Robert Welsh has looked at more than 40 blushes and bronzers, and his approval rate sits at 59%. That means a little over half made the cut, a fair number got a mixed take, and a solid chunk he passed on entirely. If you want to know which products he actually liked and which ones he called out by name, his record is worth a close look.
What does Robert Welsh recommend in blush & bronzer?
When Robert Welsh approves a product in this category, the word that comes up again and again is blendability. He praised the Haus Labs Power Sculpt Velvet Bronzer for going on so smoothly it barely felt like a powder, calling it 'velvety' and 'a gel powder' that sits beautifully. He loves the Lily by Red Love Beam Cheek Balm with, as he put it, 'my whole heart', pointing to a creamy formula that builds without caking and a shade range he found genuinely inclusive. He also values products that are quick and effortless to use, singling out the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter as 'very quick, very easy'. For him, texture is not a small thing. A product that drags, piles up, or disappears into the skin tends not to survive his review.
In his words
"I love these blushes with my whole heart. [...] Don't let the heart packaging fool you. These are stunning. I love the formula. It's like a creamy, I don't describe it as a dry cream, but it sits beautifully on skin texture. [...] It's a moisturizing blush, easy to build without caking, and it's encased in a heart shaped container. I really love them. [...] I think they're really beautiful. I think they make great shades. Very inclusive shades."
"I have the Rare Beauty highlighter in the shade Exhilarate. [...] I'm gonna tap it into here. [...] Oh, yeah, that's nice. That's nice. [...] That was so quick and easy. [...] It's very quick, very easy. If you're a bit curious of where to put your highlight, that's a really good technique. I really, really like that."
"I'm adding a little bit of Saie Dew Blush."
"I love the e.l.f. Camo Bronzer. It depends on what I want that day, if I want to glow or if I want it to be matte, then I change it up a little bit."
"I really like those. This is a classic product that works really well."
"What's so nice about this powder is it doesn't even go on like a powder. It's extremely smooth and extremely easy to blend. [...] This bronzer is velvety. It is extremely smooth. It's a gel powder, and it's beautiful to wear."
How many blushes and bronzers has Robert Welsh reviewed?
Robert Welsh has reviewed 46 blushes and bronzers, for an approval rate of 59%. 27 approved, 8 mixed, and 11 skipped.
What has Robert Welsh skipped in blush & bronzer?
Where Robert Welsh parts ways with a product, it is usually for one of two reasons: weak pigment or an indefensible price tag, and sometimes both at once. He called the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush (reformulated) one of the worst blushes he has ever tried, describing it as 'pigmentless' with 'terrible texture', and said the reformulated version still was not good, particularly steep at $34. The Patrick Ta Double-Take Creme and Powder Blush Duo drew similar criticism, with him saying it looked 'basically like dust' when swatched and was 'pretty useless for the price'. He found the Milani Baked Bronzer in Amalfi Glow dry for what should have been a smooth baked formula. The Givenchy Prisme Libre Mousseline Bronze Bronzer Powder drew a pointed observation about its shade range: he found three shades of bronzer from one of the world's biggest fashion houses simply impossible to justify.
"It was one of the worst blushes I've ever tried in my life. Pigmentless, terrible texture. And I've also used it after the reformulation of the product, and it still wasn't great. I have to be honest, I do like Dior products, don't get me wrong, I love their face and body powder and their highlighters, but this blush is or was just shit. And it's $34 for a blush that's pretty small and actually pretty shallow as well. [...] It's so fine and lightweight that you hardly see it on the skin."
"What I was originally going to say about these products are they are not worth it. They're pretty useless for the price. I've never tried them. I've seen people try them online on their hands swatching them and it basically looks like dust. [...] Makeup is meant to have pigment. It is a lightweight blush. However, here's what gets me about these products. The pigmentation, the depth, and the heaviness of your blend depends on you."
"I don't think this is a very good bronzer. I don't like the way that's sitting on my skin at all. [...] I have definitely used drugstore bronzers that are much much nicer than this. [...] The color is fine but it's just a little bit dry. Although it's baked and baked products are meant to be that really super soft blendable texture, whereas this feels dry for a mineral product. That doesn't feel good on skin at all."
"These three shades, Mousseline Bronze, Poplin Bronze, Oranza Bronze, that's it? Three shades? I don't understand. One of the biggest fashion houses in the whole world who constantly uses deep, deep skin tone models on their runways, and this is what you give us for your beauty part: three shades of bronzer. These brands with all this money, you could do anything. You have all the money and yet you choose to bring out three shades of bronzer. I don't understand."
What should you take from Robert Welsh's picks?
Robert Welsh's record on blushes and bronzers is honest and specific. He named the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter and the e.l.f. Putty Blush as his standout picks in this category. Beyond those, his approvals follow a clear through-line: smooth textures, real pigment, and fair pricing. His skips are just as useful, because he names names and says exactly why. Anyone shopping this category would do well to check whether he has weighed in on the product first.
Watch Robert Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch HighlighterNamed a winnerWatch at 8:35
- e.l.f. Putty BlushNamed a winnerWatch at 7:45
- Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush (reformulated)Skipped itWatch at 1:26
- Patrick Ta Double-Take Creme and Powder Blush DuoSkipped itWatch at 1:50
- Milani Baked Bronzer in Amalfi GlowSkipped itWatch at 16:15
- Givenchy Prisme Libre Mousseline Bronze Bronzer PowderSkipped itWatch at 18:55
- Ofra Rodeo Drive HighlighterSkipped itWatch at 16:17
- Polite Society Polite Pops Powder Blush Stick - LondonSkipped itWatch at 17:58
- Gucci BronzerSkipped itWatch at 4:12
- Maybelline Cloud Topia Blush in Coral IllusionSkipped itWatch at 8:53
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Smooth Blur Matte Powder BronzerSkipped itWatch at 5:31
- Rhode Pocket BlushSkipped itWatch at 1:28
- Dior Forever Couture Luminizer HighlighterSkipped itWatch at 18:29
- Lily by Red Love Beam Cheek BalmRated itWatch at 14:09
- Saie Dew BlushRated itWatch at 10:12
- e.l.f. Camo BronzerRated itWatch at 36:39
- Benefit Benetint Liquid Lip & Cheek StainRated itWatch at 13:42
- Haus Labs Power Sculpt Velvet BronzerRated itWatch at 9:29
- Covergirl True Blend Skin Enhancer Contour Balm StickRated itWatch at 8:42
- Laura Geller Serum Blush Cheek TintRated itWatch at 33:09
- Sephora Collection ContourRated itWatch at 4:10
- Romand Juicy Roll Cheek BlushesRated itWatch at 7:47
- Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer Liquid HighlighterRated itWatch at 9:23
- Hindash Luna Gradient HighlighterRated itWatch at 10:11
About this expert
See everything Robert Welsh has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Robert Welsh said across his videos about 46 products in blush & bronzer, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.