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Hailey Bieber is the queen of food-themed beauty trends on Tik Tok, like glazed donut skin, strawberry girl blush, and espresso makeup. She’s arguably the beauty trendsetter of this generation.
Her skincare brand, Rhode, has become an Internet sensation among Gen Z. At every Rhode pop-up, many girls seem to model Hailey’s style: crop tops, oversized jeans, slicked-back hair, Y2K sunglasses, and Rhode’s phone cases. The Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin smoothie was released in 2022 at the highly coveted supermarket chain, Erewhon. Two years later, it continues to be their best-selling smoothie. Everything she touches turns to gold!
After the success of Rhode skincare, the brand has made its foray into the makeup world by releasing the Pocket Blush. These cream blushes come in six shades and are designed to be thrown in your purse. I wish they had created a packaging like this with the Peptide Lip treatment! The packaging gets dirty very easily, especially if you carry it in your purse like I do. But I digress…
To celebrate the release of the Pocket Blushes, Rhode did a pop-up in Soho, NY. Some fans arrived as early as 5 am. Due to the massive turnout, the brand closed the line after reaching maximum capacity.
I had a positive experience with Rhode’s skincare products, and I looked forward to the release of these blushes. Blush is my favorite makeup product that I can’t get enough of. If I could only take three beauty products with me to a desert island, blush would be on the top of the list.
The Pocket Blushes were released on June 20 at 10 am and sold out on the first day. I was on the website at 9:55, ready to snag my shade, Sleepy Girl. As someone with a medium complexion, mauve and berry colors complement my skin tone the best. Sleepy Girl and Toasted Teddy are the two darkest shades.
Once I added Sleepy Girl to my cart, the checkout process took about 5 minutes because there was a queue. Yes, an online queue!
Fast-forward to a few days later, the Pocket Blush promptly arrived at my doorstep.
First impressions
It’s very tiny! After I got the Pocket Blush, I read the description on the website: “DREAMY, CREAMY, teeny.” In the pictures, the models can be seen holding the tiny blush, but I thought it was an exaggerated visual effect for the photoshoot. I didn’t take it literally.
Formula
The Pocket Blushes are formulated with peptides and tamanu oil. This oil is very thick and rich in fatty acids. It’s also anti-inflammatory and supports collagen production. The formula of this blush is very lightweight, but the oil makes it very greasy.
Application
At first sight, it looks like the blushes are going to be very pigmented, but they’re not! They are very dewy, with a sheer wash of color that mutes once you blend it on your cheeks.
Instead of applying the product directly onto my cheeks, I rubbed it with my finger and swatched it on the back of my hand.
Rhode says the blushes are buildable. However, after a few tries of rubbing my finger into the product and patting it onto my skin, I was still not satisfied with the pigment. So, I applied the tube directly on my cheeks to see if it made any difference. It slightly did. This is the result after applying four layers. The Pocket Blushes have a satin finish.
I also tried applying the blush on my lips for the trendy monochromatic look, but it looked weird. So I applied the Peptide Lip Treatment, which I always have handy.
On the website, it says that the blushes will melt into your skin and give you baby soft cheeks with a natural glow. But in the pictures, the blush looks more pigmented. That’s why I carefully looked at all the photos before selecting my shade.
Here’s the blush in natural light. As you can see, the color is very muted compared to the pictures on the website.
Before blending / after blending on bare skin
Overall thoughts
When I got home at around 11 AM, the soft flush of color was still there, but it wasn’t too noticeable. If we’re talking about cream/liquid blushes, Saie Dew Liquid Blush is my number one favorite, followed by Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush.
I like very pigmented blushes where I’m able to control the intensity. Makeup is expensive, and I don’t want to have to apply a product multiple times to get pigment. After I got home, I put on the Saie blush on top. What a difference!
The Saie blush is very pigmented, but once you spread it, it looks effortlessly natural. I can’t tell you how many compliments I get when I wear it! With this being said, I don’t think I’m the right target demographic for Rhode’s makeup line. It’s also important to remember that Hailey Bieber is partial to soft makeup looks. She loves to diffuse her blushes to achieve a very soft and healthy flush on her cheeks. I, on the other hand, like my blushes to be more noticeable.
I also don’t like how greasy the formula felt. I already use my oils and serums diligently at night, and I don’t want the thick texture of an oil in my makeup products.
If you’re looking for a blush focused on skincare with a VERY natural finish, then the Pocket Blush might be the right choice for you. If, on the other hand, you’re used to highly pigmented blushes, I’d look into other brands. In a market that is so oversaturated with cream blushes, I thought Rhode was going to come guns blazing, but I was left disappointed.
After I wrote this post, I read the review from Stylecaster.com. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought these blushes were a letdown! The author said:
“Since I’m so used to Cloud Paint (Glossier), I always apply the tiniest amount because of how pigmented it is. But in terms of color payoff, the Pocket Blush left a lot to be desired. To me, it seems a little excessive to have to apply the blush and blend it out multiple times to get a more saturated look.”
The beauty editors at Marie Claire magazine tried on different shades. The girl on the right is wearing Piggy, but it’s barely visible.
Here’s Tamison O’Connor, Elle’s UK Fashion Director wearing the darkest shade, Toasted Teddy. She said: “I’ll keep this blush at work when for when I need a little touch up before heading out for the evening — but it won’t be replacing Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in my main make-up bag anytime soon.”
Youtuber Tess Chung tried the six shades on her Youtube channel. Here’s what Sleepy Girl looks like on the back of her hand + blended on her cheeks.
The first time I tried the Pocket Blush I had to apply four layers. Imagine if I had to do that every time I use it. For a few more dollars, you can get a cream blush at Sephora that will meet your skincare and color payoff needs.
The Rhode team heavily focused on skincare and not enough on pigmentation. Peptide is an ingredient that is omnipresent in the Rhode skincare line. Why not venture into other ingredients? I only wore the blush with foundation, but given how subtle it is, I would not reach for this blush if I’m doing a full glam makeup look.
If I had to compare the Pocket Blush versus all the cream blushes that are killing it at Sephora, like Merit, Fenty Beauty, Milk, or Westman Atelier, they blow the Pocket Blushes out of the water. 🙁
Had the Pocket Blush not been shipped all the way from the East Coast, I’d have returned it.
Update (October 2024): After I wrote this article, I wore the Pocket Blush one final time. Sadly, it’s been sitting in my makeup cabinet collecting dust. 🙁
