Rare Beauty is Selena Gomez’s cosmetics brand, and Rare Beauty Blush is one of the brand’s most popular products. Rare Beauty claims this product “blends and builds beautifully for a soft, healthy flush.”
But does Rare Beauty Blush contain research-backed ingredients for improving skin quality? Does it contain any potentially unhealthy additives? Which retailer sells Rare Beauty Blush for the best price? And what was our Product Tester's honest experience trying it?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Rare Beauty Blush based on medical studies to give our take on whether the product is likely to improve skin appearance or if it’s a waste of money.
We’ll also share our Product Tester's experience with Rare Beauty Blush, and provide a cost breakdown documenting which retailer sells the product for the best price.
Key takeaways:
- Contains ingredients shown to improve skin quality
- Contains synthetic dyes which may be unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend Rare Beauty Blush
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Joy, Happy, Lucky and Grateful shades of Rare Beauty Blush are shown above.
This product does contain some research-backed ingredients for improving skin health and appearance.
Nelumbo nucifera (sacred lotus) flower extract was described as having an anti-aging effect in a 2015 medical review. The study authors stated the following about this botanical ingredient:
“has beneficial effect to reduce symptoms like loss of elasticity, acne, pores, wrinkles, fine lines, blemishes, and so forth…It promotes younger looking skin”
Sunflower seed oil is a naturally hydrating ingredient, as we discussed in our review of City Lips, another cosmetic product containing sunflower seed oil.
Illicium verum (anise) fruit extract was shown to have an antimicrobial effect in a 2021 clinical trial, which suggests that it may be effective against acne, though it’s too early to say so conclusively.
While this blush contains some research-backed ingredients, it also contains some additive ingredients that we consider questionable from a health perspective.
Red 28 is an artificial dye that was shown to be toxic in an animal study published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology.
Red 7 and Yellow 6 are also artificial dyes, and a 2015 medical review found that artificial dye can absorb through the skin and may be harmful to human health.
Overall, we consider Rare Beauty Blush somewhat likely to improve skin quality and appearance, but we don’t recommend it due to the use of synthetic dye.
We Tested Rare Beauty Blush
One of our Product Testers named Jodie Steinberg tried the Hope shade of Rare Beauty Blush. Here's her experience:
The blush came in a beautiful fabric bag I can re-use, which was surprising and very nice. It gave the blush a luxury experience:
The packaging is beautiful and easy to open with a doe foot applicator. The blush can sit on your vanity and stand upright. It twists open and has a lovely gold top.
The scent was fine and muted. I did not notice anything offensive.
I placed two to three dots of blush on my cheeks and it blended easily with a blush brush, and it gave a very nice flushed look to my cheeks. I did not feel like I was wearing anything on my face:
I also don’t like blushes with too much pigment, and this blush is perfect because it is buildable. There was no patchiness, and it lasted longer than many other blushes I have tried. The color looked very natural and flattering.
I think this blush is beautiful and works better than many powder blushes I have tried and better than most liquid blushes.
I did not experience any side effects.
Overall, I would rate Rare Beauty Blush 10/10, and I would purchase it in the future.
Where to Get the Best Price
Rare Beauty Blush is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
Walmart: $42.80 (link)
Brand website: $23 (plus $6 shipping, link)
Sephora: $23 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $23 (free shipping, link to official Amazon listing)
Sephora has a flat $23 cost for all shades of Rare Beauty Blush, while Amazon has a price range from $21.45 to $30.49 depending on shade (the shade we linked to above is $23 but all other shades can be selected from that link).
At the time of publishing this article, Rare Beauty Blush is not available on Ulta.
What’s the Best Rare Beauty Blush Dupe?
A YouTube creator named “Zabrena” has a video with some options for Rare Beauty dupes:
Customers Rate Rare Beauty Blush
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Rare Beauty Blush has been reviewed over 1,400 times on Amazon with an average review rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Kindle Customer” who claims it looks good and is easy to use:
“The product goes on smoothly. No issues. No sinking in my wrinkles. A tiny dot goes a long way but lasts all day. It looks good alone and with foundation. I would buy again.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Molly” who dislikes the product experience:
“the brush came dried up and when i tried it out it dried up immediately and felt like paint on my cheeks. DO NOT WASTE YOU MONEYYYY!!!”
At the time of publishing this article, Rare Beauty has responded to every customer complaint on their Better Business Bureau (BBB) page, which is a sign of a high-quality brand that cares about their customers.
How Does Selena Use Rare Beauty?
In an interview and tutorial with the popular "NikkieTutorials" YouTube channel that has over 14 million subscribers, Selena Gomez uses some Rare Beauty products:
Rare Beauty Blush Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Rare Beauty Blush in our opinion:
Pros:
- Highly positive online customer reviews
- Contains an anti-aging ingredient
- Contains a natural skin hydrating ingredient
- Free of synthetic preservatives
- Fragrance-free
- Aesthetic packaging
Cons:
- Contains synthetic dye
- Expensive when considering serving size
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
