Forty dollars gets you two blushes in one compact, a cream on one side and a powder on the other, in the same shade family. That’s the Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo, and it’s the headline product among Patrick Ta’s best blush. The makeup artist built his name on skin that looks lit from inside, and the duo is basically his trick packaged up: the cream gives that dewy glow, the powder gives a soft matte finish, and you can wear them on their own or press the powder over the cream so it stays put.
There are 21 shades of the duo, split between matte and satin powders, plus a $25 mini version, a $30 Transition Blurring Blush Duo and a $34 liquid blush. That’s a lot to scroll through, so the shade breakdown below is sorted by skin tone.
Start with the Double-Take duo if you only buy one, since the cream and powder layer together and cover both a natural glow and long wear.
Match The Blush To Your Skin Depth And Undertone
A blush that looks bright in the pan can turn chalky on deep skin or clown-like on very fair skin, so go by your skin depth first and your undertone second. Going by the brand’s own color descriptions, the duo shades sort out roughly like this:
- Fair and light skin: Soft Launch (coral) or Out Of Office (cool pink) add warmth without looking painted on, and She’s Flushed (soft peachy pink) is the safe everyday pick.
- Medium and olive skin: olive tones can make pinks look gray, so golden and warm shades like She’s The Moment (golden peach) or She’s Seductive (warm rosey beige) blend in better, and She Goes to the Gym (cool mauve rose) works for cooler olive skin.
- Deep skin: richer shades show up properly, like She’s Wanted (rich berry), Oh She’s Different (deep plum) or She’s Baked (rich terracotta).
Red Blush Can Work On Fair Skin Too
Red on pale cheeks sounds like a lot, and it is, if you swipe it on. Tapped on lightly it looks like you just came in from the cold. Try She Left Me On Red, the warm vivid red. Dab a tiny bit of the cream on the apples of your cheeks with a finger, blend it up and out toward your temples, and stop sooner than you think you should. You can always add more. Taking it off without wrecking your foundation is a lot harder.
Go Easy On The Eyes When Your Cheeks Are Bright
A strong blush and a heavy smoky eye fight each other. If you’re wearing a red or berry on the cheeks, keep the eyes simple with a wash of a soft brown or taupe, a little mascara, and maybe the same blush tapped lightly across the lids so the whole face looks like it goes together. Save the dramatic eye for days you go softer on the cheeks with something like Just Enough (soft blue pink) or Not Too Much (soft rosey taupe).
Blush Lasts Longer When Your Skin Is Prepped
If blush disappears by lunch, the problem usually starts before the blush goes on. Dry or dehydrated skin soaks up product and patchy skin grabs it unevenly, so sorting out your skin prep comes first. Cleanse, moisturize, give it a few minutes to sink in, and then go in this order:
- A gripping primer if your makeup slides around. e.l.f. Power Grip Primer is the cheap favorite, and Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer is the pricier one people swear by.
- Cream blush in thin layers. Build it up slowly so it sets into the skin instead of sitting on top.
- The matching powder pressed over the cream. That’s what the Double-Take duo is made for. No matching powder? A light dusting of translucent powder does the job.
- Setting spray to finish. NYX setting sprays are a solid budget pick, and Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray is the splurge.
One thing to check if everything fades, not just your blush: the problem could be your foundation or other base products, or a heavy moisturizer that never fully absorbs. When the whole face slides, swap out the base before you blame the blush.
Thin layers of cream set with powder and a setting spray will outlast one thick swipe of anything.
Powder Blush Fans Have A Few Good Options
Cream and liquid blushes usually hold up longer on normal to dry skin, but powder is easier for oily skin and for anyone who wants a quick swipe and go. In the Patrick Ta range, the matte powders in the Double-Take duo hold up well on their own, and the Transition Blurring Blush Duo gives a softer, blurred finish that’s good for textured skin. For more long-wear powder blushes from other brands, this video round-up of long-lasting powder blushes gives you a few more to look at before you buy.
Whichever you pick, test the shade on your cheek in daylight, not under the bathroom light, because warm bulbs make every blush look more flattering than it really is.