They're designed to mimic the way we blush. We tried them first and now we can't get enough
As I’ve got older, blusher has become an ever more important part of my ‘face’. It’s an annoying fact that over time, you lose pigment from your skin and hair - everything just looks a bit washed out. Now I consider it essential to have just a little bit of something on my cheeks, to spare myself those tedious 'are you alright? You look a bit tired,' questions, (mostly from my own reflection, I have to add).
Hallelujah then for Drunk Elephant’s new O-Bloos Rosi Drops , £30
They are a skincare/makeup hybrid mixing beautiful rose gold (with emphasis on the rose) with omega fatty acids, for a silky seamless blend. You mix them with your moisturiser or SPF – strange as it sounds, all-over blush does work – or dot on neat to cheeks. Or both.
Ever since the pre-launch sample arrived, I’ve been guarding my Bloos (meaning blush in Dutch) with my life. These little concentrated drops of ‘flush’ give that youthful glow (as opposed to a menopausal one) the kind you get when you’ve been doing something a bit naughty or hours of yoga or gua sha, or if you’re 17 like my daughter. They make you look a bit more healthy, a bit more fresh and a bit more intriguing. If you’re in the market for bridal makeup, they should definitely be on your trial list. If you're my side of 40, they are your new best friend.
Sweetly, brand founder Tiffany Masterson created them in homage to her mum. “For as long as I can remember, my mom would dot her cheeks with liquid blush,” she says. “It was practically just straight red dye – maybe not the best thing for her skin. I wanted to make something healthy for my mom.”
She also wanted to create concentrated drops that could be added to serums or moisturisers for a universally flattering flush. If you’re familiar with the brand’s brilliant D-Bronzi Anti- Pollution Sunshine Drops , £30 (same but brown) you’ll know the deal – instant all over beachy glow that mixed with your skincare and looks like your skin but on a really good day.
In fact, the suggestion is that you cocktail the two for a healthy tanned effect. I tried it, it works but takes a little bit of calibrating. I put one drop of each into my SPF, for a subtle beachy glow.
There are other liquids blushes drops out there, but I’ve never really got on with them; Benefit’s iconic Benetint , £15.50 has been around since the 1970s and is adored by makeup artists and celebs, but on me, it’s simply too red, to drying and looks like I’ve done a rush job with my kids’ watercolours. Iconic London’s equally classic rose gold Illuminator in Blush £30 (more of a highlighter) is simply too shimmery on my mature skin. Both of these require technique and time, neither of which I’m blessed with. What makes O-Bloos pretty much foolproof, is that the moisturising ingredients make it really easy to work with – there’s glycerin, marula oil, blackcurrant seed oil, omega fatty acids as well as age-proofing peptides too.
How long does it last? The pigments hung around pretty much all day, but remember this is a pretty rose gold flush, not a 1980s’ angular cheek stripe – subtle and pretty is the name of the game.
If you want a glow that’s easy to use, knocks a few years off your face and that looks after your skin, you’ll love these. Put 1 July in your diary.