Are We Anti-Blush Now? Makeup Artists Explain the Barely-There Cheek Trend
3 min readBeauty trends go to extremes: matte lips to a high-gloss shine; over-the-top nail art to completely bare manicures; and now, on the heels of the blush blindness movement, we’ve seemingly entered the anti-blush era. The return to barely-there makeup puts greater emphasis on clear, smooth, glowing skin, but it doesn’t necessarily mean skipping color altogether. Before you toss your cheek color collection, see what makeup experts say about how to try the trend without looking ghostly or unpolished.
What does anti-blush mean?
The anti-blush trend isn’t actually a push to skip cheek color altogether. It’s more of a shift toward muted, softer blush shades that look closer to a natural cheek flush. The period of blush blindness we’re exiting leaned heavily into vivid, bright hot pinks, corals, and purple tones, with placement spread from the apples of the cheeks to the temples. The look puts skin in focus, emphasizing nonexistent pores and dewy cheeks with softer colors, like rosy pinks and mauves, melted right in the center.
How can you emphasize cheeks without blush?
Cheeks help give the face its structure, but you can create definition without color. Jeanine Lobell, famed makeup artist and founder of Stila Cosmetics and Neen, suggests substituting blush with a combination of highlighter and a subtle contour. “Something shiny like Neen Pretty Shiny on top of the cheekbone will catch the light and really help create shape,” she tells ELLE. After highlighting, Lobell says to go in with a subtle contour, like her pick, Hung Vanngo Tan Sculpt, for just a bit more definition. “I like using a medium fan-style brush and just sweeping a small amount to sculpt the cheek. Paired with the highlighter, it gives you that definition without needing blush,” says Lobell.
If you prefer to skip color products, Rose Siard, a makeup educator and brand founder at Rose and Ben Beauty, also notes that you don’t need color on the cheeks to bring attention to them. “There are so many ways to make a complexion feel complete without it. I love playing with complexion coverage here. Leaving a little more skin visible through the cheek area can sometimes give you that dimension naturally instead of adding another layer of makeup,” says Siard.
On the skin care side, look to tools like the NuFACE Trinity microcurrent device to help sculpt and define the face from beneath the surface.
What are some alternatives to blush?
Blush does a lot of the heavy lifting in a makeup look. “It puts life back into the face and can even help with the shape of the face,” says Lobell. So if you’re skipping it, she suggests bringing that color in somewhere else. “A bolder, colorful lip is a great option because it can really light up the whole face. A smoky eye can work too, but I would choose one with a little color,” Lobell recommends. If you do an all-cool gray or brown smoky eye with no blush, she says you might feel like you’re missing that extra oomph. Instead, go for a mix of deep blues that you can still use to create a smoky effect, without it looking dull.
Siard agrees, adding that you should let the eyes or lips be the focus. “I don’t think every part of the face needs to be ‘finished’ with a specific product for the makeup to feel complete.”
Can you still wear blush with the anti-blush trend?
Absolutely. If you’re not fully ready to break up with your blush, consider swapping your more high-voltage shades for one of these more muted options.
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