What Is the “Anti-Blush” Trend? Top Makeup Artists Explain

Without a doubt, blush is in its It-girl era right now. As someone who has made it a personal journey to have the most extensive blush library known to man, I’ve been loving all the launches and, in particular, how nuanced so many of the color families have become. The beauty industry appears to feel the same way because the latest trend taking over social media is all about cheeks that look naturally flushed, almost as if you don’t have any blush on at all.

​Aptly called the “anti-blush,” the point of the trend is to get the sculpted definition that perfectly placed cheek color can provide, without opting for the typical pinks or reds that usually dominate the blush category. Instead, it’s all about using neutral tones in muted colors that blur the line between bush and contour. “The ‘anti-blush’ is simply the next evolution of all of those sculpted, soft-glam trends that we’ve seen over the past few years,” makeup artist Theo Turner tells me. “It focuses on tones that add natural dimension to the face, in turn amplifying the natural highlights and contours that people already have via their bone structure.”