Asides from base makeup like foundation and BB creams, my favourite makeup products are blushers and highlighters. I rarely go anywhere without them because I’m quite pale so it’s nice to have that pop of colour to liven up my skin tone. I’ve also been loving contouring these days to add depth and dimension, so bronzer has also quickly become a staple in my makeup routine.
I have more than I really need, but I just love hoarding more because having lots of choice is a wonderful thing. I was especially intrigued when Missha released these Soft Blending Stick Blushers last year because I thought this would make makeup application really easy and convenient, and prior to this I mostly used powder type formulas.
These are cream based blushers in a stick form and come in 6 different shades:
- #1 Milk Pink
- #2 Rose Pink
- #3 Skin Coral
- #4 Pecan Brown
- #5 Mud Brown
- #6 Sugar Glam
The name of these aren’t really accurate because only Shades 1, 2 & 3 are blushers. No.4 & 5 are contour bronzer shades and no.6 is a highlighter.
I bought one of each type so I have No.2 Rose Pink, No.5 Mud Brown and No.6 Sugar Glam.
What’s nice about these is that they are dual-ended. One side has the product which you uncap and twist the stick up like you would a lipstick; the other end is a short, dense but soft brush which you can use to blend out the colour. Even better, you can even unscrew the brush from the rest of the stick to give it a good wash. This makes it really travel friendly if you don’t want to carry around extra brushes.
No.2 Rose Pink
My preference for blusher always leans more towards a dark/deep pink rather than corals or pale pinks (which are more commonly found in Korean cosmetics), so I was really happy to see this shade included. I usually apply two or 3 swipes from the apples of my cheek to my cheekbone and then blend it out. It is surprisingly long lasting for a Korean blusher and especially being a cream formulation which tend to fade quicker than powder, but this holds up really well for my entire 8 hour work day. It is super pigmented when I initially apply, and after about half an hour it becomes a more natural flush but there is still noticeable colour on my cheeks by the end of the day so I’m really happy with that. If you like your blush to be more sheer, this might not be the shade for you.
My only gripe is that the brush that comes with it is awful for blending this. Its short, dense bristles tends to move and wipe the colour off the skin rather than blending it out and it can end up looking streaky and messy. I quickly ditched trying to use this brush and instead find it blends nicely with a softer, fluffy brush.
No.5 Mud Brown
My ultimate bronzer is Hoola by Benefit because it’s the perfect contour shade and is very long lasting. This doesn’t quite live up to that but I do like it for different reasons. It is a very similar reddish brown which suits my skin tone. However due to its creamy nature, it blends almost too much and moves around on the skin so the colour pigmentation isn’t great when I’m trying to contour the hollows of my cheek. As soon as I start blending, whether with the given brush or a less dense brush, the colour becomes very sheer and I have to keep reapplying to build it up.
However, I find this perfect for contouring my nose! Since I’m working with a smaller surface area, when I blend with the given brush in small dabbing motions it blends perfectly and is neither too harsh nor too sheer. The cream consistency definitely works better for nose contour than the Benefit Hoola which can be quite difficult to blend on the nose. This stick does not have as good a lasting power as the Rose Pink blusher and starts to fade about the 5 hour mark.
No.6 Sugar Glam
I love this highlight colour. It gives off a pearly champagne glow that catches the light beautifully and has subtle shimmers without making you look overly sparkly like a disco ball. This would suit all skin tones because its neither too white nor too pink. It’s the perfect middle ground between them both.
I use this mostly with mud brown to contour my nose because its easy to just use the stick to swipe right down my nose bridge and then blend it out with my finger. The mud brown goes along the sides of my nose bridge to give the appearance of a slimmer nose and then the sugar glam highlights the top of my bridge to appear higher and more pronounced.
I also occasionally use it to highlight the top of my cheekbones and under eye area depending on my base makeup. I find that this doesn’t play too well with some of my cushion foundations because it makes my makeup move around and look flaky. Although this is less of a problem if I blend the highlighter with my hands rather than a brush. Generally, I find sugar glam works well with foundations that are more matte and set quickly rather than dewy-finish foundations.
Conclusion
The cream consistency of these Soft Blending Stick Blushers means they blend very easily which suits those that prefer more sheer colours. I find the easiest and most creamy to blend is the mud brown followed by the rose pink and then sugar glam. They initially have a bit of a creamy shine but once it sets it has a smooth velvet texture that blends in with your skin and doesn’t feel oily, sticky or wet.
Swatches L to R: Sugar glam highlighter, rose pink blusher, mud brown bronzer
Blended out
I’ve read some reviews that say the smell is really bad. I was quite surprised because I’ve used these everyday for the past few months and the smell has honestly never been that strong to the point its bothered me. I can only smell it when I take a sniff of the stick up close andI can’t smell it on my face. It’s actually a very pleasant smell in my opinion. Haha this might sound a bit gross and I apologise in advance but it just hit me what they smell like – the Always scented pantyliners and pads! For anyone that uses the Always brand, you’ll know the particular scent I’m talking about, and it might just be me, but I really quite like the smell of them. ^^ (When they’re new of course!) In any case, maybe it’s just made me immune to these blushers.
Anyways. There are some downsides to these blending sticks, of which the main one is the brush. Its really soft and dense so the brush itself isn’t really a problem. It’s just that it’s far too stiff for cream products which already require little effort to blend. A light, fluffy brush is far more effective without making the colour disappear. Or even using your hands.
I also think the mud brown could do with being a little more pigmented as it wouldn’t really show up on skin tones darker than mine. And as is the nature of cream blushers that have a more moist texture compared to powder, I find that blending can sometimes move your foundation around and they aren’t as long lasting.
Overall, I like these Missha Soft Blending Stick Blushers for their convenience and ease of use. If I’m in a rush getting ready in the morning these are really good to use because the stick form means you can quickly swipe onto your face and blend easily. The highlight and contour shades are especially great to contour my nose and have become my daily staples. I don’t think I could go back to using a power and brush for nose contour because this just makes it so much easier and quicker.
They look amazing!
These look so pretty! Never used a stick blush before though!
I’d never before this either, but I’m definitely a fan! Something quite fun about using stick blushers too. Haha.