DewscopeEyes, Lips & Cheeks3 min read
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush Review: How Much Is One Dot?
Rare Beauty's liquid blush is pigmented enough that a single dot does the job. We cover the right amount, the dewy versus matte choice, and how well it lasts on oily skin, at $25 a bottle.
Our verdict
The easiest high-pigment liquid blush to blend, as long as you start with a fraction of a dot. Wear time is at least eight hours in independent tests, and the matte shades are the safer pick for oily skin.
Best forAnyone who wants strong, buildable cheek color and will go easy at first
What we liked
- One dot per cheek is usually enough, so a $25 bottle lasts months
- 16 shades in dewy and matte finishes, per the brand's page
- Lasted at least eight hours on every editor in PureWow's panel
- Works over liquid or powder foundation without lifting it
What held it back
- Intense payoff punishes an over-generous first dot
- Dewy shades looked initially greasy to some editors with oily skin
- Can read as drying on mature skin, especially in matte shades
- The 12-hour wear claim was not matched by every tester
Start smaller than you think you need to. That is the whole review in one line, and it is also the most useful thing we can tell you about Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. The color is strong enough that one badly judged dot can turn a flush into a stripe, but once you find your dose it is the easiest liquid blush we know of, and at $25 it is not an expensive mistake.
We did not run a lab test. This review draws on Rare Beauty's own page and claims, plus the wear-time and skin-type notes in PureWow's panel of nine editors and other published reviews.
One dot means one dot
Rare Beauty's own line is that the blush gives "high-impact color with just one dot". It comes in a small bottle with an applicator, and the brand's instructions are to wipe excess off the applicator, place one or two dots on each cheek, and pat the color in. Editors who have tried it say the same thing in plainer words. One told PureWow to imagine the tiniest amount you could possibly use, and use that.
The practical method that follows: dot once per cheek for daytime, tap with a fingertip or a damp sponge, and look in the mirror before you reach for a second dot. Add color in layers, not all at once: it is much easier to put a second dot on than to take the first one off.
