Ariana Grande’s New Matte Blush Has Me Believing In Powder Formulas Again

In the last few years, blush has become one of the trendiest, most beloved products within the beauty world, formally replacing harsher contour techniques that reigned during the 2016 makeup era. Since then, countless liquid, cream, and powder formulas have all but dominated the beauty aisles — and this trajectory isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

BeautyTok has a serious fascination with powerfully pigmented liquid blush in particular — just take a look at Rare Beauty and Juvia’s Place as two viral examples. There are also blush-focused trends like “I’m cold” makeup and “sunburn blush” that have taken over social media. Now, however, it seems the girlies are obsessing over matte finishes.

Right on time, Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty has dropped its first-ever powdered blush formulation with the prettiest cloud-like matte finish, and my blush-loving self had to get my hands on it.

Whether you need a makeup bag upgrade or can’t get enough blush in your life, read on for my honest review of the new Hypernova Satin Matte Blush.

Fast Facts

• Price: $20
• Best for: A vibrant pop of color, either solo or layered atop your fave liquid or cream-based products.
• Rating: 5/5
• What I Love: Although this blush boasts a blurred matte finish, the result is still beautifully skin-like and never drying or cakey.

The Hypernova Satin Matte Blush

Available in eight shades, which range from a very Barbiecore hot pink to a deep rosy bronze, the r.e.m. beauty Hypernova Satin Matte Blush is a weightless pressed powder that’s packed with vibrant, buildable color.

The product is meant to add a blurred, soft-focus appearance to your skin — and, despite being a powder, has a creamy element thanks to the vegetable-based emollients in its formula.

While the pigment is strong, the silky powder is blendable, allowing for a healthy glow sans any unwanted streaks or harsh edges.

First Impression

Upon first opening the blushes, I was immediately drawn to the soft terracotta shade Rose On Mars as well as the vibrant pink aptly named Pinking Of U (which Grande is wearing in the campaign).

Housed in a futuristic silver compact, the formula feels like butter when swatched on my fingertips and delivers a more vibrant punch than other powders I’ve tried.

After applying Rose On Mars just above my cheekbones and layering Pinking Of U higher up on the apples of my cheeks, I found the color to be incredibly pigmented with only a few swipes. The product blended out effortlessly with my go-to fluffy blush and never looked too harsh on my fairer skin tone, melting together for a pretty yet still natural-looking flush.

After hours of wear, I found that the product not only layered beautifully atop my go-to foundation for a skin-like finish, but never looked cakey or dry — even on the coldest winter day. And, although it’s matte, the blush never felt heavy on my skin.

The Verdict

When it comes to my makeup bag, one thing’s for certain: Blush will forever be a mainstay. While I’ll always have a special place for liquid and cream formulations, powder formulas just do it for me year-round as they not only set any cream-based products I have underneath, but give me that soft matte finish that looks endlessly glamorous.

The r.e.m. beauty Matte Blush in particular is filled with long-lasting pigment and the colors beautifully blend within seconds, adding a petal-soft flush to my complexion. What’s more, this launch further proves that just because a formula is matte doesn’t always mean it will look or feel dry or heavy on one’s skin. I recommend it to anyone else who loves to add some color to their cheekbones.