Make no mistake, I am a blusher fiend. Not a day goes by without me applying a swatch of rouge onto my cheeks. As a beauty director, I know for a fact that a good blusher is the single most important makeup product in fauxing that oh-so-covetable, lit-from-within glow. Equal to my love for blusher, however, is my love for Victoria Beckham Beauty.
In my (absolutely correct) opinion, Victoria Beckham Beauty makeup products deliver an easy-to-achieve, natural-looking but polished result that other makeup brands can only dream of. So, when my two loves collide and a new Victoria Beckham Beauty blusher lands on my desk, you better believe it gets my attention. Enter: Victoria Beckham Beauty Colour Wash Blush Water Tint.
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Colour Wash
And I know what you’re thinking, doesn’t Victoria Beckham Beauty already have a blusher? Yes, and it’s good. A cream blush formula, Cheeky Posh, is a creamy stick blusher that can be scribbled onto cheeks and blended with fingers. The texture is velvety, and it blends like a dream into a soft-dewy finish. And, truthfully, it’s one of my favourite blushers going. Its ease of use and foolproof concept make it a dream for makeup-lazy girls like me. But Colour Wash? Colour Wash is different.
The Formula
The concept of Colour Wash as a blush isn’t actually anything new at all—it’s a cheek tint. The benefits of this sort of formula span from increased longevity to a water-like lightness. The finishes tend to be more skin-like and natural-looking.
My chief concern before trying? They’re messy. Historically, I have found that you have to work quickly when it comes to blending, and there is little room for mistakes to be made. I don’t want to deal with messy droppers and brushes—I want to swipe, smudge with my fingers and go. So, I’ll be honest here, while I was flattered to be one of the first people to get my hands on the new Colour Wash Blush Water Tints, I was also sceptical.
The thing that makes Colour Wash’s formula special, however, is the infusion of skincare ingredients. Infused with mineralised sea water to energise, coconut fruit water to hydrate and an Australian superfruit extract to boost luminosity, the finish of Colour Wash promises to bestow a radiant glow upon skin that looks undetectably natural.
The Shades
Colour Wash has launched with three shades: Flushed (a true red, that Victoria considers her signature shade), Coral (a warm-toned coral) and Vintage Rose (a deep, berry-toned purple). And while the shades of Cheeky Posh are buildable, their more opaque nature means their stretchability (or lack thereof) isn’t a selling point. The Colour Wash shades, on the other hand, have a sheer, water-like texture, making them far more wearable across a plethora of skin tones.
As someone who adores a deeper blush, my eye was drawn to both Flushed and Vintage Rose.
The Packaging
There’s no doubt the packaging is chic. In fact, in true VB style, it’s very chic. The small bottles have clear, frosted glass, with the tint showing through, so if you possess multiple shades, they’re easy to differentiate in your makeup bag. It’s needless to say they feel luxe. This je ne sais quois is what makes a VBB product a VBB product—a slice of daily luxury that makes you feel great about yourself.
My biggest apprehension, however, was relating to the delivery system—a pipette.
The Application
Pipettes just aren’t for me. They’re messy and require effort that I don’t think needs to be exerted to get a great finish. Looking at the Victoria Beckham Beauty website showed the tint being pooled onto a surface via the dropper and then applied with a buffing brush (whereas I usually use my beloved multi-use Hourglass brush to blend Cheeky Posh, if not my fingers). And those prone to both mess and laziness, like me, will be put off by this. At first, I followed this technique and applied the product to the back of my hand before swirling in my brush, but the stain it left on my hand wasn’t ideal. So, I did the beauty-editor cardinal sin and put the dropper straight onto my face.
And, actually, I was impressed. The dropper is stiff and not easy to press, meaning you have total control over how much you are applying. And actually, for the most part, I barely needed to activate the dropper at all, instead just rolling the tip of the pipette over the high points of my cheek. I then used a buffing brush to blend it all up and outwards. This process wasn’t anywhere near as messy as I first anticipated and actually only took about 10 seconds.
I also think it’s worth mentioning that while you need to act quicker with your blending than you might with a cream blusher (I’d suggest doing one cheek at a time), there is far more blendability than other products of its kind. You can move and blend easily without fear of any unwanted streaks staining the skin.
My only piece of advice? Don’t use your fingers to blend if you don’t have a sink nearby to wash the tint from your hands—it will stain.
The Result
I appreciate I’m totally tooting my own horn here, but just look at my skin. I genuinely don’t think I have ever used a blush that makes my skin look this good. My complexion looks healthy, radiant and truly lit-from-within—all without making my already oily skin look greasy or overly sweaty. The wash settles on the skin in a way that is undetectable by touch—there’s no transfer, no tackiness and no budging. Visually, however, the blushes are detectable, and in the absolute best way.
I look as though I have just spent the month at a health retreat, and every square millimeter of my skin is showing my inner health. The results are, frankly, otherworldly. Colour Wash possesses what is, without question, the most beautiful finish I have ever encountered.
My Verdict
If you can’t tell, I’m sold. I’m sold over and over and over again. Does the lazy girl in me wish Colour Wash had a doefoot applicator? Kind of. But if that doefoot were to compromise this absolutely unparalleled result in any way, I’d be devastated. I’m willing to overlook the slight adaptation of my daily blush application to look like this.
If you want a natural-looking blush that doesn’t require constant reapplication (yes, it does stand up against a 10-hour day rushing around London), Colour Wash is it. Everything else is a waste of your time.
Shop Victoria Beckham Beauty Colour Wash
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Colour Wash
