colour payoff is subtle enough not to leave you looking clownish but punchy enough to revive a tired complexion.
The beautiful flush of colour they provide is worth a less-than-long-wearing formula, which is often the case with cream formulas anyway. For me, the clunky packaging could be much more streamlined into a more conveniently slim stick, but the product performance still stands.
Buy now £25, Sephora.co.uk
Tower28 beachplease
Best: cream blush for sensitive skin
Size: 4.5g
Shades: Nine
Why we love it
- Great mix of muted, bright and deep shades
- Sleek packaging
Take note
- Works best by dabbing fingers into the pan rather than a brush
Since launching in 2019, Tower28 has built a reputation for playful yet clinically vetted formulas that are sensitive-skin-friendly, following founder Amy Liu’s difficulty finding suitable makeup and skincare for her eczema.
However, you won’t find any clinical minimalism here; instead, the brand’s signature style of bold colours and lively packaging runs throughout its range. Its cream blushes add a diffused layer of colour to cheeks with a longer-lasting formula that you can typically expect from cream formats.
I loved the berry shade after hours, which is far less intense than it looks, complete with a dewy, luminous finish and streamlined packaging with all the fun but none of the faff.
Buy now £20, Sephora.co.uk
Sculpted by Aimee cream luxe
Best: luxury cream blush
Size: 7g
Shades: Nine
Why we love it
- Luxurious packaging
- Convenient packaging
- Adds radiance
Take note
- Easiest to apply with fingers
If you want the luxury experience of a premium product for less than £20, Sculpted by Aimee’s cream luxe blush ticks all the boxes. The gold pan is sleek and convenient, with a compact mirror that folds flat.
It has a radiant finish that adds a glow without the wetness that can come from dewier liquid blushes, but if you really want to set it in place all day, a dusting of blush powder over the top can lock it in without disruption. It melted into my skin with a creamy, blendable formula that felt comfortable, wasn’t drying and didn’t cling to fine lines.
Buy now £17, Amazon.co.uk
What is the best cream blush?
The best cream blush is Merit’s flush balm. It’s impossible to fault. It has everything you need for a fuss-free application, whether you prefer fingers or a brush. It instantly lifts and brightens and is available in an array of muted and bright shades. If you’re looking to spend less, the 17. melting cream blush is a great budget-friendly option, though it may not stay in place as long as some other, more luxe options.
How I tested cream blushes
Over the course of four weeks, I used a thorough testing criteria to explore which cream blushes delivered and why they’re worth a spot in your routine. I took note of factors like how well each blended and how long the products lasted, as well as their packaging and value for money. When selecting the best cream blushes, I considered the following criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Louise Whitbread is a beauty editor and writer who has spent her career scoping out and testing what’s good (and bad) in skincare, haircare and make-up. In short, she’s done her research – whether it’s celebrity-founded make-up or at-home products that promise salon-worthy results, Louise assesses every product meticulously. The pitfalls, the perks, the good-to-knows – it’s all assessed by thorough, hands-on testing. She’s previously tested everything from the best eyebrow serums to the best contour sticks for IndyBest, so she is well-placed to give a verdict on cream blushes.
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