beauty

Is Rare Beauty's new powder blush worth the hype? We tried it.

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, four members of Mamamia's editorial team trial Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush.

When it comes to celebrity beauty brands, Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty is one that's on top of the pack. And there are a few different reasons for this.

First off, that it's moderately priced (there's nothing over $60) makes it more accessible than some of the other beauty brands on the market. What's more, the products themselves are actually very good (just take a look at some of the reviews on Sephora), making it easy to love.

In fact, a whole bunch of these products continue to sell out regularly — which is a real testament to how much people like it. And when a new launch sneaks its way into the Mamamia office, you can bet it's always met with excitement.

Watch: Mamamia's beauty editor tries the viral 10-pump foundation hack. Post continues below.


Video via Mamamia

So when the new Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush range made its way over to Mamamia — we just had to give them a whirl and find out if there's worth the hype.

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Available in six shades, you can nab them for $50 each. Unlike the popular Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, it's a pressed powder formula that promises an airy, seamless, and silky colour for a lit-from-within radiance.

While you can wear it alone for a soft, shimmering look, it's suggested to pair this newbie with the cream blush to build colour and radiance.

Below, you'll find four honest reviews from the Mamamia editorial team.

Basmah Qazi, Senior Lifestyle Writer.

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"I love blush. No, I'm not kidding. Whenever I do my makeup, I would say 90 per cent of my look consists of blush. There’s something about looking rosy and pink that makes me feel put together and alive. The Rare Beauty liquid blush in the shade 'Hope' is my holy grail, so when I discovered they released a powder version, I knew I had to try it. The packaging is beautiful and the shade itself is stunning — it's not a bubblegum pink, instead, it’s more of a muted mauve — and it complimented my medium-tan skin well. 

"The formulation is very finely milled, so it applies smoothly without looking chalky and patchy. However, it was a bit too shimmery for my liking. I tried it in two different ways: On its own and on top of the liquid blush, and I preferred it the second way." 

"When worn on its own, it made my skin look glittery, and while the result was much nicer when worn on top of the liquid blush, I think it made me look a bit too glowy. If you like your makeup to have a dewy finish, then you would love this, but if you like the glow on your skin to be more controlled then you may find this tricky to work with."

Emily Vernem, Writer & Podcast Host.

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"When I first used the blush, I didn’t really notice a difference, and it wasn’t as pigmented as the liquid blushes from Rare Beauty. THEN I realised that you are supposed to use it on top of the liquid blush. I used the shade 'Joy' on top of the shade… 'Joy'. I love the liquid blushes so much but the powder just wasn’t hitting for me."

"I blend my blush down my face to give the illusion of a longer face (round girlie over here) but because the blush has a shimmer in it, I knew it would also act as a highlighter. Blending it up my cheekbones instead made the colour look beautiful, although I felt like it made my cystic acne look more prominent."

Erin Docherty, Beauty & Health Editor.

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"I'm a cream blush girl. As someone with dry skin, this means I almost exclusively use creamy, liquid formulas and tend to steer away from anything powdery and matte. For this reason, Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in 'Happy' (a cool pink tone) is one of my fave go-to formulas due to its dewy finish."

"So, when the new Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush made its way across my desk recently, I was excited to see how it would work on my skin, seeing as I rarely use anything powder. Also, the product itself is just... beautiful. Like, I almost didn't want to use it because it looked so pretty and pearlescent. ANYWAY, I did try it and I first used it alone (I used the shade 'Cheer'). I found the pigment to be really subtle - it looked like a shimmery highlighter as opposed to a blush, but added a beautiful soft radiance to my cheeks."

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"I then tried it in combination with the Soft Pinch Blush to see how it fared. As everyone knows, the pigment payoff in the cream blushes is insane — just one or two small dabs from the blush's doe-foot applicator on each cheek is more than enough product. So, I was nervous to then apply a shimmery blush over the top of an already strong wash of colour." 

"However, it perfectly popped the pigment of the blush, adding a shimmering radiance to my cheeks. The formula itself blends and layers beautifully over your foundation and I was surprised how lightweight and airy it felt on my cheeks. The finish is a little more than I would usually go for in terms of an everyday look — I did feel like it was a little 'too much' for a going-to-the-office look but would be something you could reach for on a night out if you're looking to add a healthy glow to your usual blush look.

Have you tried any of the Rare Beauty range before? What are your thoughts? Share with us in the comment section below.

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