In beauty, looks and trends come in waves. Some, such as pencil-thin eyebrows and brown lip liner, are tied to an era. Others are more intimately linked to the seasons—think the sea of spring and summertime blush looks. At the height of a trend’s popularity, it’s not uncommon to go overboard to create the ultimate look. In the moment, it feels right, until regret sinks in. We’ve seen it happen before with brows, whether it was regretting overly-tweezed eyebrows or extra-bold and dark arches. Of course, TikTok had the perfect term for it, eyebrow blindness, and as it swept the beauty world by storm, other forms of “beauty blindness” began to emerge. However, the latest, blush blindness, is one we never saw coming.
Blush trends are inevitable when the temperatures rise. This summer alone, we’ve seen several emerge, and they’ve all rocketed to viral fame. Though each is different, there is one common thread between them: heavy application. Boyfriend, Baby Doll, sunburnt, and sunset are just a few that rely on layers and layers of blush. So when did too much blush become a problem? “The concept of ‘blindness’ in makeup trends, particularly with blush, humorously critiques makeup extremes of both the past and present,” says Yarden Horwitz, cofounder of Spate. With eyebrow blindness in the rearview, blush is taking the lead in regrettable beauty trends. Below, we break down the trend with two industry experts.
Featured experts
- Yarden Horwitz is the co-founder of beauty trend forecasting site Spate
- Beau Nelson is a celebrity makeup artist
What is blush blindness
Put simply, “blindness is the inability to gauge how something looks to other people,” says celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson. When it comes to blush, he explains that the issue comes as a result of overapplication of the product and is less about the color choice, as vivid and subtle colors can be worn on every skin tone. “Application plays a big role, but it can also occur from poor lighting or if you’re applying the product while looking at yourself in a filtered app instead of an actual mirror,” he says.
Where did blush blindness come from?
To be clear, the sentiment around blush has often come with a more positive attitude. Many celebrities and creators have co-signed the trends. While this has further increased appeal, it has drawn more attention to blush blindness. Recently, Sabrina Carpenter’s blush looks have been at the center of blush blindness conversations. The singer is known for her overly flushed skin and has graced many makeup lover’s mood boards. But where did the conversation start?
According to Horwitz, it began on TikTok. “On the platform, there’s a trend of self-reflective—and sometimes self-deprecating—nostalgia,” she says. “When it comes to blush blindness, creators take either a critical or tongue-in-cheek approach, with those in the latter camp explaining how they don’t mind participating in the blindness.” Beyond social media, she mentions that brands are also embracing the blush blindness wave in their recent blush campaigns. “Using it as a central theme shows that it doesn’t always carry negative connotations,” she says.
The bottom line
Despite the controversy, most of the conversations around blush blindness is lighthearted. “Much of the top content features creators proudly declaring their blush-blind status and poking fun at themselves and the absurdity of over-blushing,” says Horwitz. Meaning just one thing: The blush movement isn’t slowing anytime soon. “If it makes you feel beautiful and you love it, then it’s no one else’s business,” says Nelson.
How to avoid blush blindness
We should all be using blush however we want to. However, if you want to avoid an overly-blushed look Nelson has tips that can help. “Cream and stick formulas are more blendable and adaptable than powders,” he says. Using them is also pretty foolproof, but things can go overboard quickly. To tone down too bright of a cream blush, he recommends tapping a small amount of foundation over it or using a clean brush to sheer it out.
Cream and stick blushes tend to be more blendable and adaptable than powders. Lastly, he recommends looking for color adaptable blushes, like Lashify’s Flush Cheek ($32). Sure, trends come and go, and you may regret them later, so why not embrace them in full now?
