8 liquid blushes that'll liven up your face in 5 seconds flat

Liquid blush is definitely the key to securing a fresh finish, but ‘fresh’ doesn’t have to mean 'glazed’. Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Beauty Blush Wands add a silky, soft-focus wash of matte cheek colour that adds life to the face without adding anything that could be mistaken for oil. Choose from peachy-pink, true peach, cherry red, and the brand’s iconically universal ‘Pillow Talk’. They’re so good Lizzo even wore the cherry shade to the Grammys earlier this year!

$60 at Charlotte Tilbury

Lightweight and long-wearing in nature, these silky-smooth liquid blushes go on translucent and shimmer-free so you can fake a flush that looks legitimately real. A liquid-gel formula that leaves skin with the coveted ‘jelly’ effect, it even has the (annoyingly difficult to find) ability to be applied over foundation without budging any of your base or bringing too much attention to skin texture. Interested? There are four beautiful shades up for grabs.

$36 at The Iconic

Boasting an impressive tally of nearly 3,000 five-star reviews, it's pretty obvious this product is well worth the hype. Prepare to be mesmerised by its exceptional quality and unrivalled staying power. With just a few gentle strokes, this blush effortlessly blends into your skin, leaving behind a natural-looking, radiant flush that lasts all day thanks to its super-pigmented formula. Oh, and did we mention you can grab it for under $20? The only thing we're left wondering is what's not to love?

$19.99 at Amazon

Ah, the liquid blush that started the liquid blush revival! It has the entire Internet in a chokehold, and this airy, lightweight delight is worthy of every bit of the hype. It’s highly buildable and blendable (though as the TikToks have proven, the pigment payoff is huge, so tread lightly), and even features a botanical blend of nourishing complexion-calming ingredients. An option with a far wider shade range than most, there are 11 colours to shop (though they’re so in-demand that many are often waitlisted). Options range from berry-purple hue ‘Faith’ (offering a matte finish) to Barbie pink shade 'Lucky' (with a radiant one) and each one is more stunning than the last.

$41 at Sephora

Don’t know what shade will suit you best? Leave it up to the pros, or rather a product the pros have taught to ‘decide’ for you. This colour-changing liquid blush oil works by reacting to your skin’s natural pH, switching up its shade based on what will best flatter your face. Everyone will have their own unique colour, so it’s basically a bespoke blush for every single person. It's also got plant oils packed in as a skin-brightening perk. For the record, in order for the colour-changing technology to work its magic, you’ll want to use the doe-foot applicator to place directly onto bare skin, or swipe onto a brush and apply from there if you’ve already gone in with your base.

$58.30 at Revolve

Makeup-skin care hybrids have been all the rage for a minute now, but we can’t think of any two formulas more perfectly fitted than blush and serum. Cheeks are an area of the face that runs naturally dry, so a little hydration top-up is always welcome, but cloak it in creamy rosy colour and you’ve got a beauty must-have. It imparts a ‘cloudy’ blush haze that's to die for, plus it's powered by nourishing, plumping ingredients like hyaluronic acid to leave cheeks as full as they are flushed. Shade wise, the brand offers three: a peachy-pink, a toffee-brown and a berry-plum.

$36 at Sephora

To paraphrase Carrie Bradshaw, the bottle may say highlighter, but the formula says blush. If you’re chasing something sheer with a little bit of face-lifting shimmer, this is your lit-from-within winner. Inspired by the lightness of organza fabric, it’s specifically designed to give a barely-there dose of dewy colour in a way that so few formulas can do well. Again, it is technically a highlighter, so this candy pink is the only colour option in the blush realm, but it'll work on a surprising amount of skin tones.

$65 at The Iconic

Fret not; we’ve found a bargain liquid blush for you if you want to sample without splashing too much cash. Beloved for its impressive blendability, this blush buy features an amazing amount of pigment, especially for the price. Sure, you can grab it in your local Priceline, but if you’re willing to wait for shipping, the extended shade range will reward you. The deep rust-toned rouge is our absolute favourite, but there are also some stellar ‘pink but not too pink’ options perfectly suited to paler skin.

$10 at Priceline