There’s been an explosion in pH makeup over the past couple of years. Over on TikTok, Espressoh’s Glassy Blush has gone viral for adding a juicy dewy-girl glaze to cheeks from out of nowhere (it’s clear?!). Innovators, like Lady Gaga’s Haus Labs have tapped up the technology in its PHD Hybrid Lip Oil to take our obsession with sheeny lips in an even more personalised direction. And high end fashion houses like Tom Ford have rubber stamped the trend with their seal of approval, having released the Soleil Lip Blush last year (a clear pH-responsive lipstick), followed up with Soleil Liquid Lip Blush (the lip gloss equivalent) in its summer collection this year.
The whole purpose of pH makeup is to react with your individual pH to give you the most bespoke flush of colour across your lips of cheeks. But, is it worth the hype? 5 GLAMOUR staffers find out…
The products:
Elle, GLAMOUR’s Senior Beauty Editor
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Product: Espressoh Glassy Blush
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This starts as a completely clear gel so I was intrigued to see how it would react on my skin. I took a little on my ring finger and after only a couple of swirls massaging it into my cheeks, I could see the colour come through. I was surprised by how pigmented it could go the more I warmed it into my skin. I usually don’t like pink blusher since I naturally flush a very rosy shade and therefore find that peach colours suit me best, but I really loved the fresh-faced look this gives and the glowy finish the gel leaves. One thing I will say, is it’s harder to control the placement of the product because of how fluid it is, so it spreads across cheeks. Next time, I’d use a little less and see how I go. But it was easy to take a fluffy blush and blend the edges out to soften the colour and I like that it’s bespoke to me. For a dewy-girl look, this is really pretty.
Rating: 8/10
Chrissie, GLAMOUR’s Creative Producer
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Product: Lashify Labs Flush Cheek Blush
I was a bit skeptical of the concept of a pH blush on my skin tone, but this really surprised me. The product has a generic orange soap appearance and I couldn’t imagine what part of it would look like blush. I applied it on a fresh face that only had concealer and found that it didn’t glide on as seamlessly as I expected – you do have to press it quite hard – however the colour that appeared had me pleasantly surprised. It was a natural rosy pink with a warm undertone that didn’t appear on my skin too brightly.
It’s the perfect minimal makeup product for no makeup summer days to give you a flush of colour that’s personal you. This avoids looking overdone or a bit dollish and truly complements your skin’s natural tones. It does take a few tries to really see the colour though, if that’s what you prefer.
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Rating: 8/10
Fiona, GLAMOUR’s Associate Beauty Director
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Product: Haus Labs PHD Hybrid Lip Oil in Tint
Swiped over the back of your hand, this lip oil had the merest hint of a pink tint. But a few seconds after applying it to the lips, a poppy shade of fuchsia appeared as if by magic. I love the idea of a just-for-you shade and this product taps brilliantly into the jelly lips trend, delivering a sheer tint and a truckload of moisture courtesy of squalane and prickly pear oil. A great summer beauty buy.
Rating: 9/10
Robyn, GLAMOUR’s Social Media Manager
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Product: Tom Ford Soleil Lip Blush
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I’ve experimented with numerous pH colour-changing products throughout the years, all leaving my lips and cheeks a childish shade of hot pink. Naturally, I didn’t anticipate this Tom Ford lipstick becoming a staple in my handbag, but oh, how wrong I was. The sheer luxury of this lipstick almost made me hesitant to use it. The packaging is divine —weighty, golden, and sleek. Twisting up the bullet reveals a nearly futuristic product – a clear lipstick flecked with flakes of gold, arranged in a spiral through its core.
The lipstick glides on giving a smooth, nourishing sensation to the lips. It’s moisturising and glossy without any stickiness and feels more like a lip balm than lipstick. The hydrating effect lingers for ages and I couldn’t stop rubbing my lips together. The colour payoff truly impressed me, making it a daily essential. It gives the most gorgeous, natural flush to my lips – a super rosy hue that’s just an elevation of my natural lip shade. Plus, it leaves a pretty tint after the gloss dissipates. Just be wary of rapid reapplication as it can intensify into a less natural, more vivid pink, which I personally didn’t vibe with. Overall, I’m in love with this product and I’ve recommended it to everyone.
Rating: 10/10
Samantha, GLAMOUR’s PA to Editor In Chief
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Product: Pixie On-The-Glow Blush in Cheek Tone
Having dry skin, I look for anything that is going to give me a dewy-glow, so I was keen to try Pixie’s On-The-Glow Blush, as it promises hydration and natural colour. I love a multi-use product so the fact I could use it on cheeks and lips was already a huge win for me. It glides on giving a sheer pink tint and the PH adapts to your skin tone, creating your own unique shade of blush. For me, it showed up as a subtle but noticeable pretty pink. I tried it on top of tinted moisturiser and loved the result, so I’ll be excited to see if I feel the same on a bare face. The product comes in a handy twist-tube and with a quick swipe and blend, I had rosy blush and tinted lips – perfect for the no-makeup makeup look we are all craving right now and for the rest of summer.
Rating: 8/10
For more from GLAMOUR’s Senior Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk