Purple Blush That Reads as a Flush, Lilac to Plum

Purple Blush That Reads as a Flush, Lilac to Plum

Purple blush sounds risky until it melts into skin and reads as a cool, lit-up flush. These are the lilacs, violets and plums I would try, and how to blend each one so it looks like you.

In August 2021 the TikTok creator Rachel Rigler blended Nudestix Moodie Blu Berry, an eggplant blush, onto her cheeks, and Allure later pointed to that video as a spark for the purple blush trend. Suddenly people were reaching for violet and plum instead of the usual pink, and the hashtag passed 22 million views within months. The idea was simple. Purple looks scary in the pan, then blends into a cool flush that looks like you ran up a flight of stairs.

Start with the lilacs, which are the gentlest way in. Huda Beauty Blush Filter in Ube Berry is a rich electric lilac liquid with a doe-foot applicator and a candy scent. MAC Glow Play in Totally Synced is a pastel lilac cream you can smooth on with your fingertips. Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Lip + Cheek Glow stick in Pretty Glow is a dreamy lilac. DIOR Rosy Glow in Pink Lilac is a pearlescent lilac stick, and the brand says it adapts to skin's pH for custom color. Glossier Cloud Paint Plush in Billow is a lavender with a soft-matte finish. Tower 28 GetSet in Pali Punch is a matte lavender powder that sets as it blushes. Haus Labs Color Fuse in Glassy Lilac is a glassy lavender balm, and Prada Touch in Wisteria Lilac is a cool-toned cream-to-powder.

A quick test: dot one on your cheek and count to ten before you blend. Purple often warms up on skin, so wait for the real color.

Magazine page collage for Purple Blush That Reads as a Flush, Lilac to Plum, featuring Huda Beauty, MAC, NARS, Rare Beauty, Glossier and Prada
Purple Blush

Lilac and lavender blushes

Violets and orchids with real color

These are the brighter violets and orchids, for people who want the purple to show. NARS Insatiable Liquid Blush in Lose Control is a violet with a big doe-foot applicator and up to 16 hours of wear. NARS The Multiple in Trance is a violet orchid stick for cheeks, lips and eyes. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Spirited is a midtone violet, and the brand says one dot is enough. MAC Skinfinish blush in Your Heroine is a bright purple powder with 12 hours of color-true wear.

For deeper tones, MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Liquid Color in Reign In Purple is a pinky violet that is waterproof and transfer-proof. Prada Touch in Wisteria Violet is a deep plum-violet in the same cream-to-powder formula as its lilac sister. Armani Beauty Cheek Tint in Orchid Fuchsia is a cool bright lavender liquid with a light, natural finish. Marc Jacobs Joystick in Last Word is a vibrant lilac cream stick that swipes straight onto cheeks.

Pairing tip: place these higher and further back than pink, along the cheekbone toward the temple. Keep lips and eyes soft and let the purple do the talking.

What I would skip: a bright violet on the apples of the cheeks with a heavy hand. Liquids like Lose Control set fast, so use one dot, tap, and blend before you add another.

Violet and orchid blushes

Plums for a deeper flush

Plum is the most wearable purple for many faces, because it goes on like a deep berry. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Bouncy Blush in Truth is a soft plum with a putty texture that blends like cream and blurs like powder. Glossier Cloud Paint Plush in Plume is a rich plum that finishes soft-matte. Marc Jacobs Joystick in Freaks & Cheeks is a deep plum stick, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Blurring Serum Liquid Blush in Plum is a bright plum with niacinamide and a soft-matte finish.

For powders, Gucci Luminous Matte Powder Blush in Intense Plum is a true plum with shea butter and hyaluronic acid. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Blush in Mystery is sheer and buildable, with a luminous finish. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Velvet Plum is a cool berry for lips and cheeks, and Pot Rouge Velvet Matte in Soft Plum is a cool mauve in a cream-to-powder formula.

Pairing tip: tap a plum cream on first, then dust a sheer powder over it to lock it in. The color stays put and looks softer.

What I would skip: Intense Plum applied straight from the pan with a fluffy brush. It picks up a lot. Tap off the excess, and build slowly.

Plum blushes

How to wear purple on your cheeks

Start with your comfort level. If purple feels loud, choose a lilac like Totally Synced or Billow and use a sheer layer. If you like drama, go to Lose Control or Reign In Purple.

Place color on the top of the cheekbones and blend up toward the temples. Keep the rest of your face quiet, with a neutral lip and a little mascara. Use cream and liquid formulas on dry skin, and powders on skin that likes to glow.

Purple blush works because it is a small surprise that still reads as a flush. Try one shade for a week before you decide.