After Years of Blush Blindness, “Anti-Blush” Is Taking Over

As a self-proclaimed blush connoisseur, I almost dismissed this trend the moment I heard the name. Turns out, it doesn’t advocate for blush disappearing at all—and has actually convinced me to consider adding a whole new range of shades (which can even be DIY-ed) to my collection.

For the past several years, blush has rarely been shy. We’ve experimented with placement, from high cheekbones to boyfriend blush, played with textures and layering, and eventually applied so much of it that the internet gave a name to our collective inability to know when to stop: blush blindness.

Naturally, the pendulum had to swing back eventually. And it has gone all the way to the other end of the spectrum.

Enter anti-blush: the latest cheek trend built around colors so muted and understated that, at first glance, they hardly look like blush at all.

So, What Exactly Is Anti-Blush?

Despite its somewhat dramatic name, anti-blush doesn’t mean giving up blush altogether. Instead, think of it as blush with the saturation turned down.

The Anti-Blush Shades to Know

Rather than obvious pinks, corals, and purples, anti-blush favors shades closer to the natural colors and shadows already found in the face: dusty mauves, taupes, beiges, and muted browns. Some are so neutral they could almost pass for bronzer or contour, adding just enough warmth and dimension without looking obviously like blush.

Beautylish recommends:

• Honey rose: MOB Beauty Blush in M19
• Dusty mauve: MOB Beauty Blush in M31 and Sisley Paris Phyto-Blush Twist in 10 Fig
• Muted neutral: Nudestix Nudies Matte Lux All Over Face Blush in Nude Buff
• Dusty rose: rms beauty Lip2Cheek in Spell

You Probably Already Own Your Perfect Anti-Blush Shade

Lucky for us, this beauty trend doesn’t necessarily require a new beauty product.

If the blushes already sitting in your makeup bag suddenly feel a little too bright, you can create a custom anti-blush shade using three products you probably already own:

• One drop of liquid foundation
• One drop of liquid contour
• One drop of liquid blush

Mix the three pigments together before applying them to the cheeks. The foundation brings the color closer to your natural complexion, the contour adds that muted beige or taupe quality, and the blush keeps enough warmth in the mix to prevent it from looking flat.

The result is a subtle anti-blush shade that naturally complements your complexion—and saves you from buying another cheek product.

Maybe the trend should be called “Anti-new Blush” instead.