Does Rhode’s Viral Pocket Blush Really Live Up to the Hype? I Find Out
Main Image – Courtesy of writer
Summer might be gone for the year, but I’m still on the blush trends that were all over social media during the warmer months. There was the lilac blush trend, the blushed cheek trend, the tomato girl trend…I could go on.
During this, a viral brand brought out a blush that’s been dominating my feed – Rhode’s Pocket Blush (£24 from Rhode UK /$24 from Rhode US). Made famous by its creator and owner, Hailey Bieber has successfully managed to take over TikTok with her viral makeup and skincare products.
But, there’s something different about her makeup line. Combining skincare into blushes, bases, lip tints and glosses, the original ‘clean girl’ and the woman behind the ‘glass skin’ and ‘glazed donut nails’ trends has influenced millions of us into wanting to look just as glowy and dewy as she does.
If you know anything about my makeup choices you’ll know I love a blusher. I wear blush and bronze as standalone products when I need a bit of colour, and it’s my favourite part of my full makeup routine – you could also say I’ve fallen into the ‘blush blindness’ category a few times. I just love using blush to give a healthy glow, to contour, and to bring a look together.
However, powder blush can sometimes look a little one-dimensional and, because I have combination skin, sometimes creamy blushes stick to any dry patches I might have. So when I read up on Rhode’s Pocket Blush and saw how creamy, moisturising, and dewy they looked, I wanted a piece of that.
So, here’s my honest review of this super popular product.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The product details
The packaging is actually really cute, It’s small enough to pop in your handbag or makeup bag and easy to use on the go. Despite its small size you get a lot of product, however, I would say the packaging is a little clunky and unnecessary (more on this below).
The brand says that Pocket Blush is an “on-the-go cream blush [that] wakes up cheeks and lips with a satiny, diffused flush that melts on smoothly and stays all day. It’s a lightweight formula that hydrates skin for baby-soft cheeks and leaves a glowy finish without a greasy feel.”
It’s fragrance-free, derm-tested, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan, and it contains peptides and tamanu oil – which is said to be great for eczema and acne-prone skin for its antimicrobial properties.
‘Piggy’ is allegedly the shade Hailey uses as an everyday glow and this is the shade I will be trying out. Not feeling ‘Piggy’? No worries – there are 5 other shades to explore (6 in total), offering a range from bronzed terracotta to bright coral and soft mauves, so you can find the perfect match for you.
Image – Courtesy of writer
First impressions
Advertised as being small enough to fit into your jeans pocket, this product is perfect for keeping in your handbag and using on the go. I often bring a lipgloss, concealer, a tiny pot of moisturiser, and a blusher when I go out for the day or night in case I need a top-up. The packaging is a little bit cheap feeling, but the mechanism works well (for me, anyway, some have a few complaints about this) and it’s extremely lightweight.
When I took the lid off I noticed how pigmented the blush looked, I twisted it up and swatched some on my hand – and WOW is this pigmented. The formula felt creamy and moisturising, and as I started to blend it into my hand it seemed to melt into my skin leaving a beautifully natural blush – without the greasiness I get from other cream blushes.
Another reason I wanted to try this blush is for its multi-use, it can be used on the lips and cheeks to bring your makeup look together or just add a pop of natural blush, and I’ve even seen some people using it as a creamy eyeshadow.
The brand says to “Apply with your finger or a brush and tap onto cheeks”, and it really is that simple.
Rhode Blush in shade ‘Piggy’. Image – Courtesy of writer
My results
When I applied a couple of dots of this blush to my cheekbones I was pleasantly surprised how pigmented it is. The shade ‘Piggy’ is more of a baby pink shade and it has a slight lilac tinge on my skin tone. It’s a very pretty colour but a little too pale for my skin tone, I’d go for a deeper hue if I was going to buy it again.
I used my fingers to tap the product onto my skin, bringing it up to my temples and hairline for natural warmth.
Unlike other cream blushers I’ve used, you don’t need to warm this product at all. It applies slightly glossy and it’s insanely easy to blend (possibly a little too glossy/oily for my combination skin). However, it’s so dewy and creamy – it looks really natural and it feels hydrating.
I love how natural this looks on the skin, without covering any texture or looking powdery or blotchy. It’s really buildable, too, I even applied some on my nose for that ‘I’ve been on the beach all day’ look – without the sunburn. The only issue is that it felt a little sticky because it dries dewy, but I much prefer that over an unnatural or dry-looking blush.
And it lasts. I topped up once during the evening as I had been out for most of the day and I was meeting friends for dinner, so I applied just 1 dot to the top of my cheekbones and blended it up towards my temples with my fingers. Easy peasy to apply and carry in my handbag.
Rhode Pocket Blush in shade ‘Piggy’ before and after applying and blending on one side of my face and nose. Image – Courtesy of writer
What other users are saying
I’ll start with the packaging, and not everyone likes it.
One user on Reddit writes that “the plastic packaging feels flimsy and unnecessarily big for how much product there is. I don’t think it’s easy to put in your back jeans pocket as advertised”.
Another user even writes that the twist mechanism broke on their blush “I really like the blush formula and IMO it looks cute. However, after using it for a few weeks, I’ve noticed that the one I use the most (Sleepy Girl) has a packaging problem. The twist is not working anymore, and I’ve had to push the blush down manually. Maybe the blush doesn’t stick well to the packaging. Hope they fix this in the future.”
Regarding the actual product and pigment, most people are raving about these blushes, “I’m light-medium neutral and toasted teddy gave me the perfect sun kissed look.” Another user mentions how great some of the shades look on darker skin “I bought Spicy Marg and Toasted Teddy and I was pleasantly surprised at how brown girl friendly they are! I only had one blush I was looking to replace, if you don’t have anything similar- worth it.”
However, I find it a bit strange that some people think there isn’t enough pigment in this blush, because I disagree completely! Others feel as though the formula isn’t very blendable and is greasy, “Blush does not blend well at all. It’s greasy, patchy, and streaky. Avoid!”
On longevity, one user on TikTok writes “it actually lasts a good amount through the day! the dew dries down to a more satin but pigment stays”, and another says “I wore it throughout the day and to the pool and it stayed perfectly!!!”
@stxph.h can’t believe these @rhode skin pocket blushes are finally out!!! Im obsessed- trying every shade for uuu ?
Overall value for money
I think this is quite affordable for what you get, considering it’s got skin-loving ingredients and the virality of the product and brand.
If this one isn’t for you, our editor-in-chief loves the Olio E Osso blusher balms (£31 from Debenhams UK /$28 from Olio E Osso US) which also contain skin-friendly ingredients and give a subtle dewy finish. They are slightly more expensive but they have a better shade range. (You can read a review of the Olio E Osso blusher balm here!)
For a slightly cheaper alternative, Selena Gomez’s Rare Melting Blushers (£21 from Sephora UK /$22 from Sephora US) are said to be really blendable, non-greasy, and portable.
The takeaway
I’m sold on this blush, especially since it looks great with or without base makeup.
It’s enjoyable to use because you don’t need to warm it up and it glides seamlessly over the skin without the need for carrying a brush for application. And the packaging makes it really easy to travel with or carry in your handbag/work bag.
Considering the virality of the product, the skincare ingredients it contains, and the fact that this is a celeb-owned brand, the price is pretty standard – so I think I’ll be checking out their other shades!
Get Glowing!
