Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher #6 Grapefruit Jelly / #3 Raspberry Tarte review & swatches

The Etude House Lovely Cookie Blusher line was one of the first Korean makeup products that sucked me into Asian beauty shopping. Each blush is packaged in a cute round bubble compact with a powder puff. I purchased shade 6, Grapefruit Jelly, and shade 3, Raspberry Tarte.

The Lovely Cookie blusher compacts are very cute as well as functional. The frosted bubble top is round enough to hold the puff, but isn't too hard to store. The compact height is similar to a Milani baked blush. The bottom of each compact is the the color of the product inside, making it easy to grab the shade you want the first time. I love the little bow on the puff, but I do prefer a brush for application.
The Lovely Cookie blushes come in a total of 10 shades, many of which contain shimmer. The shades in the range are mostly milky pastels that are intended to look fresh and playful on the cheeks. I bought mine on Rose Rose Shop for about $5. In my experience, Asian beauty brands don't excel with color cosmetics as a general rule. I have yet to find a Korean makeup company that makes pigmented blushes, bronzers, or eyeshadows on par with companies at a similar price point like NYX, Essence, or Milani. (For example, check out these NYX, Wet N Wild, and Milani blush swatches here.)

If you know of any Korean brands that excel with color cosmetics, please leave me a comment with your recommendation! I am always looking to try more :)

Raspberry Tarte

Shade #3, Raspberry Tarte, didn't last long in my collection. I tried it out a few times and then gave it to a friend because it just didn't work for me. Raspberry Tarte is a cool toned light pink with silver shimmer (not a subtle sheen, but a shimmer finish that shows on the cheeks) that has mediocre to poor pigmentation. I only recommend this shade if you are very pale and have no visible pores or fine lines on your cheeks. Unfortunately, I didn't take any swatch pictures before I gave this away, so all I have is a side by side of each blush. If this type of color interests you but the formula and pigmentation are deal breakers, I recommend Milani baked blush in Delizioso Pink (matte) or Bobbi Brown blush in Pale Pink (matte).

Grapefruit Jelly

Shade #6, Grapefruit Jelly, is miles ahead of Raspberry Tarte in texture and pigmentation. Grapefruit Jelly is a matte warm pinky coral. This shade is brightening and perfect for spring and summer. I only recommend this for fair to light medium skintones - I suspect it would look ashy instead of brightening on deeper skin. The pigmentation is pretty good compared to other Korean color cosmetics I have tried, but very sheer compared to many options on the US market. I think the level of pigmentation is comparable to the Covergirl Cheekers blush line - better than the Revlon Photoready or Maybelline Fit Me, but worse than NYX or Milani baked blushes. If this type of color interests you, but you are looking for a more pigmented alternative widely available in the US, the closest I have in my collection are Milani baked blush in Luminoso (less pink, shimmery), Lorac blush in Peach (less pink, more muted, matte), Bare Minerals blush in The Eternal Summer (less pink, matte), and the Balm blush/shadow in Frat Boy (less orange, more muted, matte).

Swatches done with my finger on bare, unprimed skin.

Overall, I think the matte shades in this line are worth looking at if you have fair skin and prefer natural looking blushes, but those with medium to deep skintones or those who prefer very pigmented cheek products should pass. Lovely Cookie blushers would make great gifts for someone just starting out with makeup because the sheerer pigmentation makes them easy for beginners and the packaging is super cute!

Interested in trying out more affordable Asian beauty products? I have my top 5 affordable favorites here, lip stains from Etude House, Innisfree, and Tony Moly swatched here, and Tony Moly browcara swatches & review here. Happy shopping!