If you get beauty content on your For You Page, you have probably seen the “blush blindness” trend. This trend on TikTok usually involves makeup wearers looking at their makeup style and cringing at how much blush they used to put on. Those participating in the trend often laugh at how unaware they are of their own heavy-handedness.
This new trend originally started off as the “eyebrow blindness” trend, where makeup wearers playfully look back on how dark they would fill in their eyebrows. The viral trend then caused TikTokers to look for the other “blindnesses” that they have, causing several spinoff trends, like blush blindness.
These “blindness” trends have TikTok users reassessing their past and current makeup styles. Videos are going viral of people, usually, young women, showing off their makeup and asking for others to tell them what blindness they have—often with the comment section doing exactly that.
While this trend may have started off with people harmlessly reminiscing on old makeup looks that they are no longer proud of, the trend has definitely become more negative.
What dark brows were to the 2010s, bright and colorful blush looks are to the early 2020s. However, as seen by the popularity of the blush blindness trend, TikTok has already gotten tired of it. TikTok videos of people doing their makeup with bright blush looks are met with comments of people calling them blush blind. Several videos of people calling others blush blind have popped up and beauty gurus are even making tutorials on how to “fix” blush blindness.
Yet what many of these videos do not consider is some people simply enjoy having a lot of blush on. The videos that have produced from this trend paint heavy blush looks as a problem that needs changing. However, if someone chooses to use a lot of blush in their makeup look because they like the way it looks, then others should respect that. As the TikToker Alexis Jones said in her video addressing the comments calling her blush blind, “It’s not blush blind if I’m aware and doing it on purpose.” Even if someone is accidentally putting on more blush than they intend, they should not be shamed for it. Makeup is a skill that grows with time and practice; those who are not “perfect” at it should still be met with kindness.
Women and feminine-presenting people already have so many expectations placed on them, and I find it disheartening to see another social media trend that expects us to minimize our own happiness for the sake of conforming. Fortunately, there have been videos pushing back on this trend and taking pride in their bright blush looks.
At the end of the day, makeup is a form of self-expression. How a person chooses to do their makeup shouldn’t be anyone else’s business. Everyone should be able to do their makeup the way they like without fear of being mocked or called blind.