Glazed Blush Is The Best Beauty Trend To Enhance Your Dewy Skin Look

Glazed blush is the newest of the glossy-looking trends to take over the makeup and skincare world. In our endless pursuit of hydrated and glowing skin, the glaze technique has dominated. We're after dewy looking skin without any excess shine, meaning that we're placing highlights and moisture strategically on the face to avoid everything looking too wet. A big part of what makes the glazed technique so popular is that you can frequently use skincare as makeup to add that natural glow of hydration, and mix it with cream or powder products. The glazed trend has even made it to nails, with the glazed donut manicure offering people ways to make nails truly glisten. 

While we've seen iterations of the glazed trend with highlighter, featuring glimmering pops of eyeshadow and heavily glossed lips, the new glaze focus is on blush. Makeup artist Melissa Hurkman captured the essence of glazed blush perfectly when she shared a photo of the final effect on Instagram in September 2023 on model Alexis Carrnington. Naturally, everyone wanted in on the secret, and Hurkman explained how she nailed such luminous blush. Using Patrick Ta's makeup, Hurkman explained that she used the Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double Take Creme and Powder Blush Duo in She's Baked; she also used a tiny touch of the Patrick Ta Major Glow Balm. Hurkman added that she used the cream blush over the powder blush in that order. There are several ways to nail this gorgeous trend, all worth experimenting with.

The trick to mastering the glazed blush look is using creamy highlighter sparingly. Celebrity makeup artist Robert Sesnek spoke to Coveteur and strongly advised that you keep the rest of your makeup fairly matte, so that the glazed blush technique can pop without making your face look too shiny. Like other makeup artists, Sesnek advises mixing skincare into the product to amplify the moisture while nurturing your skin. "I love to use a glow oil and add it to a highlighter for an ultra-glazed look. I love Catrice's Glow Beautifying Face Oil and a drop or two of Catrice's More Than Glow Highlighter to make a cream highlighter that has an incredible glazed effect," Sesnek suggested to Coveteur. But a little goes a long way. 

Glazed blush is all about standing out in the best way. Skin looks healthy, flushed, and radiant. While we want these features all the time, they're especially covetous in winter months when skin can appear dull and dry. "Glazed blush is all about creating an ultra-flushed, luminous finish to lift and brighten the face," makeup artist Aimee Connolly tells PopSugar. "Think glossy, balmy, and radiant — and anything but minimal. And the best part? It can work with any shade or skin type."

On deeper skin tones, a neutral or cool-toned pink glazing can create dimension in the cheekbones, while adding an ethereal glow.
To get the look, start with a powder blush and top it off with a cream blush. Following this, add a small amount of liquid or powder highlighter to the top of the cheekbones and blend upwards to get this effect. Pair with a dark lip liner and clear gloss to enhance the halo-effect.

The key to making the glazed blush look effective is being choosy about where you place highlighter, facial oils, and balms. A focus on the cheekbones keeps the dewy luster contained. "Glazed blush is moving the trend from all-over shine to targeting the cheeks for a youthful, sculpted glow," makeup artist Ruby Hammer told PopSugar. "This is about capturing the light, and it's far easier to wear than an all-over glaze, which can end up looking greasy rather than glowy." Because glazed blush is so impactful, you have the option of finishing the rest of your makeup with a lighter hand. Simple, natural eyes will make the glow stand out, will a raspberry red lip will complement the warmth.

Switching the color palette for glazed blush to something warmer, like coral can be a smart choice for warmer weather, when you want that glow without your makeup appearing too heavy. It looks fabulous on tanned or slightly warm skin. Blush placement can have a big impact on the finished look when experimenting with the glazed blush trend. There's the option of applying blush to the apples of the cheeks, to get a doll-like effect. However, the more popular placement is to apply blush to the top of the cheekbones and blend the blush upwards. "I love placing blush slightly above the apples of the cheeks for a more lifted, glowy effect," celebrity makeup artist Diane Buzzetta told Glamour. Then lightly follow with a highlighter directly on top of the blush pigment. Finish the look with a light pink or clear gloss to keep everything natural-looking.

Because of its dewy appearance, glazed blush can also be used to tone down a high-glam look. If you're rocking a heavy eye-makeup, you probably want to avoid a blush that is too matte or vibrant, or else it could look like costume makeup. The dewy technique adds a natural flush without being too over-the-top.

The glazed blush hack isn't exactly an on-the-go makeup technique. To achieve the luminous, Instagram-worthy glow, you need more than one product. This isn't to say that the process is arduous; but you need to commit to a repeat layering and blending process to make it work. Makeup artists agree. "I prefer to use separate products to allow me to build up the shade intensity of the blush," makeup artist Ruby Hammer told PopSugar. "Afterward, I would add a liquid highlighter that leaves a sheen rather than glitter to create the soft, radiant, glazed finish." Start with a powder blush as your base, then move onto liquids. A liquid blush, like Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in a bright pink shade like Happy is a great choice, followed by a creamy highlighter like Glossier's Haloscope.