Thanks to a cheeky-named shade called Orgasm, Nars Cosmetics has become well-known over the past three decades for making really good blush [1]. And whilst it's the brand's classic powder blushers [2] that makeup artists and beauty-lovers have long been loyal to, this month, the brand introduces an innovative new cream formula that I'm confident people will fall in love with: the Nars Air Matte Blus [3] (£26).
The new blusher launch comes just a couple of months after Nars introduced its Air Matte Lip Colour [4], a sheer, matte liquid lipstick with a soft-focus finish that can be used to create either a blurred lip or stained effect. The Air Matte Blush promises the same sheer and blurred pigment but in a creamier, more hydrating formula made for your cheeks.
The formula is dense mousse (meaning not like an airy, whipped mousse you'd put in your hair) and is so silky that it almost feels wet when you dip your finger in the jar. Because of how creamy the formula is and how sheer the pigment is, I don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I say that this is the easiest blush I've ever applied. Most cream blushes require a degree of blending and buffing and the right pressure so you don't move the pigment around too much and leave splotches. Not this one. Using my fingers to apply it — with a mix of swiping and tapping motions — I find the formula spreads across my cheeks like warm butter (which the brand claims is thanks to jojoba gel). And you can layer it for days. One layer gives you a whisper of colour on your cheeks, but you can build it up to look pretty opaque if you want.
In addition to being a cinch to apply, the biggest selling point for me about the Air Matte Blush formula is how natural it looks on your skin. Thanks to a combination of silky polymers and micropowders, the pigment looks soft and diffused on your cheeks, allowing the texture and quality of your skin to show no matter how much you apply. It reminds me a lot of the effect you get with liquid blushes like Glossier Cloud Paint [5]. And whilst I absolutely love that product, I'm not going to lie, on most mornings, I don't have the patience to faff around with applying the superpigmented liquid. The Air Matte Blush formula, on the other hand, gives nearly the same effect — a flush that looks like it's the result of colour naturally coming to your cheeks versus actual makeup — but it takes three seconds to spread on with your fingers.
The Air Matte Blush comes in eight shades at the moment, a range of pinks, berries, neutrals, and, yes, the iconic Orgasm hue (the only hue with a bit of shimmer). In the future, we hope the brand adds more colours to the collection, especially on the darker end of the colour spectrum, and considers adding a few more options with a shimmery finish, as the mousse texture combined with the glitter really looks gorgeous on skin. Overall, though, I'm super excited about this new formula. It's perfect if you don't like spending a ton of time on your makeup or prefer a no-makeup makeup effect. And if you are absolutely makeup obsessed, then the innovative formula is more than enough of a reason to check it out yourself.
Keep reading to see all of the shades on POPSUGAR editors, as well as shop the new formula.
Nars Air Matte Blush in Torch
A vibrant orange-y red, Torch is the brightest colour in the Air Matte Blush range. "It's very bold and bright and suits a range of skin tones," Assistant Editor Navi Ahluwalia said. "You don't need to put a lot on for it to look good!"
Nars Air Matte Blush in Torch
Nars Air Matte Blush in Torch [6] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Rush
Described by the brand as peach in colour, Rush was one of Assistant Editor Kara Kia's favourite shades in the range. "Rush is the type of blush colour I always go for in the autumn and summer when my skin tone is warmer and more tanned," she said. "It's a coral pink that blends nicely with medium skin tones when applied with a light hand."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Rush
Nars Air Matte Blush in Rush [7] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Orgasm
The Air Matte Blush in Orgasm is the exact same colour as the iconic powder formula: a peachy pink with a smattering of finely milled gold shimmer. In cream form, the shimmer makes your skin look really luminous, in the way a bronzer or highlighter does (except in a peach-pink tone that makes your cheeks look nicely flushed). The shade is shown here with the matching Nars Oil-Infused Lip Tint in Orgasm [8].
Nars Air Matte Blush in Orgasm
Nars Air Matte Blush in Orgasm [9] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Gasp
A rosy bronze hue, Gasp is one of the two neutral tones in the collection. "Gasp is very subtle and matches my skin tone almost like a bronzer," Kia said. "It kind of neutralises my yellow undertones and brings out a peachy tint that looks very natural."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Gasp
Ahluwalia described Gasp as a "delicate peachy-brown shade," adding that "this was my personal favourite in the range as I prefer browner shades when it comes to blushes and bronzers."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Gasp
Nars Air Matte Blush in Gasp [10] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Darling
Darling is a sheer, cool-toned light-pink colour. "I often worry with my copper hair, blush can look a bit intense," POPSUGAR Associate Editor Tori Crowther said. "This colour, however, gave my cheeks a nice just-got-back-from-a-cold-walk flush without overpowering my copper hair and fair skin."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Darling
Nars Air Matte Blush in Darling [11] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Freedom
Freedom is a rosy mauve with blue undertones. It's a bit deeper in tone than Darling, which means it works across a wide variety of skin tones. "It's a very subtle colour," Ahluwalia said after trying out the shade. "You need to apply a few layers to see the full effect."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Freedom
Freedom was another one of Kia's favourites. "Freedom gives me the blushed look without overpowering my face and coming up too pink," she explained. "It comes up as a slightly mauve pink that's great for medium, tan, golden, and yellow skin tones. But I would stick to wearing this colour in the spring and winter when I'm slightly paler and that flushed-pink look fits the season."
Nars Air Matte Blush in Freedom
Nars Air Matte Blush in Freedom [12] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Hushed
Backstage at Paris Fashion Week, makeup artist Lisa Butler once told me that the best blushes for creating a no-makeup makeup effect (on fair and medium skin tones) were the ones that looked the least exciting in the pan. Rather than flowery pinks and peaches, they're slightly muddy looking, with a hint of brown or taupe in them. Hushed, a light nude with the faintest hint of pink, is exactly one of those shades. It doesn't look that pretty in the jar, but it's the exact colour you need to liven up your complexion without looking like you're wearing any makeup.
Nars Air Matte Blush in Hushed
Nars Air Matte Blush in Hushed [13] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blush in Scandalous
A blue-based burgundy colour, Scandalous is the darkest of the Nars Air Matte Blushes, which means it can work on the widest variety of skin tones. The blush has a lot of red in it, though, so those with very pink and ruddy complexions, or who have rosacea, may want to avoid as it will exacerbate the natural flush in their skin.
Nars Air Matte Blush in Scandalous
Nars Air Matte Blush in Scandalous [14] (£26)
Nars Air Matte Blushes
