Blush blindness: How much blush is too much? 

Back in 2021, we used to obsess over the no-makeup makeup look after the pandemic, a social media trend that rose to popularity encouraging women to embrace their natural beauty and post makeup-free selfies. Come 2024, and we’re slowly starting to see a shift in the number of women going a little more heavy-handed with their makeup, especially when it comes to our blushes. Just look at Sabrina Carpenter, for example.

Sabrina’s dewy, flushed cheeks have become her signature, so much so that people are starting to question, “How much blush is too much?”

Now, users on TikTok are making it a trend where they apply layers and layers of blushes, with cream and powder formulations, to achieve a dramatic rosy glow. This phenomenon, humorously dubbed “blush blindness,” reflects the struggle to gauge the right amount of blush.

For someone who’s a victim of blush blindness, I first realised my addiction to blushes when I arrived at a social gathering with my friends, and they couldn’t help but notice that my cheeks looked really flushed – to the point where they thought I was drunk from having one too many drinks beforehand. 

I had none. And following a heated discussion within the circle as to why women are putting on too much blush, I was reconsidering my decision to put on that extra layer of blush before I left the house. 

Driven by the introduction of new, creamier liquid formulations, blush products have surged in popularity more recently. A standout example is Selena Gomez’s iconic Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Hailey Bieber’s latest Rhode Pocket Blush. With the former, many have recommended that a little goes a long way with the liquid blush as it is very pigmented – and you can take my word for it. 

In fact, users on TikTok, like Emily DiDonato (@didonatoemily) are taking it a step further by embracing a sunburnt blush look — a trend we never expected to see in this day and age. But hey, if we’re talking about layering blushes, why not go all the way, right?

Ultimately, it comes down to your personal perception of beauty. Blush blindness is highly subjective — you either love it or you hate it. What works for Sabrina Carpenter and Hailey Bieber may not work for you, but it’s worth trying if you’re looking to experiment with a pop of colour on your cheeks.