3 Easy Tricks to Make Your Blush Last All Day

How to Make Your Blush Last All Day

Start With a Primer

According to Leigh, “applying your blush after a great primer will always do wonders.” Look for a formula with gripping properties that will keep your makeup from sliding off your face or fading by midday. The NYX Professional Makeup Plump Right Back Primer + Serum, which leaves skin smooth and radiant, is one of our favorites. 

Try Lipstick as Blush

When in doubt, try dabbing a clean lipstick or a multipurpose lip and cheek stick where you would normally apply your blush. “When I really want my blush to last, I often opt for a good lipstick,” says Leigh. “I dab my finger on it and press it into the apples of [my] cheeks…using the warmth of my finger to make it look very natural.” Not only will this trick help extend the wear time of your blush, it’s also an easy way to create a cohesive, monochromatic makeup look. 

Pro Tip: While we’ve often heard that applying powder blush on top of a cream blush will help the color last longer, Leigh actually cautions against this common tip. “I find it doesn't leave the same seamless finish as with one or the other,” she explains.

Finish With Powder and Setting Spray

To help your blush remain intact all day, Leigh recommends setting your cheeks with a dusting of translucent powder and finishing with a setting spray — she loves the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. 

The Best Long-Lasting Blushes

L'Oréal Paris Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Soft Matte Blush

This velvety powder blush is one of the most pigmented and long-lasting formulas our editors have tried. The formula withstands heat, water, transfer and humidity, and offers a shade that will complement every skin tone, from a summery hot pink to a warm-toned plum.

Valentino Liquirosso 2 in 1 Lip & Blush Soft Matte Color

Mimic Leigh’s lipstick-as-blush technique with this gorgeous lip and cheek liquid. The liquid matte color leaves a soft touch of color that’s easy to build up or sheer out depending on your desired finish. We’re partial to the shade 111A: Undressed Velvet, a sultry reddish-brown that’s perfect for extending your summer glow into fall.

Urban Decay Hydromaniac Dewy Liquid Blush

Give your cheeks a pop of color and dewiness with this hydrating liquid blush. Available in six juicy shades, the formula plumps and moisturizes skin with a nourishing combination of kombucha filtrate and marula oil.

Lancôme Blush Subtil Powder Blush

This powder blush glides onto the skin like silk and leaves a natural-looking rosiness that lasts all day. It’s incredibly soft and easy to blend, meaning you ever have to worry about going overboard, and has an oil-absorbing formula to help it stick to your skin and remain shine-free for hours. 

YSL Beauty NU Lip & Cheek Balmy Tint

Another dual-purpose lip and cheek tint, this one offers a dewy, hydrating flush of color that reviewers say lasts “for hours and hours.” As a bonus, the creamy formula is enriched with a trifecta of hydrating ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, shea butter and orange blossom. 

LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush

Formulated with kaolin clay to soak up excess shine and avocado oil to restore hydration, this satin-matte blush is the perfect balancing act for all skin types. With a range of nine pigmented shades, it’s also vegan, cruelty-free and comes in recyclable packaging — all for under $20.