Fenty Beauty RiRi Cheeks Out Cream Blush Review & Swatches
Riri
Fenty Beauty Riri Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a medium-dark, pinky-mauve with subtle, warm undertones and cooler, barely-there pearl that gave it a soft, skin-like finish once blended out.
- Semi-sheer, buildable color payoff (as marketed)
- Lightly emollient, lightweight, smooth
- Applied well over bare skin and on top of foundation
- Long-wearing (8.5 hours before fading noticeably)
FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).
Top Dupes
- Merit Cheeky (P, $28.00).
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- Fenty Beauty Mali'booze (LE, $20.00).
- Kevyn Aucoin Rose Cliff #2 (PiP, ).
- Melt Cosmetics Pink Sand (P, $22.00).
- Fenty Beauty Petal Poppin' (P, $20.00).
- Cover FX Mojave Mauve (Right) (PiP, ).
- ColourPop Court of Miracles (LE, $10.00).
- NARS Just Lust (LE, $30.00).
- ILIA A Fine Romance (P, $34.00).
Formula Overview
$20.00/0.1 oz. - $200.00 Per Ounce
The formula is supposed to give a "fresh wash of color" that is "effortless" to blend with a "natural-looking" finish. The coverage is designed to be "sheer, buildable" with a "sweat- and water-resistant formula." The brand recommends to apply with fingertips or their 125 brush (which is a fairly dense, angled brush).
The coverage was definitely buildable with a tendency toward semi-sheer coverage, but the intensity depended on application method. The best way to describe was that by the time you applied and blended out one layer, it often looked like that "fresh wash of color" it was marketed as having, but I'd argue they were closer to semi-sheer to medium, buildable coverage than true, sheer coverage. It was very readily built up to more intense, more opaque coverage with a second or third layer. It layered beautifully, too, so achieving higher coverage was easy to do and was still as flattering on the skin as one layer.
If you took a fingertip and swirled it around at least once, you'd get higher coverage, but it would diffuse a bit to more semi-sheer to medium coverage depending on the shade. With a few taps of a moderately-dense, angled brush (like they paired with this formula), one could get more semi-sheer to medium coverage in a single layer. A stippling brush was most consistent at yielding a sheer wash of color, whereas fingertip application tended to be more medium coverage.
That being said, they had the kind of pigmentation that seems pigmented initially but does have a tendency to sheer out in real application, so finger swatches alone are better as insight into potential opacity but not one layer opacity; the blended out swatch is a better indicator of as-applied to cheeks coverage. I still think they were more pigmented than described, but the formula was very forgiving so they could be used with a lighter hand (like one pat or tap with fingertip/brush) for true, sheer coverage if desired.
The formula played well with fingertips as well as brushes, though I preferred fingertips as they're really just such a handy, efficient tool for cream-based formulas like these (and one less brush to wash!). I didn't have any issues applying and diffusing out the edges of the blush over bare skin or over foundation (I paired them with Fenty's Pro Filtr, which is popular but also more matte, so made for a good test base) as it did not lift up base products.
The consistency was more in line with a traditional cream blush; it was emollient and felt wet to the touch in the compact, and it remained emollient when it was applied to my skin. It did not turn to powder as soon as it came into contact with my skin, but it did dry down for the most part. I felt like there was very fine, barely-there pearl through most shades (some had obvious shimmer) which gave the illusion of dewiness, because when I touched the final application, it seemed dry to the touch but absolutely had that "natural-looking"--read: skin-like--finish advertised.
They wore between eight and nine hours before fading a bit, and they seemed to have a nice, even fade beyond that range. They seemed water-resistant as they didn't bleed when I ran swatches under water, but you could certainly wipe the product away with light rubbing so it wasn't impervious (resistant implies just that, resistant, but not impervious!).
Browse all of our Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush swatches.
Ingredients
If it’s layerable and can be built up, then this is one that I would love! But, not if what I’m seeing is as much as I could get.
This is a stunner. Wow, right up my alley. Of course the ColourPop blushes are cheaper but not by much and this is so beautiful. I have been so into blushes lately and want all the colors of this formula. I like a blush with a little sheen but not actual glitter. I looked at her website and she has several colors that I like. I will have to search your database to see if you have reviewed any others.
Very pretty and I like the way it sits on your cheeks too.
Generally, I’m not a fan of cream blushes. I’ve tried (and still use) a few but find them fiddly and time-consuming compared to a quick swipe of powder blush. But I love the lightness/sheerness of this and just might buy it to take to Japan with me (I’m more conflicted about what makeup to bring than about anything else!)
Don’t take tooo much with you. I’m sure you’ll find some fun makeup in Japan, at least if you visit any of the cities.
I’d take a MAC singles palette and include a MAC blush in it, or two. Maybe one of the excellent little Smashbox palettes, they contain most of what I need for a look.
I’ve not travelled in what feels like ages, but I did manage three weeks with a little neutral 6 or 8 pan palette in South Africa. That said, I never used said palette again, as I was so tired of it. 😀
Hubs and my son and daughter in law won’t be too keen on makeup shopping. I had thought of taking my 2 Smashbox palettes (Minimalist and Punked) but then made the decision to take the original Naked palette because as much as I love it and am sad it can’t be replaced, I think if anything bad did happen, I could cope (almost!). One blush, one lippie (guess which???), eyeshadow primer, one pencil liner and a sharpener, some setting/blurring powder, concealer – that’s about it. I rarely, rarely wear foundation but might take a tinted sunscreen in addition to the wonderful Lise Watier Sun Smart that I like so much. That, shampoo (or maybe my Viori solid shampoo, but I don’t think so), leave in conditioner or glossing product, and my skin care stuff in minis and that’s it. The only irreplaceable items would be the Naked Palette and Craving lipstick (though I have several backups and it’s not something I’m likely to lose/leave behind, though you never know!). I AM bringing clothes too but it’s the makeup that’s the stress factor!
I know the feeling of having to make the important decisions regarding makeup. When we took road trips I had so much makeup with me, I felt almost ashamed.
It’s harder when flying. It sounds like you have really thought it through.
I still think you should at least look at the Japanese makeup, at least just for fun. I’m sure they can give you 30 minutes to check the makeup. Tell them I said so. 😉
I hope you’ll have a really wonderful time. Japan is so different and so beautiful, strange, fun, filled with history and sights to see. I enjoyed my visit a lot, though it was very warm.
I love her buildable, easy to apply, thin textured formula which makes it impossible to overdo. I also love how they look on the skin, the minimalist packaging and shade range. Happy to see some new shades, and they also brought back Drama Class the purple blush which I thought they had discontinued!