Blush Groove — New Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms

When you first come across the Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms ($21 each at Clinique.com), you’ll likely think that these jumbo-sized, crayon-like, glide-on cream blush colors have been around for years — after all, Clinique’s Chubby Stick Lip Colour Balms proved so successful that the brand expanded its array of makeup-in-a-stick offerings last year to include the easy-to-use Chubby Stick Shadow Tints for Eyes. But regardless of how familiar they might look, the Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms are a brand new release for Fall 2014 and hence constitute the latest addition to the ever-expanding Chubby Stick family. Foraying into the blush realm is an intuitive move for Clinique given the demand for convenient, goof-proof, travel-friendly, mirror-optional makeup, not to mention the popularity of existing blush sticks like Tarte’s Cheek Stains and Maybelline’s Cheek Glaze.

The Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms are the Klumps of the Chubby Stick family since, given that they’re designed for use on a larger surface area, they have a wider diameter than their predecessors. But beyond their plumper tubes, these creamy cheek colors are used in exactly the same way as any Chubby Stick product: you simply remove the metallic cap to reveal the rounded cheek color tip and glide it atop the apples of cheeks as if drawing on them, extending your drawn-on line so that you follow the natural angular line of the cheekbones. You can then blend the color in using your fingers so as to give cheeks a natural-looking, sheer, radiant flush.

In addition to their convenience and veil-like translucence, the Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms tend to the skin thanks to ingredients like inflammation-reducing lecithin, moisture-locking squalane, and free radical-fighting vitamin E. These ingredients help to moisturize and condition the skin, as well as strengthen its barrier layer, while delivering the desired color to cheeks. Once blended, the Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balms appear remarkably sheer but the intensity can be increased via clever layering.

The Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm is available in four hues (all of which are swatches below): Amp’d Up Apple, Robust Rhubarb, Roly Poly Rosy, and Plumped Up Peony.

Below, check out swatches of the Amp’d Up apple and Robust Rhubarb shades. Though the colors of their corresponding tubes are markedly dissimilar —Robust Rhubarb has a coral pink tube while Amp’d Up Apple has a dusty rose tube — once applied to the skin, the two shades look rather similar in that they both have golden, nude-tinged pink tones. Still, the subtle differences do make a difference in terms of creating a distinct makeup look. The Amp’d Up Apple is a tawnier, fleshier, more toffee-like pinky nude shade, while the Robust Rhubarb cheek color is a golden, almost nectarine, antique pink. Check out the swatches below:

If looking for a cheek color with a cool undertone, try the 03 Roly Poly Rosy or 04 Plumped Up Peony shades. The Roly Poly Rosy color is a mauve-ish raspberry sherbet pink with just a touch of silver micro shimmer. The Plumped Up Peony blush, meanwhile, is a tawny, earthy, sugar plum-y, rum raisin pink color with a glaze-like feel and a satin-like lustrous finish.

These creamy formulas blend into the skin so seamlessly that onlookers will assume you’re not wearing any makeup but, rather, that your cheeks are naturally rosy or sun-kissed.

I do wish there were a few more adventurous pink and red shades in the mix, but I’m sure Clinique will expand the color offerings in the coming months. And, if they perform like this Fab Four, they will be a smash!