With the onset of summer comes an influx of beachy beauty looks. We’re talking bronzed goddess beats, pops of bright color, and, of course, the faux-sun glow. While proper sun protection remains paramount, it’s difficult to resist the allure of a breezy, summer flush. As such, sunburned chic becomes the aesthetic of the season—without the woes that come with sun exposure, of course. In fact, “sunburn blush” has taken over TikTok as summer’s newest viral hit. It’s youthful and whimsical, reminiscent of a childhood summer spent frolicking on the beach and falling asleep in the sand, waking up to a fresh, rosy color. Ahead, find our tips to recreate the carefree look.
Essentially, it entails blending your blush all the way up to the under-eyes and across the bridge of the nose—you know, just where a sunburn would hit. Some people even use the app’s sunburn filter as a stencil for where to stamp their color.“The ‘sunburnt’ blush look is huge right now because trends in makeup are moving away from overdone to fresh and natural on the skin—the ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. A flushed apple on the cheek that carries over the bridge of the nose is youthful, playful, and reminiscent of a long day on the beach. It’s chic and effortless and perfect for summer.
The placement is what really sets sun-kissed blush apart from the other blush trends circulating right now. Instead of up on your cheekbones, place blush on the spots where you naturally burn. This look is achieved by carrying your blush high on the apples of the cheek and across the bridge of your nose. You should blend slightly downward to mimic the sun.
Let me share some tips on how you can attain this look:
*Start with a cream or liquid blush and place a dot underneath your under-eye area, directly beneath your pupils. For the cream, I’d suggest to strip it with a smaller brush, then blend out with a beauty blender. If you’d like to achieve a lighter application with a bit of shine, mix your blush of choice with a lightweight oil. Mix the color with a drop or two of the oil, and dab on the areas where the sun hits. Blend well, making sure to focus the pigment in a straight line from the pupils outward. It’s less about sculpting the face, here, and more about creating a flush on the apples of your cheeks. If you’d like, you can add a drop of creamy concealer to mute the hue and make it appear even more natural.
If you’d like to go “full burn,” sweep the same cream blush across the bridge of your nose and on your forehead into your hairline. Always focus on where the sun would hit. If you’d like even more staying power, you can follow up with a powder blush in those exact same spots; the powder will further set the look.
And there you have it! A full face of sunburn blush, no UV rays required. Just one caveat: If you’re looking for lift, this might not be the best blush placement for you. Blush is a hero makeup product that can actually contour your cheekbones, but applying blush directly under your eyes draws the attention toward the center of your face and actually rounds the cheeks. Blending outward in a straight line—versus in a “C” shape upward—also shortens the face, which offers more of a youthful glow. That’s why sunburn blush appears a bit cutesy and playful rather than chiseled and toned.
When it comes to technique, there are two things to take into consideration: the tone of your blush and placement. It’s best to use warm rosy tones that look similar to how the sun or maybe some exercise would cause your skin to flush. It really does depend on your skin tone.Inspired by literal sunburn, this trend is all about incorporating bright color while keeping it natural. That said, to execute the SunBlush trend in all its pink-red-orange glory, you’re going to need a blush that’s known for its pigment.
