Matte Cream Blushes Exist, and They’ll Give Your Complexion a ‘Cloud Skin’ Finish That Looks Like an IRL Instagram Filter

Cream blush stands out from its powdery cousins for its ability to melt seamlessly into your skin, giving it a gorgeous, healthy-looking glow. We often associate these formulas with dewy finishes (think: lip balms for your cheeks), but if you’re after a diffused ‘cloud skin’ look that offers the same sort of natural-looking finish, there’s a new class of matte cream blushes that have got you covered.

When Camille Yolaine created Mousse De Rouge, a new multitasking matte cream, this was exactly the result she hoped to achieve. “I told the lab I wanted the texture to be like a chocolate mousse…but red,” says Yolaine, founder of an eponymous makeup line and a former beauty editor. “Super airy, velvety, and most importantly, comfortable to wear. The matte base allows for more playing and experimenting. Wear it fully pigmented and precise, diffused and subtle, or anywhere in between! Matte is very timeless to me—a classic look.”

When shopping for a cream matte and semi-matte blush, it’s key to find formulas that dry down without drying out your skin. You’ll often see ingredients like vitamin E and sunflower seed oil to add moisture to these formulas. But, the formulas aren’t as oily as dewy cream blushes, so you get a more opaque, dusty, and long-lasting finish.

Wear matte cream blushes on their own or along with semi-matte foundation and concealer to get the full “cloud-like” effect. Apply them with your fingers or a bush—whichever you prefer. And if you want to go for a monochromatic look, apply them to your eyes and lips as well. Shop five of my favorite semi-matte and matte cream blushes below.

Yolaine Mousse de Rouge Pivoine — $36.00

This super airy yet pigmented mousse goes on the skin and blends out with ease. It dries down to a velvety matte finish without making your skin look or feel dry, and it’s buildable so you can get a barely flushed look or a super-dramatic pop of color. Pivoine (pictured above) is a pretty, doll-like pink, and the formula comes in five additional high-impact shades.

Nudestix Nudies Matte Cream Blush — $35.00

Because this blush comes in a stick, it seamlessly glides onto the skin and deposits color. I forego using the attached brush and blend it out with my fingers. This is the shade Hot Fire, a punchy coral, and it comes in nine other shades.

Thrive Causemetics Triple Threat Color Stick — $36.00

This multipurpose stick comes in an array of formulas and colors—12 bronzers, seven shimmery blushes, and three matte blushes. This is one of the matte blushes in the shade Kaisa, a dusty rose. It’s formulated with vitamin E, evening primrose oil, and sunflower seed oil to deliver skin-conditioning essential fatty acids and vitamins for a truly healthy glow.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Soft Pinch Liquid Blush — $23.00

Rare Beauty is known for its long-lasting, super-pigmented blushes—a little goes a very long way. It comes in nine radiant shades and four matte shades. This is one of the mattes, Grace, a bright rose mauve. It has sunflower seed oil to moisturize and nourish your skin.

LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush — $18.00

This satin matte blush comes in nine fun shades. This one is Passion, a fuschia pink. It’s got kaolin clay to reduce the appearance of pores and excess shine, avocado oil to lock in lasting hydration, and vitamin to calm and soothe.