To search out its way into my everlasting rotation, a blush must do three things: deliver loads of pigment in a single swipe, last without touchups not less than until my lunch break, and seamlessly mix with my skin to create a natural-looking flush. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Blush knocks all three right out of the proverbial park, achieving a grand slam with its radiant finish that eliminates the necessity to add a highlighter step to my routine.

The blush, which is available in eight fairly standard (but definitely pretty) shades of peach, pink, and nude, launched in April 2023 and quickly became an Allure editor favorite. By September, it had snagged the coveted Best Powder Blush title in our annual Better of Beauty Awards. At $38, it’s removed from the most affordable item on that list, but with its buttery formula and high color payoff, I feel it’s well well worth the steeper price tag.

“Synthetic fluorphlogopite is such an exquisite filler technology,” says cosmetic chemist Marisal Mou after I ask what she thinks makes the formula so uniquely lovely. She explains that the uniformly spherical shape of this sort of filler can really help a product glide on more easily. “This ingredient might help give [the blush] a more transparent, natural look,” Mou says. “Because each particulate is so high quality and uniform, it really helps to enhance the sunshine reflection on the skin and offers it a silky, natural look.”

It’s that light reflection that actually sold me on this blush. Though among the shades are noticeably shimmery within the pan, most of them appear like they’d provide a very matte finish. As an alternative, the blush creates a subtle glow — not a full-on powder highlighter effect, but more such as you’re extremely well moisturized. I wish to pair it with my current favorite base makeup, the super-sheer Prime Skin by Gee Beauty. Together, they tone down any parts of my skin which are acting up without making my complexion look completely flat.