Flower Beauty vs. Glossier: battle of the blushes

I really like cream products. I like the easy application–you just dab a bit and go. No brushes or blenders or other tools necessary. It also feels like playing–and really–isn’t the joy of makeup getting to play with color and textures?

We’ve been big fans of the Glossier Cloud Paint since Pamela introduced them to us in spring of 2017. I know she’s still a Cloud Paint stan and I’ve been converted, too. They have been a go-to blush option since they launched and part of my basic makeup routine.

So I was super intrigued when Flower Beauty launched a VERY similar product in the fall of 2018. Flower Beauty Blush Bomb Color Drops are based on the same premise as the Cloud Paints–cream blushes in a tube.

my four from each line: Glossier Cloud Paint and Flower Beauty Blush Bomb Color Drop

Over the past few months–and a few Ulta sales here and there–I’ve grabbed a range of Flower Beauty blushes to compare with my Cloud Paints. I tried to get different colors because I actually want to use them and definitely don’t need anymore redundancy in my makeup collection. I mostly wanted to see how they compare in application, color and wear time.

My basic takeaway: they are both amazing!

Each line has six shades in the range. While it seems like there is overlap–Bubbly and Puff, for example, are both a light cotton candy pink–of the four I have from each line, I find the colors quite different. A lot of my recommendation is based on the colors you want instead of the products themselves. (ftr–i have puff and never use it. too pink for me.)

There are really only two drawbacks to the Glossier Cloud Paints: 1) you can only order them online (unless you wade through the CRAZY that is the NYC flagship store) which means you have to meet minimums for shipping, etc. 2) they are SO pigmented a little really goes a long way so you do have to be a little careful when using them. Their tube has a wider opening where the Color Drop releases less product per squeeze–which is nice.

the glossier store in nyc was probably the busiest store i’ve ever been in

But the benefits of Cloud Paint are mighty: amazing color payoff, super long lasting–both on your cheeks and in the tube–it will take me forever to work through one of them–and the color selection has everything you need.

With Flower Beauty, you can get them at Ulta or anywhere Flower Beauty is sold including Walmart, which makes it very convenient to give them a try. (and remember–you can always return it if you don’t like something, including through glossier!) And they are $10 instead of $18 with Glossier, and you can often get them on a discount.

Color Drops are also less pigmented so I find them a little easier to use. I’m not as concerned about the possibility of clown cheeks with their formula. Their wear time is slightly less than the Cloud Paint, but comparable.

There really aren’t downsides to the Color Drops aside from a few missing colors. My favorite Glossier Cloud Paints is Storm. It looks really intimidating because it seems like its dark red, but it leaves a gorgeous rosy finish. I love it. I don’t see there is a similar option through Flower Beauty.

I also have Haze from Glossier and Bitten from Flower Beauty–a purple berry color–and between the two, I prefer Haze. It has a softer hue and doesn’t read as harsh considering how pale I am. They aren’t exactly the same, but I’m likely to return Bitten because I don’t see myself using both.

And while the Cloud Paint Beam seems to be the same as Color Drop’s Nectar, Beam is a lot peachier. Nectar is more coral and has more brown to it. I like them both. I don’t have the Cloud Paint coral option, Dawn so I wonder if it’s closer to Nectar. But I would just stick to Nectar for a coral cheek. I have used Beam a lot though–especially in the summer–and love it.

Of the Cloud Paints, as I mentioned, I don’t have Dawn and I also don’t have Dusk. But my favorite of the Color Drops is Pinched, which I think is the perfect everyday blush color. I’m not sure how to describe it exactly. It’s not a bronzer but it does warm up your cheeks. It’s also not very pink or peach or berry–it just reads like a perfect nude lipstick–but for your cheeks. I’m obsessed. Dusk might be closest to it for Cloud Paints, but I don’t have it to confirm. I find it’s an especially great compliment on red lip kinda days.

Speaking of bronzers, I also have Color Drop in Cinnamon which I use as a bronzer, not a blush, and really like it. I think it pairs perfectly with Pinched and I can see myself putting these two together often.

me wearing pinched and cinnamon today–although not super easy to see

Overall, I think they are both great! I love the concept, application and finish. I would decide based on the colors you want and if you want to just pick it up or have other Glossier orders to make. I’ve liked a lot of Flower Beauty products including these and they are often discounted at Ulta. Glossier has a discount on buying two Cloud Paints at once which also gives you free shipping, if you were thinking of trying them out.

You really can’t go wrong with either option if cream blush is your jam.

Have you tried these products? What do you think? Please comment below!

And yes–paid for by me.


What I’ve purchased through Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty so far…

Three Ulta related posts in a row! Sheesh! But I kinda love this sale–I think its marketing genius–and it gets me looking at stuff I forgot about or stuff I’ve wanted to try or stuff I never knew existed.

So I’ve been taking full advantage of the promotion and pick up a bunch of things.

Again–you can ALWAYS return things at any retailer: Ulta, Sephora, Walgreens–so if you don’t like it, take it back.

While I haven’t’ tried everything I’ve purchased, so far there haven’t been any big misses that I know will be returned.

So here’s what I’ve purchased and my initial thoughts on them.

Mario Badescu: last Saturday was the 25% off Mario day, so I stocked up on a few things and picked up a few things to try.

Continue reading What I’ve purchased through Ulta’s 21 Days of Beauty so far…

Pretty good actually: current drugstore makeup favorites

While it’s true—I just spent way too much money during the Sephora spring sale—there’s been a lot of drugstore items I’ve been using in heavy rotation lately.

I have my tried and trues that have already been mentioned.  We talk about the Maybelline Eyestudio® ColorTattoo® 24HR Cream Gel Eye ad nauseum,  I’ve posted about my love for the Maybelline® Instant Age Rewind® Eraser Dark Circles Concealer + Treatment on our Facebook page (are you following? you should!) and the L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lash Mascara will always be in my makeup bag.

But lately I’ve ventured out and found some drugstore products—some new releases, some just new to me—that I’m totally digging.

Makeup in rotation

Here’s just a few:

Physician’s Formula ® Bronzer Light:  This bronzer has been a YouTube favorite for a while, but I hadn’t tried it until a recently. CVS had a little sale going (still does) so I picked it up. It is exactly as promised—perfection! I don’t generally wear bronzer because the color always seems wrong on me and I feel like I look too made up. (always an issue for me—loving makeup but being more comfortable with a no-makeup makeup look.) Since I picked it up, I’ve been wearing this daily. I love it.

Continue reading Pretty good actually: current drugstore makeup favorites

Disappointing products I have—or will be—returning

I’m not afraid to return products if I don’t like them. It’s definitely a hassle to make the trip to Sephora or Ulta (I probably buy 80% of my makeup online. the other 20% tend to be impulse purchases at Walgreens or other drugstores) but if a product isn’t worth the price—back it goes.

Recently, I’ve had a rash of products I’ve decided to return. Here are a few and my reasons for taking them back:

Continue reading Disappointing products I have—or will be—returning

High vs Low: New Urban Decay vs Wet ‘n Wild Liquid Lipstick

Love it or hate it, liquid lipsticks are having a moment right now. I mean, they have their place in my makeup drawer, since it’s a great choice when you need a long wearing, super pigmented, transfer-resistant lip color. The downside is that they can be drying, too matte, crumbly, and a mess to take off. Truth be told, my bar on liquid lipstick is set pretty high- I know what the gold standard product is, and everything else falls short. With that in mind, though, let’s test out two new products that launched this month:

Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick $18

Urban Decay makes up the vast majority of lipsticks in my collection- their Vice Lipstick (formerly Revolution Lipstick) is THE BEST, so I had super high expectations for this launch. I planned out my purchase a few days in advance (with 30 shades to choose from, I needed to strategize), and decided to go with two shades that were exclusive to Urban Decay’s website: Brat, a “warm baby pink” and Crank, a “bright berry fuchsia”. In the days between placing my order and getting the lipstick in my hands, I watched a few YouTube reviews. They were wildly mixed- everything from “uuugh” to “best lip product ever!”, and to be frank, I was a bit suspicious about how few reviews were even out there- are they so bad that people aren’t even talking about it?? My package came just as I was getting ready to go out for dinner to celebrate my husband’s birthday, so I was pumped to try them out. First, I tried Brat, and it was…. weird. The color looks like I smashed up some Pepto tablets and smeared them on my mouth. The formula was a bit streaky going on, but not un-workable, and felt comfortable and not too dry on my lips when it dried down. The color though… yikes. Lyn actively recoiled when I snapped her a picture of me wearing it. The next one, Crank, was definitely straight up purple, not berry as described. Not a bad color, actually, just… not what I was expecting. This one also went on pretty streaky, and the pigment would bunch up in places, and if I went back over to try to blend out or add color, it would just make it worse. Also worth noting for both shades? I had to re-dip into the tube quite a few times. I got it to “good enough” and, after realizing it was also all over my teeth, headed out the door to dinner.

Now, these lipsticks are described as “life proof”, and given the amount of oil cleanser and effort needed to switch them out just during my initial try-on earlier that night, I was inclined to believe it. My lips did not transfer onto my wine glass, which I felt was impressive. But, two hours and one dinner (which I tried to eat daintily!) later, I was left with a purple ring around my mouth. Not cute.

I’m sending these back- luckily Urban Decay has a great return policy. I am curious about some of the metallics and a few other unique colors, and might check them out when they hit stores this week, but my hopes are low. Honestly, though, I was surprised to see how many shades in the new collection already exist in the Vice Lipstick collection, so really, just stick with those. They are SO GREAT, and the lipstick version of their comfort matte formula performs and looks SO MUCH BETTER.

Wet n’ Wild MegaLast Liquid Catsuit Matte Lipstick $4.99

Well well well, what do we have here? Wet n’ Wild launched a short run of these liquid lipsticks at Halloween, and I was super impressed with the wear, so I was stoked to see they brought this formula back in new shades for their Spring launch. Let me tell you, friends- this is a good product. First off, the component (tube and applicator) are EXACTLY THE SAME as Jeffree Star’s, which is excellent. See how the doefoot is curved there? That applies the product so nicely. Second, this formula is a little more… mousse-like? So it goes on in one swipe. The color is bold and pigmented. Now, it does feel a little more dry on the lips, but not so much where it feels like tempra paints (looking at you, Milani!)- there is still some flexibility, and it doesn’t get chunky or flake off. For the price, I’m willing to put up with it. I would go back to Walgreen’s and stock up on more colors, except…

… I don’t think liquid lipsticks are for me. Like I mentioned above, there is a time and a place and maybe a unique color, but overall, I think I prefer a matte cream formula. With a lipliner, they are just as long-wearing, and fade rather than crumble. Besides, isn’t sneaking off to the bathroom to reapply your lipstick part of the fun?

No one ever sends me free stuff, so no one is paying me for compliments. I should also note that both products were tested with the same lip liner base (UD Ozone) for fairness, and to save my winter lips. Seriously, why are we even wearing liquid lips in the winter?! Tell us what you think about liquid lipsticks in the comments!