I reviewed the first launch of Hermès Blushes (found HERE) when the brand released only matte finishes. Then, during the Summer of 2023, they added three shimmery blushes to the Rose Hermès line. Considering I felt that the matte blushes were equal to, but did not surpass my favorites, I was unwilling to pay full price to try a new one.
All of my blush favorites are under $40, so the refill price of $48 was pushing my limit. I waited months for the refills to be released so that I could add a metal sticker to the bottom and pop it in a magnetic palette, but it took so long that I stopped checking for them by the end of 2023. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon it on the Selfridges website and saw it was finally available!

I have to admit that sometimes my inability to purchase something (sold out, limited edition, early teased product that won’t be released for months, only available in certain countries, etc.) intensifies my feeling of missing out. With enough time, I can reason with myself that I probably won’t love the item enough for it to be worth buying.
That logic didn’t work in this instance, but I am very lucky that the outcome was in my favor! I actually like this blush so much more than I expected and I feel like it’s at least more worth the high price than the matte ones!

Hermès Silky Blush Powder (refill) in 58 Rose Cuivré

The shade that I purchased is the deepest of the three shimmery blush options. The right half of the photo above shows that the base color is medium-dark. When the light hits the shimmer, the blush looks medium peachy-pink instead, depicting how much the shimmer can lighten the overall look of the blush. This is one of the reasons I wasn’t certain if this shade would be too light for me. Shimmery blushes can sometimes look too ashy or like a pure highlighter on me, regardless of how deep the base color is, such as Nars’ Orgasm X.

Upon swatching Rose Cuivré, I discovered that it looks similar to MAC’s blush shade in Pinch Me, which was also similar to the first Hermès Blush I bought called Rose Feu. At least, Pinch Me and Rose Feu looked similar when applied on bare skin. When applied over foundation, Rose Feu darkened and looked slightly more red and less of a deep pink.

One of the things that I’ve come to realize is that Hermès makes the silkiest and softest feeling pressed powder products. Their bronzer is still my number one favorite in my collection. The matte blush was very good, but on par with my other favorites. This iridescent formula though is the silkiest feeling shimmer blush I own. It’s even softer than the Gucci blushes. The particles are so finely milled. There are no large sparkle or glitter particles. Visually, it looks like the MAC Sheertone Blush formula, except so much softer and more refined. I can also use my softest blush brushes, such as my grey squirrel ones that don’t pick up as much product as goat, because it’s still able to grab a decent amount of product and it doesn’t require a dense brush to buff the blush smoothly into my cheeks. Lightly sweeping the product into my cheeks produces a beautifully blended result. It adheres well to my skin and lasts all day.

I skip wearing highlighter when I use this because the glow is easy to see. It gives a pearly effect, but thankfully does not look too silvery for me to wear. It’s right on that cusp of looking slightly cool, but still flattering on my warm undertone complexion. I could possibly still enjoy this blush if I was a few shades darker, but I don’t know if this is deep enough for someone in the deep-dark category or beyond.

The sheen from this is what I imagine it would look like if my beloved Dior Powder No-Powder was made into a blush formula. The textures are not the same, since the Dior powder is much harder pressed in comparison. It just has the slightly blurring quality and is one of the few other products I can think of that gives off a sheen that’s nearly pearly-looking, yet works for my skin tone. Considering the Dior powder has holy grail status with me and is my favorite finishing powder of all time, that’s high praise for the Hermès blush to conjure that image for me.
I figured this product would make a great blush topper, but as one can see in the swatch photo, the luminosity lessens considerably on top of another blush. I think it becomes an issue of too much pigment and not enough of the shimmer in the mixture. If I add more of Rose Cuivré on top, it turns too deep and intense. So, this blush looks better when used on its own.

When it comes to luxury goods, there are a lot more factors to consider than just the performance or quality as to whether it’s “worth the price.” As much as I am enamored by this blush and impressed by the quality because it’s the finest shimmer powder one I own, it’s not the absolute perfect color tone for me. I intend to get a lot of use out of it, just like with the brand’s bronzer, but I still have blush colors that are my favorites from other brands.
It was worth it to me to buy this refill, and I will probably even put this in the Hermès blush compact that currently houses Rose Feu when I get it back from the US. However, I still wouldn’t be able to justify the $84 for this. Good lord, did the price go up since last year? Weren’t they $77? Hermès being the luxury brand that it is, the price could be considered next to nothing for their regular customers. So, it’s all about perspective.

I hope this has been helpful to anyone still curious about this shade. Technically it has been out already for a long time, but at least now the refill option keeps the cost down for those more interested in the product itself. One final note is that this contains fragrance.

That’s all for today! Thank you for giving this review a read!

-Lili ❤