As a beauty editor I'm sceptical of hyped-up products, but Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is *that* good

I don’t know about you, but when a product goes viral on social media and dozens of people are lauding it as a “game-changer” or hyperbolising that they “can’t live without it”, my initial reaction is to feel slightly dubious. (I’m the same with hyped-up films, restaurants, books, etc.) However, I needn’t have worried with the Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush because, let me tell you, TikTok is right. It is one of the best blushers and it really is a gamechanger. 

Celebrity beauty brands as a category are a topic that, if we’re truly honest, divides people. You're either in the camp that can't wait to buy in to what your favourite star is selling, or you're confused by what qualifies this famous person to tell you what to put on your skin. But Selena Gomez has really got it right with Rare Beauty and, I’d say, is up there with Fenty Beauty in terms of success. The branding is lovely, the price tags, while not cheap, are not extortionate, and the products make sense. Most important of all, though, it’s flipping good make-up. I'm thinking a lot of people buy into the Selena dream, but become repeat customers because the products are so great. 

The Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is one of the range's products that gets the most air time on both TikTok and Instagram, and I can hand on heart say that it’s one of the best. Despite having oily skin, the best liquid blush is now a staple in my make-up bag. Good formulas won’t slide off your face within the first hour of wear with rich colour payoff—two things that this one absolutely nails. 

The thing I love most about it is its ability to add a healthy wash of colour—even when I'm run down and looking unwell. The shade range is also great; the highly-pigmented formula comes in 13 different wearable shades, covering everything from coral to deep berry, bright pink to soft beige. It also blends beautifully and has worked well with every single base product I've worn it over. It pairs incredibly well with my favourite IT Cosmetics CC Cream. 

I’d agree with anybody who pointed out that £22 for a blusher isn’t exactly a steal and far from the cheapest option on the market, but let me assure you your money goes a long way. The first time I tried the blusher I put on what I thought was just a dab and it was far, far too much. You only need a smallish dot to create a nice flushed glow. The shade Hope, which I'm wearing below lives in my everyday make-up bag and is my most-used but I’ve barely made a dent in it. It will last me a really long time.

If I had to dish out one small bit of criticism, it’d be that although the blushers are available in both matte and dewy finishes, I’m not sure the latter would be considered dewy enough for those who want that slightly wet-look sheen. I actually only own the dewy ones, so the good news is that they play nicely with oilier skin, too. The packaging can also get a little messy inside the lid, but that’s really all I have in terms of downsides (which these hardly qualify as).

If you've been on the fence about trying it from now, take it from me that it's worth trying. Overall, it's up there with my most-used, all-time favourite make-up products.