I Tried e.l.f.’s Viral Blush Tint… And it May Even Beat Cult Classics Like Benefit’s Benetint
Main image – Courtesy of writer
When I think about makeup brands that have it all, e.l.f is one of the first that springs to mind. It’s affordable, reliable and offers up some really, really impressive formulas, particularly in the complexion category.
In fact, I once tested the e.l.f Camo Liquid Blush and was unexpectedly impressed by its bold, high pigment finish. Like with most products, there were a few niggles, but overall, I was excited to have found a blush that was similar to – but crucially cheaper than – a universal favourite by Rare Beauty.
Fast forward to now and I’m reviewing e.l.f’s Sheer For It Blush Tint (£6 from Boots UK /$6 from e.l.f. US) – a watery lip and cheek stain that, unlike the Camo Liquid Blush, has been designed to give a sheer, natural flush.
Image – Courtesy of writer
From my everyday blusher, I’m looking for a pretty colour that compliments my love for bronzer, a formula that doesn’t make me look too painted and a finish that’s comfortably glowy. So I wanted to see for myself whether Sheer For It would be good enough to claim a space in my staple makeup bag, or it if would end up in beauty editor landfill (AKA my untouched bathroom cabinet).
Keep reading to read my honest review.
The product details
This multi-use lip and cheek tint has a watery texture to provide a super sheer, yet buildable stain. The brand promises it to be long-lasting and transfer-resistant with a natural flushed finish. And speaking of natural, it’s worth noting that this blush isn’t meant to compete with highly pigmented liquid blushes. It is e.l.f’s way of offering up a lightly stained option that has a second skin effect, rather than something sitting on top of it.
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The blush contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate both the lips and cheeks and it comes in 9 shades – Cherry Cola, Plums Up, Pink Positive, Orange Crush, Left on Red, So Petal, Maple Latte, Mauve Actually and Burgun-did That. This is 6 more than Benefit’s Benetint and two more than Milk Makeup’s Jelly Tints, two potential rival products.
Milk Makeup Jelly Tints aren’t liquid but, exactly like e.l.f Sheer For It, they do promise to provide a very sheer finish on both lips and cheeks, as does Benefit Benetint. Benetint is also hot on being buildable and transfer proof too.
How I tested e.l.f’s Sheer For It Blush Tint
I tested this product during a summer heatwave, whilst getting ready for an evening out. I used it on both my cheeks and on my lips and I applied it directly onto my skin, using the applicator.
First impressions
My first thought was that these little bottles are the ideal size to throw into your handbag for an evening out – perfect for touch ups (as long as they don’t leak). My shade (Pink Positive) looked like a vibrant red in the packaging – scary – but once I tested it on my hand, I could see it was more of a pretty pink – just my kind of colour.
Image – Courtesy of writer
When I applied it directly onto my cheeks, I noticed that it felt quite wet which was rather misleading because this meant I didn’t act very quickly to blend it in. And once I had blended it in, I realised that you do need to be careful with how you apply it.
For example, if you apply it in a straight line then that shape is going to stick. If you apply it in a circle, then that is also the shape that will stick. It sounds obvious because it is called a stain, but just be mindful to act fast with blending it in because guess what? It stains!
I applied it in a straight line and was left with – you’ve guessed it – a straight line stain on my cheek. It blended in nicely (and I could really feel its hydration) but you could still see the line, so I had to keep adding more blush in the areas around the line to make it less prominent.
Despite all this, what I liked was the fact that the shade was super sheer – it wasn’t intimidating in the slightest and once blended, it looked very natural, as promised. I also liked the glowy finish too – it didn’t look greasy, it just provided a natural sheen and felt incredibly lightweight. More lightweight than other liquid blushers I’ve tried.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The applicator could be a little thicker for my liking, particularly for the cheeks (the Milk Makeup Jelly Tint is a stick – much more my kind of thing), but it’s the perfect shape and size for lips.
When I applied it to my lips, it felt wet again – almost a little too wet as it felt like it was all going to spill into my mouth! It dried eventually though – it definitely sets more quickly on the cheeks – and left a pretty pink stain.
My results
The colour payoff isn’t huge – I needed to apply around three layers on my cheeks to get the finish I wanted. Having said that, my pictures here don’t quite do the finish justice – it was definitely more pigmented in real life than how it looks in the pictures and my lips were more noticeably pink in the flesh too.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Because of its sheer formula, it’s really easy to build up though and doesn’t pill – apart from blending it in quickly, you don’t feel like you have to be careful about the volume you apply which is a relief and even if you think you’ve applied too much, it dilutes down nicely when you blend.
Now comes the but – I like how dewy it looks but neither its glowiness nor pigment lasted very long on my cheeks.
To be fair, it was an extremely hot evening – we were having highs of 40 degrees – so perhaps in cooler weather it would have stayed put for longer but by the time I’d got home a few hours later, it was pretty undetectable. This wasn’t the case on my lips though. I had been eating and drinking all evening and I still had a noticeably pink pout when I got home.
The e.l.f Camo Liquid Blush definitely lasts for a bit longer on the cheeks and gives more of a ‘wow’, pigmented finish but for those who want a very diluted, natural flush Sheer For It does the job, as long as you take it with you for touch ups. I do think though that as far as lip or cheeks go, it’s definitely more of a lip stain. My cheeks didn’t stay stained for very long at all.
What other users are saying
The lip formula seems to have gone down well with users on Reddit. “I went to bed with Left On Red still on my lips, I forgot I was wearing it lol,” writes _Invisible-Child_ “When I woke up this morning, it looked similar to what it did when I went to bed. No transfer onto my pillowcase or a smeared mess.”
There is a bit of criticism about how quickly you have to work with the product though (to be fair, this is true of most cheek stains, I find). “So I just got cherry cola and tried it on my cheek, it dried extremely quickly,” says sollinatri. “Before I could even put the applicator back in, the dot on my cheek just became permanent and I couldn’t move it with my fingers or a brush.”
A lot of people are making comparisons between Benetint and e.l.f Sheer For It and the general consensus is that the e.l.f product is a bit of a knock off. “Poor Benefit – they popularized Benetint but has been overtaken by Korean/drug store dupes,” writes stargirlxoxo.
Overall value for money
At £6/$6, you really can’t argue with this product. Ok, so it didn’t last all evening on my cheeks but for this price, I’ll just pop it in my bag for touch ups as it’s so buildable and feels lovely.
I would 100% buy it again – even though it might not be my all-time favourite liquid blush – since for £6/$6, it’s a steal that you simply cannot regret.
And the best part is that you could own both this and Camo Liquid Blush and still not feel like you’ve been robbed. Reach for Camo when you want a bit more ‘wow’ or to make a bolder statement, and go for Sheer For It when you want to look a little more understated.
The takeaway
This stain is definitely one to watch. It has a few teething problems – longevity and fast dry down being two of them – but it’s the perfect product to take on-the-go and keep layering up without having to worry about overdoing it. It takes sheer to another level so it’s a great one for beginners plus it’s super affordable and comes in loads of gorgeous shades.
I personally prefer e.l.f’s shades to the Benetint options and have never been a huge fan of the Benetint formula either – Sheer For It is a lot thicker and creamier and feels more hydrating on the skin.
Milk Makeup’s Jelly Tints are, in my opinion, a little easier to apply than Sheer For it because of their thicker applicators but overall, I’d definitely buy Sheer For It again and will be popping it back on again for a cooler (slightly less sweaty) occasion.
Get Glowing!
