I Tested Glow Recipe's Brand New Blushes (Along With Every Other Product From the Brand)
These 9 gave me some seriously glowy skin.
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My simple pleasure in life is a perfectly curated skincare shelf. While there's no shortage of aesthetically pleasing moisturizer tubs and pretty face serum bottles nowadays, you can't always guarantee that the formula inside will also be efficacious. That is, unless, we're talking about Glow Recipe. The skincare powerhouse has become one of the most viral brands in the U.S., and inside the brightly colored containers are clinically tested, fruit-forward potions that deliver a glass-like glow.
To experience the Glow Recipe hype for myself, I swapped out my entire skincare routine for a full Glow Recipe regimen. While most dermatologists and fellow beauty editors would advise against this (oops), I put my skin on the line, you know, for science, and the results were brilliant. After just a few weeks of nothing but Glow Recipe, I started receiving daily (!) compliments on my skin. A month in, and my complexion has never been softer or more radiant. Through my little experiment, I've been able to narrow down my top 10 favorite products. Keep reading to discover the best Glow Recipe products, whether you're after glass-like skin or simply want cute skincare that actually works.
Pros
- Surprisingly v pigmented
- Filled with hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane
Cons
- Packaging is on the smaller side
Meet Glow Recipe's latest launch—liquid blushes loaded with skincare ingredients. We're talkin' niacinamide, squalane, watermelon extract, hyaluronic acid, and sooo much more are packed into the glowy formula. The applicator also dispenses the perf amount of product to add pigment to your cheeks.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, squalane, hyaluronic acid, watermelon
- Size: .4 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "As a liquid blush-obsessed beauty editor, I've tried nearly every formula out there. And I love this one from Glow Recipe for a pigmented sheen. It leaves just the right amount of flush on my cheeks and feels super lightweight. Since it's basically skincare, it blends really well onto my face and doesn't dry patchy."—Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor
Pros
- Can be used for morning or night use
- Loaded with plumping ingredients
Cons
- Jar packaging might get a little messy
This whipped formula floods your face with hella hydration, courtesy of polyglutamic acid and hyaluronic acid, both of which pull water in the skin to increase moisture and plump. Every time I put this on, I look like a lil glazed donut, and my skin maintains that bounciness through the day. A little bit goes a very long way too. In one month, I made such a small dent in the jar that you can barely tell I used any at all.
- Key Ingredients: Polyglutamic acid, hyaluronic acid, plum, ice willowherb
- Size: 1.7 and 0.68 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "I'm super picky about my morning moisturizer making my skin feel juicy and plump but not overdoing it on the moisture to feel heavy on my oily skin. This ticks all my boxes, since it's so lightweight and gel-like yet packs a lot of hydration."—Beth Gillette, beauty editor
Pros
- Simultaneously sweeps pores and soothes the skin
- Cosmo Readers' Choice Award Winner
Cons
- The watermelon scent might be a bit to strong for some
This viral toner won a Cosmo Readers' Choice Award in 2024 for its beloved formula that simultaneously cleans and smooths the skin. It's also filled with plant extracts that will keep inflammation at bay and soothe the skin, so it's great to use before serums or actives.
- Key ingredients: Watermelon extract, PHA, BHA
- Size: 5 oz.
One Cosmo editor says: "This toner is v gentle on my skin and is great for wiping the day off my face. I love using it at night after taking off my makeup when I feel like my pores need an extra sweep. It also isn't overly drying which my skin appreciates."—JH
Pros
- Adds a bronzey glow to my skin
- Easily blends into the skin
Cons
- A few reviewers said it was slightly too deep for their skin (but they could mix with moisturizer to tone it down)
This hybrid serum quickly calms the skin with centella asiatica, all the while delivering that signature Glow Recipe radiance with a combination of niacinamide and hydrating hyaluronic acid. My fave thing, though, is the bronzy glow it leaves behind.
FYI: We also love the O.G. version of these, which have no tint and just offer up the same soothing, hydrating, glowy look to your skin. You use them the exact same way: Pat on clean skin, either all over for a whole lotta dewiness or just where you want to add a natural highlight.
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, watermelon
- Size: 1.35 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "I love mixing this serum with my primer or moisturizer on the days where i want to add some warmth into my skin. I look like I got the perfect amount of sun when I use itn it's a super natural finish. I also love that they're more blendable than other bronzing drops out there."—JH
Pros
- V lightweight yet hydrating
Cons
- A few testers said it felt a bit sticky on their skin
The people who say that an essence is too excessive in their skincare routine must not have tried this hydration-enhancing one. The toner-essence hybrid, which is infused with cloudberry concentrate (you know, those cute little orange berries you sometimes see at Trader Joe's) absorbs right into my skin as I pat it on, leaving me with a radiant finish.
- Key Ingredients: Cloudberry concentrate, coenzyme Q10, glycerin, rice water
- Size: 2.53 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "This is ideal for layering underneath my other serums and moisturizers to give them a moisturizing boost. I also need to call out the packaging here—seeing the bright bottle on my vanity lifts my mood every time I step into my bathroom."—Mary Honkus, beauty contributor
Pros
- Foams up to a strong lather
Cons
- Not every tester liked the scent
This gentle formula transforms from a gel to a foamy lather and effectively rinses away makeup, dirt, sweat, and other debris from the day, providing a deep clean without making the skin feel tight or stripped. This is thanks to a blend of antioxidant-rich blueberry extract, hyaluronic acid, and AHAs that hydrate and lightly exfoliate.
- Key Ingredients: Blueberry extract, hyaluronic acid, AHA
- Size: 5.4 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "I know washing your face feels like a chore, especially after a long night out, but I catch myself romanticizing my daily cleanse since adding this face cleanser to my routine. Oh, and the sweet blueberry scent is also a nice energizing touch."—MH
Pros
- Exfoliates the skin with AHAs
- Gentle enough for sensitive skin
Cons
- Not hydrating enough on its own, IMO
Along with a powerful blend of AHAs (glycolic acid and lactic acid, specifically), this formula also includes skin-balancing hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to enhance moisture levels and reveal a professional facial-level glow come morning. It sounds intense, but it's actually pretty gentle on skin.
- Key Ingredients: Glycolic acid, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
- Size: 2 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "Between the fun jelly texture, sweet watermelon scent, and joyful pink hue, this overnight treatment makes exfoliating the most enjoyable part of my skincare routine. The consistency is unlike anything I've ever tried, which makes smoothing it on a luxurious experience." —MH
Pros
- Loaded with peptides to help firm and smooth skin
- Multitasking formula
Cons
- Can take a few months of consistency notice results
If you're looking to simplify your skincare routine, this silky serum addresses pretty much every major skin concern, from fine lines and wrinkles to dryness and loss of elasticity. The secret lies in the hero ingredients: Polypeptides encourage collagen production while pomegranate works to soften, smooth, and tighten skin.
- Key Ingredients: Polypeptides, pomegranate seed oil, hyaluronic acid
- Size: 1.01 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "I apply two pumps every night, and I swear my skin started to appear bouncier and more supple in just two weeks. It's one of my favorite multitasking serums out there."—MH
Pros
- Helps exfoliate and mattify skin with salicylic acid
- Makes my makeup go on *so* smooth
Cons
- I wish the bottle were bigger
While most Glow Recipe products are great for making your skin glowy as all hell, this one is for all the oily people. Using salicylic acid, this blurring primer helps smooth and mattify skin to give your face a soft canvas before makeup. However, while most primers use dimethicone to smooth, this one actually uses tapioca and rice powders, which makes foundation and concealer apply so much better, IMO. But it also works as a fantastic skincare product too, gently exfoliating and sloughing away dead skin.
- Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, tapioca, rice, strawberry leaf exctract
- Size: 1 oz
One Cosmo editor says: "Oily ppl to the front!! I love how well this formula keeps shine at bay but never makes my skin look dry. Just soft like a fluffy cloud." — BG
Why Trust 'Cosmopolitan'?
Jasmine Hyman is the assistant beauty editor at Cosmopolitan who covers all the best skincare launches out there. As an acne-prone editor, she loves researching skin-loving products including everything from LED masks to foundations. She's been a Glow Recipe stan for years, and she got her hands on the latest blush launch weeks in advance to test ahead of this story.
Mary Honkus is a contributor for Cosmopolitan with five years of experience researching, writing, and editing beauty stories, including reviewing every Maison Margiela Replica perfume and finding the most spot-on Baccarat Rouge 540 dupes. She's an authority in all beauty categories and is a true skincare fanatic. For this story, she swapped out her entire skincare routine and replaced each item with Glow Recipe's line. She spent an entire month exclusively using Glow Recipe to find the top products the brand has to offer.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
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