Six months ago, I would have considered bronzer the most important part of my make-up routine. A step I’ve performed hundreds of times over the last 14 years, my curated list of non-glittery, non-shimmery, blendable, seamless bronzers is something I’m incredibly proud of. So, when I did away with bronzer for an orange-toned blusher and found the result to be much better than my previous routine, it’s safe to say I was surprised. 

However, my foray into the world of blusher and the myriad application blush techniques demonstrated on social media has been a gateway, of sorts. My make-up looks fresher, the lack of bronzer creates a more natural effect and my routine feels shorter and less arduous as I try to hustle out of the door in the mornings. Not much has changed, besides taking out that one step – but it feels like a transition away from “done” looking make-up.

The latest blusher trend going viral on TikTok is under-eye blush. A method of blusher application that blends the flushed colour up to just below the lower lash line, the technique creates the effect of a fake natural sunburn (the only type of sunburn I will ever condone), spread over the bridge of the nose and under each eye. 

Originally inspired by TikTok make-up artist @paintedbyspencer, blending the blush up towards the eye morphed into mixing a splotch of liquid blush with a dab of concealer, using brushes, beauty blenders and fingers to blend the two together. To give you an idea of its popularity, demonstrations by @haileybuix and @makeupbyalissiac have a combined 11.2 million views on TikTok.

Much like other things I’ve learned on TikTok, this isn’t a hack I was immediately sold on. Every time I saw pink and red toned blushes being applied so near to the lash line, it made me cringe. Not because it didn’t look good – it really does – more because what would it look like in real life, away from soft lighting and the sharp cut of a social media video?

A less than intuitive way to apply blusher, it felt odd popping an orange-toned blush into the area I had just applied concealer to knock out dark, grey-tinted circles. In fact, I was worried it would lift my foundation away, leaving me to reapply a fresh base before leaving the house. However, as the concealer and blusher blended together, it looked less like I had a bad case of hayfever eyes and more like a fresh, youthful blush. 

Not the easiest way to apply blush – a “w” technique garners largely the same effect – it’s not one I’ll be cycling into my routine regularly. But, when I have enough time to make sure the ratios are right (not on a weekday morning), it’s definitely something I’ll experiment with.

Main image: Morgan Fargo