Blush is associated with many things, shame and shyness, brides and dolls, generally all things related to innocence and girlhood. But this season, blush is bolder, bolder, and being worn by all the coolest girls you know.
At the 2024 Met Gala, in particular, many stars showed up at the “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” themed affair playing the “Garden of Time” dress code in bright, shiny, extreme floral ensembles, first things first. notice a hot pink flush. Highlights of the night included makeup looks by Cynthia Erivo, Greta Lee and Ayo Edebri, who seemed to recall a memorable look from Rihanna's 2017 Met Gala, where she wore a 3D petal dress and fuchsia blush draped from the eyelids up to her. temples and cheeks.
Blush originated in the 1970s and is credited to Cher's then-makeup artist Way Bandy, who first called the technique “color glow.” The makeup technique involves using blush essentially as a colorful outline. By placing the blush higher and applying it more heavily around the cheekbones and temples, it gives the illusion of higher, more prominent cheekbones. The bright pink hue gives it a hyper-feminine vibe as opposed to the excess of angularity like a contour of cool or sun-kissed tones.
The more is more look has also been gaining popularity well outside the confines of floral themed events. See the softer side of blush with Camila Cabello's fairy glow or the '80s neon shake as seen on Charli XCX.
The look is highly customizable based on skin tone, occasion, and overall level of boldness. As long as you apply the pigment and blend the blush to the temples and outer perimeter of the face (rather than focusing on the apples of the cheeks and nose), you're doing well. To dive into the trend, try a lighter, sweet shade with a shimmery finish that fuses blush and highlighter for a more subtle look. Or you can always go for maximum grip with an electric matte pink that really pops.
