Do You Have Blush Blindness?

It’s easy for us to spot bygone beauty trends when watching nostalgic films or leafing through old photos, but it’s slightly more difficult when we’re examining our go-to makeup look. While you won’t catch us nurturing a pair of skinny eyebrows, we’re still quite attached to our blush routine – even if it no longer ‘fits in’ with today’s trends. That leaves us with one question: do you have blush blindness? Here’s why you might, and why it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

What Is Blush Blindness?

Blush blindness is when you find yourself in a situation where you’re so used to a specific blush colour or placement, that you no longer really see it – even when it no longer suits your face or lines up with the latest beauty trends. So, you pack on the blush without really noticing how much you’re putting on, layering away the pigment, until the effect becomes noticeable to everyone but you.

@victorialyn @Sabrina Carpenter blush combo💕 Love her signature pink glowy cheeks and all the looks her makeup artist @cgonzalezbeauty has been sharing 🥰 Would you try her blush combo? #makeup #beauty #sabrinacarpenter #blush ♬ original sound – Victoria Lyn 💄

And while the realisation might lead you to a self-imposed ick, know that blush blindness should be taken only in light spirits. (Unless truly appalling, of course.) TikTok has become a hub of discourse when it comes to the blush blindness trend, with over 61.5 million posts tagged under #blushblindness on the app, and a horde of content creators documenting their blush blindness journey through skits, GRWM’s and before-and-after videos.

And the main culprit of the blush blindness wave? Pint-sized popstar Sabrina Carpenter. The only thing that rivals the musician’s earworm-worthy summer streak is her onstage beauty look, which consists of dark-lined lips, thick black lashes and ultra-rosy cheeks. ‘Sabrina Carpenter’s blush should have it’s own fan club, because everyone wants to know what blush she’s wearing,’ says TikTok user Victoria Lyn. ‘Her makeup artist shared in a post that wears the Armani cheek tints in two shades: 62 and 53… It’s really pretty, but I feel like if we’re going to do Sabrina’s blush look we need a lot, a lot more… It gives a really glowy, dewy cheek look – classic Sabrina.’

While blush blindness might get some casual ribbing here and there, the general consensus maintains that Sabrina – and the rest of us – still look good, regardless of our blush levels.

@daniellemarcan @Armani beauty luminous silk blush62 53 @Haus Labs by Lady Gaga glssy rosette blush Ib @marisa #makeup #beauty ♬ Please Please Please – Sabrina Carpenter

How To Avoid Blush Blindness

Has all this talk of blush left you wondering how you’re ‘supposed’ to apply your makeup? We’ve got some tips below on how to avoid blush blindness for the forseeable:

Consider Your Face

One of the best ways you can avoid blush blindness is by having a better understanding your face shape, skin tone and texture – this will inform both the placement and shade of blush that will best suit you. ‘Applying makeup in a way that enhances and flatters your features and choosing colours that suit your skin tone will never go out of style,’ says Saffron Hughes, resident makeup artist at falseeyelashes.co.uk. ‘No two faces are the same and what might suit one person, might not suit another and that’s okay. Individuality should be celebrated. Learning what works best for your face shape and makes you feel confident is timeless. If you’re not sure what face shape you are, you can look it up online.’

Go ‘Natural’

You can also simply opt yourself out of the maximalist makeup trend. Cue, ‘natural’ makeup. ‘Before it was dubbed as “clean girl” makeup, it was known as no-makeup-makeup or simply, natural makeup,’ explains Saffron, who adds that this is also a matter of understanding your skin tones. ‘Understated makeup using soft nudes suited to your skin tone that doesn’t look cakey will never go out of fashion.

‘To find the perfect shade of nude for you, determining your undertone is a good place to start,’ she adds. ‘To figure out which undertone you have, look at the underside of your arm and colour of your veins. If your veins are blue or purple, you’re cool-toned, green, you’re warm-toned and if you have both, you’re neutral. If you’re cool-toned pick warm, peachy nudes, warm-toned, cool beige nudes would suit you best and if you’re neutral, choose whatever shade you like as you’ll be able to pull most off.’

@juicyjrock forever a blush girl @Saie @Rare Beauty ♬ Feather sped up – tayswiftie.x13

Application

You can also decide on the type of blush to use based on the finish you’d like to achieve. If it’s dewiness you’re after, then you’ll want a liquid formula that you can apply with a synthetic brush (or your fingers); the key is to pat it lighting into skin and then set it with a powder. A soft-focus blur, however, is best achieved with a powder blush, which you can dust across the skin after applying your base skincare and makeup. Knowing the difference between the two should help avoid any unwanted over-pigmentation caused by trying to receive the effect of a different blush type.

Placement

While placement really depends on personal preference, blush blindness is most associated with a maximalist approach that spreads across the cheeks, nose and, sometimes, forehead. Paring back you placement can help avoid this look; target the cheekbones and temples for a lifted look, apply on the apples of the cheeks and blend towards the hairline for a classic flush, or simply add a small amount to the nose for a minimally sunkissed look.

Is It A Bad Thing?

We’ve all had instances of looking back at our past selves and cringing, but this specific brand of self-criticism places a lot more emphasis on ‘aged-out’ beauty looks – especially when it comes to blush. But, in a world where makeup is more personal than ever, can we really say that blush blindness is really a thing? ‘The concept of beauty blindness is kind of where you’ve gone through an era of doing something, and when you look back on it you think, “why did I do that?”,’ explains Joanna Fleming, a co-host on the Style-ish podcast. ‘But I think blush blindness isn’t really a thing, because I’m a believer that you can’t really apply too much blush. Obviously there are circumstances where maybe you can go a bit far, but is too much blush a thing?

@style_ishau Are you a beauty blindness sufferer 🤔 #blushblindness #beauty #makeuphacks ♬ original sound – style_ishau

‘I rarely look at someone and go, “Oh, she’s wearing too much blush.” I can’t think of a single time I’ve done that. Eyebrow blindness though? Yes, absolutely. We have all been through some eras, and it’s much easier to mess up than blush.’

So, the jury’s out on this one. Blush blindness might be lurking in the back of your mind (and your makeup bag), but that doesn’t mean you should let it dictate what you like and how you approach your beauty routine.

Featured image: Rachel Claire, Pexels