Everything You Need to Know About Boyfriend Blush—TikTok’s Latest Cheeky Makeup Trend
By now, all the blush girlies (or at least us), have added sunburn blush, flushed blush, and lit from within blush to our makeup routine at some point. But much like Hailey Bieber and her nails, there’s yet another blush trend that we’ve recently hopped onto. Thanks to Australia-based makeup artist and TikTok creator Mallory Osses, we’ve established that “boyfriend blush” is a whole new makeup trend that refers to our favorite cheeky formulas.
What Is Boyfriend Blush?
While Osses adamantly stresses that she didn’t coin the term “boyfriend blush,” there’s no denying that she popularized the beauty trend on social media in 2024. “It’s all over, like, high fashion runway editorial type of looks,” she said in a TikTok video. “But I’ve never really heard anybody talking about it like this. When you think about ‘boyfriend blush,’ think about this,” she said, pointing to an image of Prince Harry and Prince William.
She goes on to point out the unique blush placement by saying, “Do you see how they both have that flush here and it goes down? It looks youthful, sporty, it looks like—boyfriend blush. I don’t know what else to call it.”
Basically, unlike traditional blush application techniques, this one is applied more in the center of the face and tapped out vs. on the cheekbones to add face structure. Commenters and Osses alike refer to the blush as “ruddy,” meaning a healthy, reddish, glowy/dewy complexion.
How to Create Boyfriend Blush
1. Complete Your Skincare Routine
When it comes to makeup tips 101, we all know makeup goes on much more smoothly when the skin is nourished. Give your face a good rinse, and proceed with moisturizer and SPF to prime the canvas for what’s to come. For an easy, all-in-one product, we recommend the JUICE BEAUTY SPF 30 Oil-Free Moisturizer.
2. Apply Warm-Toned Foundation
Now, of course your foundation of choice will depend upon your natural skin tone, but Osses said she personally uses something warm-toned because boyfriend blush looks “nice and bright and vibrant” when layered on top of that coloring.
When it comes to foundation, we’re fans of the CHARLOTTE TILBURY Beautiful Skin Foundation in 8 Neutral. The finish reduces shine and blurs pores, plus it’s one of our Ipsters’ favorite beauty products.
3. Apply Cream Blush
Take your finger and tap a few tips of blush into the center of the cheeks. Osses refers to it as a triangle shape, “but not so angular.” Osses says her favorite cream blush for this technique in particular is the BOBBI BROWN Pot Rouge in Powder Pink. It can be applied to the lips, too, for a monochromatic look.
“It’s very bright, but it really doesn’t turn out that bright if you just use a modest amount,” she says. “I just put a little bit on and apply it with my finger at first.”
If you don’t have Osses’ pick on hand, she says any similar-toned cream blush of choice will do. We’re personally fans of the CIATÉ LONDON Velvet Skin Cream Blush. Its somewhat liquid blush formula is easy to monitor out of the tube.
4. Blend Out the Color
This is the stress-free part of the process. While Osses uses the buffing foundation brush to blend out the product downwards, she says, “You can also use a big fluffy brush. You could use more of a stippling brush. Anything you want, you can just blend it out. Or you can blend it out with your fingertips.” Either way, you’ll get a result that ends with a natural flush.
We personally use the HALF CAKED 240 Blush Brush because it blends any blush formula seamlessly into the skin. Our IPSY community loves it, too.
5. Apply Powder Blush
To top off the look, take a blush brush and apply a powder blush. In a video, Osses makes light strokes downward with her brush, using a neutral blush shade. She says the added layer of blush creates volume from the cheekbone to the bottom of the cheek. We’re big fans of the PIXI BEAUTY Fresh Face Blush to create the boyfriend blush results IRL.
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