Ciaté Blush Matchmaker review

A product I was itching to try when I bought it last fall in New York was the Ciaté blush in Matchmaker. I saw these blushes on so many US Youtube channels and I knew I wanted to look into these. I am not going to lie: these blushes attracted my attention solely because of the packaging. Aren’t these cute? Anywho, that was not why I decided to buy one of course. I bought one because these are blushes with a great deal of shine to them and since 2019 I love me a glowy blush. High time I review this puppy.

Review: Ciaté Glow-to Illuminating Blush Matchmaker

Ciaté is a high end brand that I only knew from their nail polishes. Back in the day, when I first started blogging I was all about nail polish and Ciaté one of my favorite high end brands. Then they ventured into makeup, but the brand was unavailable here for a long time. I just found out that Douglas now stocks them! But that was why I waited until a trip to the US to pick one of these up. I bought mine from Sephora. These retail for around the €25 mark and come in 6 shades, but depending on where you get these from they may be cheaper or more expensive and not all the shades may be available.

Is it more than just a packaging buy?

When I went to New York last fall, this was on my wishlist, but I also knew I couldn’t buy everything. So I checked these out (not all Sephora’s carry the brand so I had to hunt this down) and swatched a few. I liked them, but I also knew I wanted to check out the Glossier Cloud Paints. After checking those out and not find any of the shades appealing, I decided to go with the Ciaté blush instead. I was intrigued by a few shades, but the peachy and sort of mood exposure type shades looked too much like stuff I already owned. So I decided to go for Matchmaker instead. This may have started out as a packaging buy, but it ended up being much more.

What does this blush do?

Not much it seems. This is a classic example of a blush that you have to put on your cheeks to really capture and understand its full effect. In the pan, these all look incredibly boring. The shades are not super vibrant and when you swatch these they also look a tad sheer. However, remember that this is an illuminating blush: this is a super pretty blush that seems to glow from within, but without it looking like it could have been a highlighter. It has zero sparkle, but just the most gorgeous sheen. What’s more, this blush also promises to be long-wearing.

What does the shade look like?

As I mentioned I eventually went with Matchmaker which Ciaté describes as a rose. These blushes are a mix of a blush shade and a luminous powder. The two shades should be swirled together for the best effect. I felt that that combo went best with this shade. I don’t own many pink blushes (but I have many mauves, peaches and reds) so I felt that this could add something unique to my collection. I swatched a few of my favorites and just felt that most of the other shades were either too dark or too repetitive across my collection.

What does this blush swatch like?

These blushes are not the most pigmented blushes of all time. But I like that. It means it is buildable, won’t look crazy and is easy to control. You can just swirl your brush into this blush and dab it onto the cheeks and you know it will look nice. This is one of those products. The swatch also shows off the incredible sheen this has. As you can see: there is no sparkle or glitter present and yet there is a this super pretty shine. That is what sold me in the end. I have other shimmer and glowy blushes, but none of them look this shiny without it showing sparkle. What should also be mentioned is the feel of this texture: it feels very creamy yet still works like a powder in the way this is picked up by a brush and applied to the face. This is by far one of the smoothest textures in a cheek product I have ever come across.

How does this blush apply?

OK so we have a sheer blush but with a healthy sheen. What does this actually do? Well, how about it gives you the prettiest, natural flushed look without going overboard? How about it is never making you look like you have applied blush even though you did? What if I told you, this is THE blush if you want to go for that barely there, no makeup makeup look. The sheen is what makes it so pretty. On the cheek, the sheen is truly that healthy lit-from-within glow, while this particular shade gives you just enough color to your face without it looking too obvious. I don’t know how Ciaté did it, but this is by far one of the most easy to use and wearable blushes I own.

My final thoughts

I truly am a bit amazed by the quality of this Ciaté blush. I don’t understand all the people who I have spotted decluttering this product. It is stunning! It wears all day, has a gorgeous shade, is super wearable and easy to apply. The texture is truly up there for me and in terms of sheen I love how this really elevates a look. If you are like me and you are in favor of a more natural face look, then this is a good one to look into.

Would I recommend the Ciaté blush in Matchmaker?

Yes. Yes. Yes. That is a triple yes. Because I think this is the kind of blush that is wearable no matter your makeup tastes or skill level. This is great for all ages, there is a shade for every skin tone and this blush just makes your cheeks look healthy and pretty. What else do we want from a blush?

What blush formula really surprised you?