Here’s What I Really Thought of Elf’s Hugely Popular Camo Liquid Blush
When it comes to blushers, my preference is always a liquid formula. In my humble opinion, liquids are more flattering, they last on the skin for longer (or they should do anyway) and they can sometimes leave the skin looking gorgeously glowy.
E.l.f’s Camo Liquid Blush (£7 from Cult Beauty UK /$7 from Ulta Beauty US) is pleasing to both the eye, and the bank balance. Plus, it’s been famously compared to Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush (£22 from Sephora UK /$23 from Sephora US) which was created by none other than Selina Gomez (and costs over double the price of e.l.f’s version).
So is the quality of e.l.f’s product as low-budget as the price? Or is this one of those rare gems that costs next to nothing and performs like a high-end blusher? And how does it *really* compare to the Rare Beauty blush?
Keep scrolling to read my honest review.
The product details
This liquid blush promises to be long-lasting, high in pigment, lightweight, easy to blend with the ability to leave a dewy finish. It comes in 12 shades, ranging from pretty lilacs and pinks to earthy nudes and browns.
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First impressions
My first thought when first seeing the product was that it was clearly a lip gloss. But no. It turns out I’m getting more and more confused between liquid blushers and lip glosses these days – is it just me or do they all look the same?!
My shade is called Dusty Rose, best described from looking at the packaging and website as a terracotta-ish peach. The rounded applicator is fully loaded with liquid blush as I take it out of the bottle, almost to the point where I am concerned it’s going to drip onto my lap. This product certainly isn’t stingy.
Upon dabbing some onto my first cheek, I was surprised to see a slight shimmer on my skin and then realised that in the light, you can actually see little flecks of shimmer through the tube. It’s not overbearing though, just enough to give your cheeks a subtle, dewy finish which works perfectly for me and my oily skin.
I was also quite surprised at the shade once I saw it on my skin. On the website, the ‘Dusty Rose’ swatch looks quite dull and a little dark for me, but on my skin it is much more vibrant and pretty – less terracotta, more peach, and I definitely wouldn’t put the word ‘rose’ in the shade name either. This all worked in my favour though as I love a bright blush but if you’re nervous about picking the wrong shade, it might be worth going in store to try yours in person, rather than choosing one online.
What I would also say though is that the colour of the blush tested on the back of my hand and the colour on my cheeks looks exactly the same – in my case, the swatch in person doesn’t change. It’s just the swatch on the website that doesn’t seem accurate.
The formula felt creamier than I was expecting – cheap liquid blushers can often be slightly watery and look too sheer on the skin – but this felt beautifully soft and was really easy to blend. You don’t need a lot as the pigment, as promised, is quite strong and two tiny dots on each cheek was enough for me.
Image – Courtesy of writer
I also noticed that it takes a while to dry down. With some liquid blushers, you have to be quick at getting them into position before they cling to the skin like glue but this one was really flexible.
However, it was almost most a little too flexible as five minutes later, I could still move it around my cheeks freely, which is great if you haven’t quite placed it properly yet but not so great if you’re in a hurry or you brush it against clothing.
I tested this theory out on my hand later and, sure enough, almost ten minutes after blending it in, I rubbed it with my finger where I could see and feel plenty of excess product. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s something to watch out for.
The colour lasted most of the day on my cheeks. Don’t get me wrong, if I had applied more it would have been much more noticeable but I was pretty happy with its longevity.
How does it compare to Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush?
With both products, a little goes a very long way but more so with the Rare Beauty blush. That one spreads far and wide, whereas it’s a little easier to control the e.l.f formula.
They both have similar soft, rounded applicators with a generous helping of product each time you take it out, although I’d say the e.l.f one is a little more ‘drippy’ so watch out for spillages.
There is definitely less shimmer in the Rare Beauty blush – this one gives more of a matte finish as opposed to e.l.f’s subtle dewy one, however the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blushes come in a range of dewy and matte shades so it depends on which colour you’re going for. Mine is ‘Hope’ which has a dewy finish, however it is still much less dewy than e.l.f’s Dusty Rose.
I have also heard the e.l.f Camo Liquid Blush being compared to Glossier’s Cloud Paint which kind of baffles me. Cloud Paint has a lot more pigment and, to me, it leaves more of a stain, or a pinch of colour, compared to the e.l.f blush which is also a lot more hydrating than Cloud Paint’s quite dry formula.
Elf left and Rare Beauty right. Image – Courtesy of writer
My verdict: Save or splurge?
I’m a huge Rare Beauty fan but I have to say, next time I need a top up of blusher I may just save my pennies and opt for the e.l.f Camo Liquid Blush instead. It gets the job done, and it has the right amount of shimmer for my oily skin, all at a cool £7. Cheap and cheerful at its finest.
What other users are saying
Since finding the right shade is usually such a bone of contention for most consumers, I was interested to find out whether others agreed about my point about the swatch and descriptions not being overly accurate on the website.
Sure enough, Bookie504 writes, “I am lowkey disappointed. The colour looks beautiful in the swatch but sheers out to a rather warmish pink on my fair cool complexion. I bought Bronze Bombshell hoping that it would be a cool 90s brown but it’s remarkably orange.”
Others have found the pigment to be too strong. Lblblblblb writes “This stuff is almost too pigmented! It’s intense honestly. I did order a shade a little too dark for my complexion, but even a single dot is super intense on me. Eventually I’ll try a lighter shade.” Another reason to go in store to try it in person rather than risking a bum online order.
On the other hand, some are fans of the colour pay off. “I don’t think that I will get another blush for about 2 years. It is so pigmented that I put just a tiny dot on the back of my hand and blend with a brush and it’s plenty. I got the colour Dusty Rose and it’s gorgeous! For 7.00 it’s definitely the best bang for the buck liquid blush.”
Elf blusher trio. Image – Courtesy of writer
The takeaway
So, it’s probably best to go in store to see the shades in person and remember the pigment is strong so start slow! Despite only a few minor downsides (e.g slow dry down), all in all though this dewy-but-not-overly-dewy liquid blush has impressed me.
The price is just a nice little bonus.
Get Glowing!
