I Tried 3 Viral Blush Hacks To See If They Actually Work, And I'm So Glad I Ended Up With A Favorite Method

Buzz Feed

22-02-2025

Truthfully, I was never much of a blush girly until the blush renaissance of the TikTok age.
Suddenly, I was aware of blush-forward trends like the " Strawberry Girl Makeup," the " Crying Girl Makeup," and the " Blonzer" effect, and honestly, I wasn't mad about it.
I've come to learn that when blush is done right, it adds dimension to the face and a warm, natural-looking glow (if natural is the look you're going for.)
But the one thing that plagued me was how to apply it. There are just so many options!
However, one of the great upsides of all the information we're inundated with these days is that there are opportunities to discover a new technique or style that really works for you.
So, when I came across these three blush trends — the " Jelly Donut Blush," the " V" method, and the " Big V" method — I was excited to explore new blush possibilities and see if they would become a welcome addition to my beauty routine. They piqued my interest because of how the application process and results seemed accessible and attainable. They looked, to me, like a possible routine for even the most beginner beauty enthusiasts, and didn't require a million and one products. After all, the key to a good hack lies in its simplicity, no?
Thus, as someone whose makeup routine has stalled over the years but loves a good beauty tip and is ready to up her blush game, I appointed myself to test these three viral blush trends to see if they deliver. Here we go!
I first started with the "Jelly Donut Blush" trend.
From the TikTok video above and dozens of other videos I've seen, it looks to promise a glowing, flushed look, which I love! As a dry-skin girly, I am a moth to the flame when it comes to beauty promises of: Shine! Dewy! Glowing!
Here's what I used: A liquid highlighter, a liquid blush, and a dense, domed brush. I then used a beauty blender to pat everything down — but, I've also seen videos where people just used the tips of their fingers to blend and it looked great!
I made a small circle on the apples of my cheeks with the liquid highlighter, then, in the middle, I added the "jelly" part — a dot of liquid blush.
Then using the brush, I started to pat and blend down the liquid blush and highlighter. I followed it up with the beauty blender afterwards.
Haein Jung
The results:
Haein Jung
For some naive reason, I thought I would end up with a more pigmented look like many of the TikTok videos I've seen. However, I still really liked the results! The technique resulted in a very natural, subtle flush that I feel could work great for daytime outings — brunches, picnics, school, work, etc.!
I would consider the dot of the "jelly" as a starting point and by adding more "jelly" dots, you can build up to the pigmented look you want. All in all, I liked being able to apply and blend the highlighter and blush together. My trial with the Jelly Donut Blush trend resulted in a subtle, highlighter-infused flush!
Next, I tested the "V" trend that helps with placement when applying blush. It helps to achieve two distinct beauty looks — a youthful or defined one.
Here's what I used: A powder blush and two brushes — one soft and domed, and the other flat-topped and dense.
Haein Jung
I went for the youthful look first. I made a "V" shape with my index and middle finger and angled it to the apples of my cheeks. I applied the blush in the center of the "V," like so:
Haein Jung
Afterward, with the flat-topped brush, I blended the blush out. Otherwise, that section ends up too pigmented, resulting in an unfortunate...clownish effect.
Haein Jung
However, if you take a lighter-hand approach, or have a really soft high-quality blush brush at hand, you might not need to blend it out.
The results:
Haein Jung
This youthful blush method was originally how I'd been applying my blush (on the apples of my cheeks), but this was the first time applying using the "V" method. What I liked about this was that it gave me more control over the application process. I usually end up applying too much and have to blend a lot of it out, but with this method, I was able to get the results I wanted a lot quicker. For efficiency, I'd rate it pretty high. But I felt it accentuated my cheeks too much.
Next, I tested the defined look. Again, I made a "V" shape with my index and middle finger, but this time angled it towards my cheekbones. I applied the blush along the tops of my cheekbones, like so:
Haein Jung
The results:
Haein Jung
Okay, this method snatched up my cheeks! Perhaps I never really cared for blush because I always thought it drew attention to my cheeks more than I wanted it to. However, even though this technique really did help add definition to my face, I would've liked a more fuller blush effect. The end results left me wanting something a little more.
Lastly, I tested the "Big V" method. I don't know what to call it, so this is what I'll name it for testing purposes.
Using my index finger and thumb, I made a "Big V" (or a "checkmark" shape) and angled it to the apples of my cheeks and up my cheekbones. I applied the blush along my index finger, like so:
Haein Jung
Blend, blend, blend.
Haein Jung
The results:
Haein Jung
Once I started blending, I knew this would be my favorite method. This was like the "V" method's "youthful" and "defined" look got together and made the "Big V!" It was everything! This method gave me the blush coverage I wanted, plus definition. I loved how this method angled the blush upwards and therefore gave me the lifted results I always wanted.
Conclusion: This trial was a lot of fun in experimenting with new techniques I never really gave myself the time to do. At the end of it, I'm glad I was able to take away new tips and application methods. I'm sure the "Big V" method will be how I'll angle my blush from now on, and when the occasion strikes, I'll be utilizing the "Jelly Donut Blush" method. As for the youthful "V" look, maybe it's time to let that one go. Overall, I appreciate blush a lot more now!