The Purple Blush Trend: Testing Strokes Beauty, Rare Beauty, and Revlon

Purple blush has been around long before TikTok made it viral: there was even an article on using purple blush here at Project Vanity back in 2017. And since I haven’t tried it before (and am currently in a cream blush phase), I thought why not jump on the bandwagon today? I selected three products to try and compare for you guys!

The Local Contender: Strokes Crush Blush in Fatale

One of the purple blushes easily available locally is the Strokes Crush Blush in Fatale (P378). This tinted cheek balm is a cream formula that should melt onto the skin. The shade is a bright purple that’s true to the trend though it can be a bit intimidating in the pan.

Upon application, it lightens up enough to look wearable. I actually get why purple blush is trending from trying this out. It brightens up my face even without other color makeup on. Crush Blush is also easy to blend though you need to break into the product a little.

The Celebrity Pick: Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush in Nearly Berry

Another purple blush favorite is the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Faith from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty but it was out of stock at Sephora so I wasn't able to get it. I opted for the Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush in Nearly Berry (P1,400) that the brand shared on their purple blush TikTok. Both shades are described as deep berry and looked reddish violet.

The Melting Blush is said to deliver "a weightless wash of soft-focus color" with a liquid-like cream that is applied via brush or fingertips on the cheeks. I did notice this when I applied on bare skin; the reddish color looked translucent on my skin and I love the effect. While this isn’t a true purple anymore, the deep berry shade is close enough if you want to play it safe. And since Rare Beauty blushes are much raved about, you can’t go wrong with trying one out.

The Classic Find: Revlon Photoready Insta-Blush in Berry Kiss

For those really intimidated by the bright purples of this trend, I added the Revlon Photoready Insta-Blush in Berry Kiss (P575). My mind immediately thinks of that reddish violet shade like the Melting Blush or a pinkish mauve when I see the word Berry in a makeup shade. This one is the latter. This a new formula of the Revlon Insta-Blush that Liz reviewed back in 2017. This blush stick has a cream-to-powder formula that applies sheer but is buildable in color intensity. It leans pink on my bare skin. My only issue is that I need to keep building it up to get the flush I want. It goes on really sheer at first pass. If you’re a beginner to blush, this is a good one to start with!

Overall, I get the hype for the Purple Blush Trend now and I’m excited to play around with these three shades more. My favorite will have to be Rare Beauty’s Nearly Berry but that’s just my bias because of the finish. The other two blushes are good purple choices too!

What’s your go-to purple blush? Have you tried the trend?

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Strokes Crush Blush in Fatale Ingredients:

Diethylhexyl Carbonate,C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate,Dicaprylyl Carbonate,Synthetic Wax,Isohexadecane,Silica,Mica,Isododecane,Alumina,Hydrogenated Dimer Dilinoleyl/Dimethylcarbonate Copolymer,Kaolin,Di-C20-40 Alkyl Dimer Dilinoleate,Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer,C18-38 Alkyl HydroxyStearoyl Stearate,Hydrogenated castor oil,Phenoxyethanol,Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil,Tocopheryl Acetate,Paraffinum Liquidum,Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil,Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil,Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

May contain:

Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891),Red 7 Lake(CI 15850),Iron Oxide Red (CI 77491),FD&C Yellow 5 Lake(CI 19140:1),D&C Red 6 (CI 15850),Blue 1 Lake(CI 42090),D&C Red 28 (CI 45410:2),Iron Oxide Black (CI 77499)

Rare Beauty Melting Blush Nearly Berry Ingredients:

Isodecyl Isononanoate, Silica, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Polyethylene, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Dicalcium Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract, [+/- MAY CONTAIN: Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 6 (CI 15850)].

Revlon Photoready Insta-Blush in Berry Kiss Ingredients:

Mica, Octyldodecanol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Dimethicone, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Paraffin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Ozokerite, Polyisobutene, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Barium Sulfate, Lauryl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polysilicone-11, Silica, Simethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tribehenin. May Contain [+/- : Carmine (CI 75470)/Cochineal, Iron Oxides (CI 77491), Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Red 6 (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 191400)]