Beauty Care: Rare Beauty Nearly Apricot Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush Review & Swatches

Nearly Apricot

Rare Beauty Nearly Apricot Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush Rare Beauty Nearly Apricot Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush ($21.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a light-medium orange with moderate, warm undertones and a satin finish. It had sheer to semi-sheer color coverage, which was slightly buildable, but it was better applied in one layer as additional layers made the product more prone to lifting or bunching, which resulted in less even application.

The texture was lightweight, thin, and very emollient initially, but it felt more powder-like and drier once it came into contact with my skin (including my fingertip, so I actually found brushes to be more forgiving and gave me a little more time to work). When it goes on well from the beginning, the effect is exactly as described–a wash of color that looks skin-like–but I didn’t feel like there was a lot of room to maneuver if it didn’t apply evenly initially.

There was a short working window and outside of that, the product was more liking to push and lift away from skin than to blend out better. Most of the time, I didn’t have issues applying it right initially, thankfully. This shade lasted well for seven and a half hours before fading visibly.

FURTHER READING: Formula Overview for details on general performance and characteristics (like scent).

Top Dupes

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Formula Overview

$21.00/0.17 oz. - $123.53 Per Ounce

The formula is supposed to be a "liquid-like cream" that "melts" on skin for a "second skin" look with a "wash of soft-focus color" that is "water-resistant" and has a "satin finish." It did seem water-resistant when I tested it on the back of my hand and certainly didn't move readily after it had been blended out and dried down.

The texture was thin, emollient, and more like a traditional cream in the pan and when initially picked up on a fingertip or a brush, but it was quick to dry down and turn to a more powder-like finish that was satin-like--not totally matte but not dewy at all--when it came into contact with skin. For this reason, a stippling brush was a little easier to work with and more forgiving than a fingertip.

The pigmentation was as marketed; it was sheer to semi-sheer with some ability to build up coverage, but the more silicone-heavy formula was better with one or two layers than more heavily built up as it had a tendency to pill and lift when fussed with too much. I don't know that I'd consider it to be an effortless formula, but once you figure out the best technique, the results themselves, as the coverage is sheerer, are more foolproof.

The formula worked better on bare skin and lighter coverage foundations that were more matte to natural but not overly dewy/luminous. The formula was blendable, but if I didn't get a decent blend quickly, it was harder to correct on its own; it was easier to blend out the edges using my foundation brush (and whatever was leftover on it) to soften any unblended edges. They lasted between seven and eight hours on me before fading visibly.

Browse all of our Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush swatches.

Ingredients

Isodecyl Isononanoate, Silica, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Polyethylene, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Dicalcium Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Nymphaea Odorata Root Extract, [+/- MAY CONTAIN / PEUT CONTENIR: Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Red 6 (CI 15850)].

Disclaimer: Ingredient lists are as available by the brand (or retailer) at the time of publishing. Please always check product packaging, if it exists, for the ingredient list applicable to the product you're purchasing, or the brand or retailer's website for the most up-to-date ingredient list.