Hailey Bieber’s Rhode beauty brand has always intrigued me, along with—it’s safe to say—many other consumers of the celebrity-beauty-industrial complex. Here’s an intentional line of well-made, efficacious products with no muss or fuss, no product saturation, and a genuine skincare enthusiast at the helm (albeit a very famous one). Most of all, the products are actually good—ask any professional makeup artist or aesthetician in the know.
Naturally, my ears perked up when I heard a blush product that fits in your pocket was coming from Rhode. I am a makeup novice, so any beauty stuff that enters my orbit must check the following boxes: it must be very, very easy to use, it must have some sort of skin benefit (because why else am I using it?), and it must fit into my Very Small Purses.
Rhode’s new blush range, which launched this week, has arrived at the perfect time: while I work on my summer tan (please, don’t look in my direction until early August). The blushes are small and toy-like, but that’s intentional. The packaging, while simplistic, prompted the same frisson of joy I felt when I’d open a chocolate Kinder Egg or a new Polly Pocket as a kid. My first swipe of the actual blush itself was in the shade Toasted Teddy, a terra-cotta, bronze-y dream that prompted a real glow. I swiped the color directly onto my cheeks and the bridge of my nose, then blended out with my fingers. I looked like I had spent a day in the sun at Lake Michigan, even though I’ve yet to sink my toes into the sand this season. The tamanu oil in the formula—a fatty nut oil with anti aging and moisturizing benefits—left my skin feeling super-hydrated. I have a combination skin type, and using makeup products often results in dryness, even when I apply cream or liquid formulas. Rhode’s Pocket Blush exceeded my expectations in this respect—I actually felt like I had applied extra moisturizer to my cheeks, even hours after that first application.
Next up was Piggy, a shade I was nervous to try, since it’s a bright, somewhat shocking shade of pink. I’m normally one to go for more neutral hues, since my skin has an olive undertone, but I was pleasantly surprised by this product. In fact, my first thought when I put it on was, “This shade would look good on so many different skin tones.” I applied the hot pink color on my eyelids and, for good measure, my lips, which created a subtly monochromatic look. I could see Miss Pocket Piggy being especially versatile in winter, when my makeup needs a jolt of color.
Last but not least was Freckle, a peachy delight that I used on a night out. I threw the blush in my purse, knowing I needed to apply some more before arriving at my destination. I dabbed a bit of blush onto my finger and patted it onto my cheekbones, nice and quick—perfect. Take a look in the tiniest mini-bag of mine, and you’ll surely find a Rhode blush there.
