On trial... Cream blushers

Every fortnight, we'll put your favourite beauty goodies to the test. This time, we're coming over all autumnal as cream blushers are put in the spotlight...

Where shimmer and bronzer reign supreme throughout summer, autumn/winter belongs to the 'cream blusher'. Shelley Roberts, a 30-year-old Recruitment Manager from Brighton, has always used powder when it comes to shading those cheekbones; 'I'm always uneasy applying make-up with my fingers and cream blush always seemed so thick - I've never been a fan of the Aunt Sally look!' So we set her the challenge of testing five of the best cream blushers on the shelves to see if one could end her love affair with powder and take pride of place this season's beauty bag...

 
Stila Rouge Pots in Amaryllis
£14
 'I love Stila make-up, so I was looking forward to trying this blush. As always with this brand, the packaging is super-cute; a darling little glass pot with floral motif on the lid. This blush had a lovely fluffly mousse-like texture that I really liked; it was non-greasy and blended well to a matte-effect finish. The colour was a little too orangey for my skin tone – probably better suited to blondes than brunettes, but I really liked the formula so I'd like to try this blush again but in a different shade.'

Stockists: 0870 034 6700

Becca Cream Blush in Turkish Rose
£18
'I haven't used Becca before, but I will from now on. A lovely silky-smooth cream with a velvety-soft finish, this blush melted into my skin to create a really natural, 'just-blushed' look. The highly pigmented formula means it even gave me hint of a fresh-faced glow – much more so than I can achieve with a powder blush. It blended really well and was easy to build up for a more dramatic look in the evening. I loved it, and the great little compact with decent mirror makes it ideal for handbags.'

Stockists: 020 7629 9161


Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Plum
£5.99
'This whipped mousse texture was very similar to the Stila blush and gave equally good results. This blush created a really strong finish so I had to be careful not to use too much, but the formula blended well and gave a nice matte-effect that felt really nice on my skin. The Plum shade is ideal for this season - it even looked great on my lips for a stained, matte mouth, and I'm impressed with how long it lasted. Good value for money too.'

Stockists: Available at Boots and Superdrug nationwide


Laura Mercier Crème Cheek Colour in Praline
£18
'Like Becca, this blush came encased in a gorgeous little black sparkly compact with a great mirror, which I loved. The neutral-brown shade was really wearable and gave a lovely, naturally defined finish, plus the buttery soft formula was lightweight and easy to use; it didn't dry before I was finished blending. Lasted most of the day and the great packaging means I can carry it in my clutch for quick and simple touch-ups throughout the evening.'

Stockists: 0870 169 9999


Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Pink Truffle
£16
'I love Bobbi Brown so again I was looking forward to giving this one a go. Packaged in a really chic slim line pot, this blush was a really lovely, red-pink shade perfect for this season. This formula can also be used for lips so it had a glossy, wet feel to it. I found it very sticky and therefore very difficult to blend with success. Skin still felt tacky a while after application and although it gave a nice, glossily stained finish, I prefer the cream formulas – they're much more user-friendly. On the other hand though, I loved it on my lips!'

Stockists: 01730 232566