Don’t let the warm lovely tone of Tenderly fool you, this cream blush is an instant winter favorite, for more reason than one. Let me start off by telling you why I love cream blush so much. When I started wearing makeup, I was a powder blush gal like many of you. I was wary of cream blush, how to apply it and how pigmented it was. The first time I timidly purchased a cream blush from my local drugstore, I was pleasantly surprised. I found that it looked effortless and natural, suiting my dry skin perfectly. It was almost unnoticeable, like a natural flush that you get after a bit of light exercise or an evening walk. Cream blush is more versatile than powder blush. It mixes well with highlighters, concealers, foundations, and plus, it easily doubles as a bit of eye or lip makeup. Talk about multi-tasking! All rouge is good rouge, but it depends on the look you desire, cream blush gives you a youthful, dewy look, whereas powder blush is better for a contoured sophisticated look. I would especially recommend switching to a cream blush during the wintertime, seeing as during these cold months, we can use all the extra moisture we can get on our weather worn skin.

ILIA’s Tenderly Multistick is my all-time favorite cream blush I’ve tried so far. Based on sunflower oil and cocoa butter, it is moisturizing to my eternally dry skin. Instead of looking dull, my cheeks have an effervescent youthful glow. The color looks like bubblegum pink, but blends in so smoothly and ends up matching my natural flushed cheek color. I haven’t been able to find any other shade that is just right, so this hue is something unique. I usually apply my undereye concealer first, and then blend the blush into the apples of my cheeks. If the two mix together, that makes for an even more natural look. If I’m going out, I’ll add some highlighter along my cheek bones and blend the two products out together (Master Mixer from RMS and Radiance from Kjaer Weis work great with Tenderly). The texture is perfect—not too greasy—and the stick makes it a no-brainer to apply. Simply add a small amount and blend out with your fingers! This one’s a keeper 🙂

Have you tried a cream blush yet? What do you think about cream blush vs. powder blush? Let me know in the comments below.