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I vividly remember the launch of Glossier’s Cloud Paint. The year was 2017, and no-makeup makeup was at its peak. Everyone was obsessed with skincare, and no one really cared about makeup—especially blush—but Glossier’s little tubes of sunset-colored pigments changed all of that. They made blush a thing cool people wore thanks to marketing that idealized skin that looks “like you just took a nap on a boat” and an unfussy formula you could easily blend with fingers. Cloud Paint was disruptive (cringe word, but it feels right in this context) for the time. It converted an entire generation of millennials like me into blush lovers and inspired countless dupes.
Fast-forward to now, and blush is by far the most popular makeup product of the moment. My inbox is full of new powder, cream, and liquid blush launches, my FYP is a constant stream of blush tutorials, and two of the top-performing stories on the Cosmo site right now are about how to apply blush for your face shape and how to choose a blush shade for your skin tone. So when Glossier told me about Cloud Paint Plush Blush—a new powder version of the iconic Cloud Paint—I wasn’t surprised. 2025 is the year of blush, after all, and it makes sense for the brand to jump on the bandwagon. What I wasn’t sure of was whether or not this new version of Cloud Paint could live up to the OG and make as much of an impact in the beauty space. So, in true beauty editor fashion, I tested Plush Blush for three weeks, and now? I’m ready to share my thoughts. Keep scrolling for my full review of the new Cloud Paint Plush Blush plus notes on how it compares to the original formula.
About Glossier’s Cloud Paint Plush Blush
- What it is: A lightweight, soft-matte powder blush that is blurring, is buildable, and lasts for up to 8 hours on skin.
- Shades: 10
- Price: $26
- Where to buy: sephora.com and glossier.com
My review
First impressions:
I’m so into the bright, graphic packaging!! Plush Blush looks simply joyous. I also really love the texture. It’s a soft, slightly pillowy powder that melts and blends like a cream. As for the shades, I was expecting the Plush Blush range to exactly match the OG Cloud Paint range, but there is some variation (only four of the shades overlap), which was slightly confusing at first. Luckily, my favorite Cloud Paint shade—Beam (a pale peach)—is a part of the new Plush Blush collection. Overall, though, the options are stunning. The collection of poppy pinks, berry tones, and warm peaches will no doubt suit a variety of skin tones and can be used to create a bold blush look or soft flush. I’m also obsessed with Bloom—a bright bubblegum-pink.
How I used it:
Glossier claims that Plush Blush, despite being a powder, can be applied with fingers or a brush, but a brush is the only way to go, IMO. In fact, Glossier also just launched the Cloud Paint Blush Brush, a new dual-ended tool designed to help apply both versions of Cloud Paint. Admittedly, I didn’t love the brush (it felt a little flimsy in my hand), but I like that it’s got a silicone side for tapping in Cloud Paint and a more traditional bristle for sweeping on Plush Blush. I ultimately used my Ciele blush brush to tap Beam on the apples of my cheeks and then blend up across my cheekbones and outer eye area. It blends super easily with zero streaks or patchiness. At first go, my brush picked up waaay too much pigment on the bristles, but it was so easy to diffuse the color with a little extra buffing.
How it looked and felt on my skin:
The big thing for me here is the staying power. The original Cloud Paint provides a nice wash of color that lasts for an hour or two, but Plush Blush lasts all day without fading, even on my extremely oily skin. I’m not someone who wears primer or sets my makeup with a setting spray, so I fully expect most makeup to fade after a few hours, but Plush Blush survived a 12-hour office day on my cheeks.
It also doesn’t highlight bumpy or uneven texture, which is something I find many powder makeup products tend to do. The effect is really soft and blurring while still being impactful. I love the way Bloom makes my face look awake and perky and how Beam gives my skin a warm, beachy glow that looks more natural than bronzer.
What other Cosmo editors are saying
“In the past, I always loved Cloud Paint for a dewy, fresh look on my skin. But it can be hard to control and a little messy, which got me hella excited about the new powder version. And I’m sooooo happy to report that I potentially love this format even more.
“The texture is soft, so it easily picks up product on a brush, but don’t worry, there’s basically no fall-out onto the rest of my face. It’s just pigmented enough to show up on my medium skin, but I have yet to reach clown territories with the four shades I’ve tested. Most of all, though, I freaking love the velvety look this gives my skin. The pores and texture on my cheeks are blurred and barely noticeable—something I can’t quite say about a lot of cream blushes I’m used to. It pairs well with matte foundations especially, but also my natural-finish skin tints (aka how I’m wearing it below).”
—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR
The final verdict
Plush Blush, while not as groundbreaking as the original Cloud Paint thanks to an oversaturated blush market, is one of the best powder blushes I’ve tried in years. The amount of compliments I get while wearing it is shocking. No kidding, a layer of Armani’s new skin tint all over, a few swipes of Hourglass mascara on my lashes, and a Plush Blush on my cheekbones, and my sister asked if I had gotten my makeup professionally done.
It’s not necessarily on-the-go friendly like the OG Cloud Paint (which is the perfect size for stashing in your bag) nor can it be properly applied with fingers in my experience, but now, after using it for a few weeks, I actually find Plush Blush easier to use. While I love the finished look of the original Cloud Paint, the color comes out of the tube too fast and it’s easy to overdo it. The buildability of Plush Blush is key—especially if you’re just dipping your toe into the world of blush.
Shop more Glossier makeup here
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
