Lancôme | Cushion Blush Subtil | ommorphia beauty bar

With the launch of Miracle Cushion Foundation (previously reviewed here), Lancôme was the first North American brand out of the gate to use Korean cushion technology and now they’re taking things up a notch with Cushion Blush Subtil (4 shades available in Canada, 6 in the US). With a light-as-air texture and buildable coverage, there’s just so much to love about these little pots of blush heaven.

Housed in a black lacquered compact, the colour of each blush shade is indicated with a matching hue of the brand’s rose printed on the lid – a handy guide if you happen to own more than one of these lovelies and want to know which to reach for quickly. Opened up, you’ll find a mirror on the inner lid and a secondary cover that keeps the contents safe from accidental spills, as well as prevents the sponge from drying out. As with the foundations, these cushion blushes also come with a flat velvety sponge but fingers, a dense synthetic-haired brush, or a beauty sponge all work equally well for application. You should note that a little really does go a long way; take a scant amount of blush to start with as these are quite pigmented — you can always layer on more if needed. BONUS: as the initial texture of these blushes is fairly wet, you can also mix shades together to create a unique new colour combination before blending out along the skin. As to how well they blend? I can sum it up in one word: flawlessly. Staying power will depend on how much you apply and whether it’s over a base or not, lasting easily 8+ hours without any streaking whatsoever.

Lancôme | Cushion Blush Subtil

Lancôme | Cushion Blush Subtil swatches

Lancôme | Cushion Blush Subtil swatches, blended out

023 Cerise Givrée (CAN $45.00) | A lush rose hue that has a good mix of both cool and warm undertones, making it quite universally flattering on all skin tones.

Lancôme | 023 Cerise Givrée Cushion Blush Subtil swatches

025 Sorbet Grenadine (CAN $45.00) | A coral pink hue that definitely leans warm, although it can be made to work on fair complexions by applying a sheer layer and blending it out.

Lancôme | 025 Sorbet Grenadine Cushion Blush Subtil swatches

031 Splash Orange (CAN $45.00) | The warmest leaning of the four, this is a rich tangerine hue that really compliments a light tan, as well as adding a nice touch of sunny warmth to the skin.

Lancôme | 032 Splash Orange Cushion Blush Subtil swatches

032 Splash Corail (CAN $45.00) | A soft pink hue, the coolest-leaning of the group and more suited to those with fair-light complexions (I suspect it really won’t show up at all on darker skin tones). Gives a light flush of colour when fully blended out, but can be layered for a slightly deeper impact.

Lancôme | 032 Splash Corail Cushion Blush Subtil swatches

Lancôme | Cushion Blush Subtil

Just like mascara is indispensable for giving your eyes definition and a bright wide-awake appearance, so is blush absolutely mandatory for providing your skin with a healthy-looking flush of colour. What makes these cushion blushes stand out for me, is how seamlessly they blend into the skin as opposed to some powder blushes that almost ‘sit’ on the the surface of your face, thus looking totally opposite to the effect you’re trying to achieve. And if that face alone isn’t enough to sway you, there’s the innovative cushion technology to play with – gotta love fun makeup, no?!

Available at The Bay, Sephora, select counters and www.lancome.ca