We Tried Five Shades of the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush—Each Gave a Different Look (2024)

When it comes to adding color to your cheeks, a liquid blush can provide lots of natural color without looking like makeup. It tends to be lighter in texture than cream or powder blush, and can last longer, too. Some liquid blushes feel super watery and leave behind a stain on skin, which can be helpful for certain situations, but not everyday wear. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is slightly thicker and incredibly easy to use.

Rare Beauty has gotten a boost of support lately as Selena Gomez, the brand’s creator, has been the subject of the latest TikTok drama. But even with the hype, the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush truly stands on its own as a superior product. I’ve used liquid blushes before, but this one surpasses other products in pigmentation, blendability, and staying power.

Liquid blushes apply best when I use my fingers, and this one is no exception (a Beauty Blender-like sponge can also come in handy to help blur edges and remove excess product). I had a selection of shades to choose from, and I wanted to try out a wide range from pinks to dark reds, as well as both matte and radiant finish shades. I typically like blush shades that mimic my skin after a day spent in the sun, but I also gravitated toward the bright pink shade, Happy. Ultimately, I tested five shades: Happy (dewy cool pink), Virtue (dewy beige peach), Worth (dewy true rose), Encourage (dewy soft neutral pink), and Love (matte terracotta).

Shop now:Rare Beauty Liquid Blush, $23

I applied the blush over Saie Slip Tint, a creamy tinted moisturizer. The Rare Beauty blush is super pigmented, and I only needed a small dot on each cheek — trust me, any more and the blush veers into clown territory. It blends out easily and evenly using just fingers and a sponge, and it looks and feels like skin instead of makeup. It’s long wearing but not completely resilient to the elements. It’ll withstand your average day or night out, but don’t expect it to last through mega humidity or sweat without some setting spray or a touchup. Compared to the dewy shades, the matte shade I tried was much harder to remove, so consider going matte if staying power is important for you.

Skin Type: Ideal for all

This is a liquid blush, but it also has a creamy texture, making it ideal for a wide range of skin types. It’s important to prep skin before applying though, since it can emphasize dry spots and flakes if skin isn’t hydrated enough, and it can be more difficult to blend on dry skin. There are two finishes, matte and dewy. For those with oily skin that don’t want to add any more shine, choosing a matte shade is a good idea. Choosing a dewy shade can add some glow to otherwise dry skin. One benefit of choosing this liquid blush over others is that it also contains a blend of extracts from lotus, gardenia, and white water lily which may provide extra nourishment to dry skin.

My skin is mostly normal, edging on oily depending on how humid and hot the day is, and this blush worked exceptionally well with my skin type. It didn’t look too dry or too oily, instead it seemed as if it blended into my skin perfectly. I prepped by cleaning my skin and then applying a tinted moisturizer, which seemed to help the blendability of the blush.

Value: Priced just right

When considering the size of the product, the amount used each application, and the quality, I find this blush to be 100% worth the cost. At first glance, the price may seem steep for the small, quarter-ounce bottle. But the blush is strongly pigmented, and only a small amount of product is used each time, bringing the cost-per-use way down. Not only that, but this blush is one of the best liquid blushes I’ve tried, even when compared to those at a similar price point.

Another fan favorite (and a favorite of mine, too) is Glossier Cloud Paint. It’s around the same price, however there’s a fewer selection of shades. While they are comparable in texture, the Rare Beauty blush is more pigmented and I preferred the texture of it in comparison to the Glossier blush.

Saie Dew Blush Liquid Cheek Blush is another good vegan alternative at the same price point, but it also lacks the shade range and finish options that Rare Beauty has.

A budget option, NYX Sweet Cheeks Soft Cheek Tint Blush, is a solid choice if you want to spend less, however — again — there are half the shade options as the Rare Beauty blush.

What You Can Expect to Pay

Liquid blushes range from under $10 for drugstore picks to $50 and above for luxury brands. Rare Beauty blush is actually priced on the low to mid range, and aligns with blushes of similar category and brand. When choosing a blush and the price point that makes sense for you, consider the features important to you, like blendability, or shade range, or even luxury packaging.

Final Verdict

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush offers a wide range of shades in two finishes, making it easy to choose the shade (or shades) that work with your skin tone and type. But even better is how well it applies and wears. Just a couple dots provides a burst of color that blends out seamlessly and easily — and it’s priced fairly for the quality of the product.

Shades sell out fast, but if you can get your hands on this blush you’re sure to see just how weightless and flawless it blends and brightens.

Rare Beauty Liquid Blush comes in two sizes (0.25 oz / 7.5 mL), two finishes (matte / radiant), and 12 shades.

Shades: Grateful (true red), Happy (cool pink), Joy (muted peach), Lucky (hot pink), Bliss (nude pink), Faith (deep berry), Grace (bright rose mauve), Love (terracotta), Hope (nude mauve), Encourage (soft neutral pink), Believe (true mauve), Virtue (beige peach), Worth (true rose).

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Joline Buscemi is an experienced beauty writer with bylines in HuffPost, HelloGiggles, and Glamour. She’s been reviewing products for Byrdie since 2020 and specializes in skincare.