Dior Backstage blush Rosy Glow review

For this review (which is going live super late, apologies!) we will be looking at a product that I had been lusting after for years. Dior Rosy Glow was one of those products that had been on my wishlist ever since I first spotted it in stores. The reason I hadn’t tried it yet? The packaging! It used to come in a compact with only have the space taken up by the blush. The other half was dedicated to one of those, dare I say it, useless little brushes that most high end brands give you. And I thought it was just too expensive for how little product you got. So I never bought it. Then they redid it, now for their Backstage line, and lo and behold: no more brush. I don’t think this actually comes with more product now, but it’s the thought that counts.

Review: Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Color-Awakening Universal Blush Natural Healthy Glow

Dior is of course quite the bougee brand. Not exactly the kind of brand with the kind of products you just go out and buy and then let it sitting on a shelf. So I always think twice before buying from them. But I’m not going to lie: that packaging change meant everything to me. So I put it on the wishlist again and last fall I decided to buy it. I had an extra discount on this, so it was worth it in the end. I believe I paid just under €30 for this, but the regular retail price on this is closer to €40. Better save up for a sale indeed!

What does this blush have to offer?

Rosy Glow is one of those under the radar yet iconic makeup products. It has been in Dior’s line for years. If I say years, I mean it: I remember this being on sale back in the day when I believed makeup had to be expensive for it to be good and I would pretty much only buy from luxury brands. This, back in those early makeup days, was already on the market and it was marketed in the same way. What this promises to do is to give a healthy glow to the face. The shade is claimed to be universally flattering, but where this used to be the only shade available it now also comes in a warmer coral shade, which I think may be better for deeper and warmer skin tones.

What is this blush like?

But you know what was another reason for me to not cave on this one just yet? The testers for this product always looked horrible: the lovely pink shade would always disappear and it would look white. Which also stumped me and I didn’t think it would still look the same after the first couple of uses. However, I have now found that the loss of that pink shade was probably due to the tester being open all the time and the light had just washed it out. Such a shame, because what you get with this is a lovely, vibrant cool toned pink that is very soft and rosy indeed. What’s in a name!

How does this blush swatch?

Blush swatches are always difficult to go by, but this blush was definitely a bit of a let down when I swatched it. Look at how chalky this looks on the back of my hand? I think that by now, blush has come a long way and it doesn’t have to look like this. However, swatches only tell you so much of the story and in the end I felt that this worked really well. It stays put, goes on nicely and is never too much. It is very light though and I therefore don’t believe this to be necessarily universal: I can layer this for a bit of extra glow, but by itself it is a great pink toned blush that is never too much. Some pink blushes can make you look like a clown. This never does that.

What does this blush look like on?

As you can see here, the blush is very pretty but also barely noticeable. This is the kind of blush that allows you to create a no makeup makeup look in an instant. It is glowy and healthy looking and you can tell you are wearing something, but it never looks heavy or makeuppy. It definitely looks as if it is part of your skin. For the winter time, this shade is especially great as it gives you that flushed, just in from the cold kind of look. Very pretty and against my fair skin this works well indeed. I am happy to now own this.

My final thoughts

Dior’s Backstage Rosy Glow blush is one that definitely lived up to its expectations. I was hoping this would be a soft, rosy blush with a good dose of a healthy glowy effect. That’s exactly what I got. Is it worth the price point? Yes and no. I don’t think there is any other blush on the market that necessarily does this, even though many brands have tried. So that makes me say yes. However, it’s a no for me if you look at this on the basis of its claims. I do not think this is universally flattering and I think it will just look ashy on warmer skin tones. It does what I need it to do and it does what I was hoping to do. So it is a yes for me for sure.

Would I recommend the Dior Rosy Glow blush?

It really depends on your budget and what you are looking for. I really wish Dior would expand the shade range beyond the light cool toned and warm toned shade they offer. If this came in more shades than I think it would appeal to many more people. The pink is pretty and certainly fair girl friendly but not universal and therefore not right for everyone. For how expensive this is, I therefore would recommend you check this out in store and have it applied by an MUA if possible. That way you can see what it might look like on and you will not be disappointed if you do decide to splurge.

What expensive blush has been on your wishlist?