Blush's Beauty Boost
Blush is a frequently underestimated makeup essential. It subtly enhances your look and delivers impressive results. While bronzers, contouring powders,
and highlighters are excellent for creating a sun-kissed glow, and highlighters can provide a radiant look, blush is the go-to product for a more natural appearance. Makeup artists, celebrities, and beauty editors all recognize its importance. Blush makes you look healthier and more vibrant, offering a quick fix for a tired complexion. Because blush is a daily essential, we’re highlighting 10 affordable drugstore dupes.
Dupe 1: Cheek Sticks
The Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick, priced at $48, is known for its ability to double as both a lip and cheek color. The Burt's Bees All Aglow Lip & Cheek Stick is a great alternative. Apart from their similar stick form, both formulas are natural, cruelty-free, and enriched with skin-loving ingredients like jojoba oil. The Burt's Bees version comes in six colors, compared to Westman Atelier's four, and is priced significantly lower. A customer review confirms, 'I've used this product for many years and love it. It adds just a bit of color without a heavy make-up feeling.'
Dupe 2: Baked Blush
Stila's Heavens Hue Highlighter, priced at $34, is known for its beautiful glow, while Milani's Baked Blush, priced at $9, imparts a similar prismatic glow. Milani’s Baked Blush is a cult favorite. A customer review states, 'I didn't think I'd like this product, but I'm pleasantly surprised by its performance. I use it just as bronzer, and it seems like it's not pigmented enough, but once you put it on, it looks perfect. And it has good staying power, especially compared to what I was expecting.'
Dupe 3: Liquid Formulas
Armani Beauty's Luminous Silk Cheek Tint retails at $39. It features a doe-foot applicator and a lightweight formula. Maybelline's Superstay Liquid Lipstick and Blush, available for $12, offers a similar experience at a fraction of the cost and can be used for both lips and cheeks. A customer review highlights the product's long-lasting nature, saying, 'I love these lipsticks. I have multiple colors. The color is a perfect pink. They last on your lips FOREVER!'
Dupe 4: Baked Blushes
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, priced at $48, is a favorite for many, while the Essence Pure Nude Baked Blush is a great alternative. The Essence blush provides a blendable, silky finish. A customer review states, 'This is really good quality for the price. I’m really surprised by how flawless the blush looks on the skin. It has a slight sheen. It’s pigmented and it blends well.'
Dupe 5: Classic Blush
Nars Blush, priced at $34, holds iconic status, but L'Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Blush, available for $13, offers a similarly flattering effect. The L'Oréal blush comes in a larger pan and offers a long-lasting formula. A customer review describes it as, 'a great addition to my makeup routine... it gives a natural, soft matte finish that looks fresh all day. It’s super blendable, so it’s easy to get just the right amount of color without it looking harsh.'
Dupe 6: Glow Pearls
Guerlain's Météorites Highlighting Powder Pearls, priced at $72, is loved for its subtle glow and Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls Blush, available for $11, offers a similar effect. Both provide a flattering hint of color. While the drugstore iteration might not have Guerlain's exclusive Stardust technology, it does contain mica and antioxidants. A customer review reads, 'I love this product. Light and not shiny... The product last long as well.'
Dupe 7: Cheek Gelee
Chantecaille Cheek Gelee, priced at $49, provides a juicy pop of color, while E.L.F. Cosmetics Putty Blush, available for $7, offers a similar look. Both formulas are packed with hydrating ingredients and are cruelty-free and vegan. The packaging is also adorable. A customer review notes, 'I was unsure when I first saw this color, but it's very natural looking. The color is highly pigmented, so you only use a little bit.'
Dupe 8: Gradient Blush
Kevyn Aucoin's The Neo Blush, priced at $40, is known for its ombré effect. Essence's Blush Lighter Gradient Powder Blush, priced at $7, follows the same concept and offers multiple finishes. A customer review for Essence states, 'I bought the peach shade and it is a beautiful glowy blush/highlighter. Lovely color and glow without looking too glittery.'
Dupe 9: Tint Sticks
Smashbox Halo Sheer To Stay Cream Cheek + Lip Tint, priced at $28, features a color-changing formula, whereas Wet n Wild's Megaglo Vitamin E Makeup Blush Stick, available for $5, offers a versatile shade with beneficial ingredients like vitamin E. A customer review says, 'This is like a creamy and soft stick of blush that you can apply using the actual stick it’s made in.'
Dupe 10: Long-Lasting Formula
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush, priced at $30, provides long-lasting wear, and Essence Cosmetics The Blush, available for $4, offers a similar matte finish and high pigmentation. A customer review proclaims, 'These blushes are amazing! The pigment and blendability are there, and they seriously work better than some of my more expensive products.'
