essence Baby Got Blush and the Pink Cheek Mates Around It

essence Baby Got Blush and the Pink Cheek Mates Around It

essence baby got blush is a sponge-tip liquid blush that comes from a brand that began at a dining room table. Here is how I would wear it, plus the bright pink powders and pink creams that sit best beside it.

essence began in 2001 at a dining room table in Frankfurt, where Christina Oster-Daum and her husband Javier González started the company that became cosnova. The first essence shelf display went up in a German shop in February 2002, with 49 products on it. Today a counter carries more than 500, and I like that the brand still acts like it is playing. That spirit is all over essence baby got blush, a liquid blush with a soft sponge applicator that gives cheeks a naturally radiant look. It is vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free and oil-free, and you can blend it with a brush, a beauty blender or your fingertips, adding more product for a deeper hue.

The four shades in the collage are Pinkalicious, Blushin Berry, Dusty Rose and Coral Crush, so there is a pink, a berry, a rose and a coral to match your mood. Around them sit the cheek mates I would pair with it. Saie Dew Blush in Baby is a cool baby pink and Rosy is a soft rose, both dewy liquid creams with a chunky doe foot. The Blush & Go liquid blush in On The Go is a watermelon pink matte that works on lips too. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch in Grace is a matte bright rose mauve, and one dot is plenty.

A quick test: dot one shade on the back of your hand, blend with a fingertip, and add a second dot only if you want more color.

Magazine page collage for essence Baby Got Blush and the Pink Cheek Mates Around It, featuring essence, Kosas and Saie
essence Baby Got Blush

essence Baby Got Blush and liquid blushes like it

Bright pink powders that wake up a face

Powder is where pink gets loud, and this grid is all about that. Kosas Blush is Life in Adrenaline is a hot fuchsia baked with squalane and hyaluronic acid, swirled in two tones so it never looks flat. Too Faced Cloud Crush in Super Candy Clouds is a cool-tone fuchsia that smells like a tropical beach, and I like how blurry it looks on bare cheeks. YSL Make Me Blush in Pink Voltage is a cool vibrant pink matte that is waterproof and built for long wear. The Colorful blush in Flirt It Up is an intense strawberry that gives strong color in one swipe. Tower 28 GetSet Blur + Set in Feliz Fresca is a warm hot pink and the first setting blush, made to hold color for 12 hours. Gucci Glow in Bright Pink is the radiant one, with hyaluronic acid and black rose oil. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop in Poppy Pink layers well over cream, and ONE/SIZE Cheek Clapper in Attention Seeker is a true bubblegum pink trio you can wear one shade at a time or stack.

Pairing tip: put a dot of essence Pinkalicious on first, then tap a bright powder on top for a color that looks lit from inside.

What I would skip: pressing a hot pink powder on hard with a dense brush. Tap the brush off first and build from a whisper.

Bright pink blushes

Pink creams for a soft, bare finish

Creams give pink a bare, skin-first finish, and they are the friendliest place to start. BASMA Hydrating Cream Blush in Bubble Gum Pink is a cool-toned pink the brand suggests for fair skin, with a balm-like texture that wears all day. LAWLESS Pinch My Cheeks in Gumdrop is a bright baby pink, talc-free, with a satin powder finish, and it works on cheeks and lips. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Plumping Cream Blush Veil in Paradise Pink is a vibrant blue pink with hyaluronic acid and a sheer radiant finish. Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze is a deep fuchsia pink gel cream, so a tiny dot goes a long way. Marc Jacobs Joystick in Pink Kink is an intense fuchsia stick that is non-comedogenic and made for cheeks and lips. Summer Fridays Blush Butter Balm in Sweet Rosé is a cool baby pink with ceramides and peptides. Skin by Ella Rose Blush Creme in Flamingo and Anastasia Beverly Hills Stick Blush in Bubblegum round out the pinks, and I would try both for the names alone.

How to wear it: warm a stick on the back of your hand, then tap it on with a finger instead of dragging it across the cheek.

What I would skip: a deep fuchsia cream applied straight from the pot in one go. Start with a dot and let it settle before adding more.

Pink cream blushes

Choosing your pink

Pink is not one color, so pick it by undertone. Cool baby pinks like Saie Baby and Summer Fridays Sweet Rosé sit softly on fair skin, and bright fuchsias like Kosas Adrenaline and Glossier Haze look striking on deeper tones. Liquids such as essence baby got blush give you control, powders give the longest hold, and creams sit in between. Whatever you choose, place the color a little higher than you think and blend until the edge is gone. Keep lips quiet or use the same shade, and you have a face that looks happy without trying too hard.