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Today (April 6, 2025) is the last day of Macy’s Spring VIP sale, which includes 15% off most cosmetics and fragrances (some exclusions). 15% off is a better discount than some people can get during the Sephora spring sale, and MAC is only available at Sephora if you are in Canada. So it felt like a good time to share my thoughts on this blush. I’ve been a fan of MAC Cosmetics for a long time, but I haven’t been as tempted by their reformulations and new releases lately. Although it is not my formula preference, I did expect the new **MAC Cosmetics Strobe Beam Liquid Blush ($30) to perform well, and I was not let down. I was intrigued when I first saw this formula, but knowing they were attaching it to the Strobe Cream lineup made me nervous. Most of the shades looked a little too reflective for my taste, but I thought that the shade Unsweetened would give a nice glow without accentuating too much texture.

It is kind of weird to me when MAC products aren’t in black packaging, but I like the packaging update for this product. It doesn’t feel quite as luxe as the new concealer packaging, but it is still nice and sturdy.

**MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened Swatch and Applied)

The Strobe Beam Liquid Blush is easy to work with, but tread lightly because a little goes a long way.  Despite how pigmented it is, I still think this is a buildable formula.  For my NARS Tahoe skin tone and pigment preference, I like to apply it with a brush, but it also applies well with fingers.  I didn’t like it with a beauty blender. It removed too much pigment and also some of the foundation.  This was a good reminder of why I stopped using the beauty blender (or similar sponges). I never liked its application as much as using a brush or my fingers.

Anyways, I prefer the control I had when I applied the Strobe Beam Liquid Blush on the back of my hand and picked it up from there.  But it was also easy to dot it on my face and blend it out. I never noticed it leaving behind any dots or patchiness.  It is harder to apply only a little when applying it directly on the face, so I prefer the back of my hand/brush method.  I haven’t had any issues with blending or patchiness, even if my foundation is already powdered.  It feels set and not tacky to the touch, but it doesn’t feel dry either. It has a nice sheen that accentuates more texture than a powder blush, but is still flattering. I haven’t noticed any fading throughout wear.

**MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Nitelite Swatch)

**MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened and Nitelite Swatches)

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TL;DR

Brand Claims	Do I agree?
Provides customizable colour intensity	Yes
Instantly illuminates and bends light for a natural-looking glow	Yes
Lightweight feel	Yes
Hydrating	No, but it isn’t drying
Provides buildable and blendable coverage	Yes

Final Thoughts

I don’t have much experience with liquid blush, but I do think this formula is easier to work with than the Smashbox Halo Cream Cheek and Lip Tint. I prefer the finish of the Smashbox formula because it is matte without looking dry and has a blurring effect on texture. However, I still enjoy the MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush for its easy to use formula, doe-foot applicator, and healthy sheen on the skin. I hope the other shades are as nice to work with as Unsweetened.

**MAC Website

	$ Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC – Strobe Beam Liquid Blush

**Ulta

	$ 30.00 Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush – Unsweetened

**Bloomingdale’s

	$ Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush

**Nordstrom

	$ 30.00 Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Cosmetics Strobe Beam Liquid Blush in Unsweetened at Nordstrom

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Have a good one!

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If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

• Blush Index
• Brands A-Z
• Bronzer & Highlighter Index
• Brush Index
• Concealer Ranking
• Eyeshadow Index
• Foundation Round-Up
• Lipstick Index
• Powder Round-Up

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