I'm a makeup artist. I love the viral $23 Rare Beauty blush, but prefer this drugstore dupe for one-third of the price.
- As a makeup artist, I love products from Rare Beauty — but lately, I've been using a blush from ELF.
- The ELF Camo liquid blush has a buildable formula that gave my cheeks a natural-looking flush.
As a makeup artist, I know blush is a crucial step in any beauty routine. It adds the perfect amount of warmth to the cheeks and gives skin a healthy glow — but choosing the right product is easier said than done.
Like many US shoppers who turn to beauty creators and influencers for recommendations, social media plays a role in the products I test out.
So, when the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch liquid blush first went viral on TikTok, I knew I had to try it out. Since then, I've grown to love the product's pigmentation and shade range.
But last month, I purchased the ELF Camo liquid blush — which sells for about one-third of the price of the Rare Beauty version — and it left me pleasantly surprised.
I decided to test out both blushes side-by-side to see how they compare. Here's how it went.
Rare Beauty, founded by Selena Gomez, is a cosmetics brand available online and at Sephora.
Rare Beauty launched in 2020 and released its popular Soft Pinch liquid blushes a few years later, in 2022. This product was wildly popular with customers, generating $70 million in revenue that same year.
The brand, which is valued at about $2 billion, also carries an inclusive shade range — a big deal for me as a woman of color.
Just a small dot of the brand's richly pigmented $23 blush delivers bold color and leaves either a beautiful glow or a gorgeous matte finish, depending on the product.
I love wearing orange blush, so I've been using the Rare Beauty product in the shade Love, a matte terracotta.
ELF is a drugstore beauty brand known for offering affordable, high-performing products.
ELF was founded in 2004, but the brand didn't drop its Camo liquid blushes until late 2023.
In its full-year earnings report, ELF said its net sales increased by 77% year over year in fiscal 2024, attributing the gain to the strength of its retailer and e-commerce channels.
ELF, which expects to bring in at least $1.2 million in net sales during its 2025 fiscal year, also has a noteworthy presence on TikTok.
I also picked up an orange shade in this blush — Gorg Orange, described as a warm red-orange color on the company's website. The shade looks very bright, almost neon, in the bottle, but it's incredibly flattering on darker skin.
When I first started using the brand's $7 Camo liquid blush, I immediately loved its dewy finish and buildable formula (which makes it a very versatile product).
The Rare Beauty and ELF blushes looked very similar, but the latter was easier to blend.
When comparing swatches of the blushes side-by-side, Rare Beauty's blush looked very pigmented, but the ELF one was much brighter.
However, when blended out, the ELF blush allowed me to build its intensity, which is great for when I want a softer look.
Notably, Rare Beauty offers two blush formulas (dewy and matte), while ELF's product only comes in a dewy finish.
ELF also offers only nine blush shades, but Rare Beauty carries 13 options — which means this brand's blushes can cater to a wider variety of clients. However, for my personal use, I actually preferred the hues ELF carries.
The ELF Camo liquid blush provided the perfect flush for my skin tone.
For a natural "no-makeup" look, I started with one dot of blush on each cheek and blended the product with a dense brush (I'd also recommend using a sponge).
In the future, I'd add more of the product for a bolder look.
The ELF blush was more buildable and blended out a bit more easily than the Rare Beauty version.
Comparing the blushes side-by-side, the ELF product in Gorg Orange was incredibly flattering on my skin tone. This warm, burnt-orange tone beautifully complemented my deeper complexion and gave my cheeks a natural-looking, sun-kissed flush.
Rare Beauty's blush in the shade Love also looked pretty, but it didn't give my cheeks the same level of warmth or suit my skin tone as well.
Ultimately, I think the ELF blush is worth buying.
Though the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch liquid blush in Love offered beautiful pigmentation and a luminous finish, ELF's Camo product was my winner.
Its buildable formula, dewy finish, and affordable price point make it a versatile choice for so many looks, from natural to full-glam makeup and everything in between.
But most importantly, ELF's Gorg Orange shade gave me a warm flush similar to what I'd look like after spending time in the sun. I've never seen this natural-looking finish with other blushes I've used.
From a price standpoint, ELF's blush is more affordable — at just $7, it's much cheaper than the one from Rare Beauty. Needless to say, the ELF Camo liquid blush is definitely a product I'm going to keep reaching for.
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