TikTok’s Lipstick Blush Hack Is Ridiculous — But It Works

From using bobby pins as stencils to create winged eyeliner to face shaving for seamless foundation, TikTok's viral makeup hacks are unconventional yet fascinating to watch. Beauty lovers, influencers, and professional makeup artists alike are flooding the app with clever shortcuts and tricks that take the chore out of application, help keep makeup in place for longer, and create attention-grabbing looks. Right now, the most popular technique taking the app by storm is "lipstick blush," and the videos are racking up thousands of views.

According to TikTok makeup artist Felicia Marie, whose lipstick blush video has racked up 204,500 views and counting, the hack consists of using a bright red lipstick to contour with. The first step is applying your chosen lipstick to your forehead, cheekbones, and down the center of your nose, then using a brush to blend the product into the skin. Granted, this initially makes it look as though the TikTokers trying the trend have awfully painful sunburn, but the next moves are important for pulling the finished result together.

Once the lipstick is blended well, the first step is meant to be repeated using a bronze contouring stick (blended into the skin just like the lipstick) and followed by concealer (under the eyes, cheekbones, down the center of the nose, and on the chin and forehead). Finally, it's a layer of your chosen foundation, blended out with a fluffy brush or sponge.

So what's the point? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure, but judging by the finished result it makes for a more convincing flush that meshes a lot better with the skin — rather than a layer of blush on top of foundation, which can look quite doll-like, severe, or even flat if you're using powder. Regardless, it's gaining traction among countless TikTok stars, and if they're loving the way it looks IRL, surely it has to be worth a try.

I started with bare skin except for a touch of a very light moisturizer (Caudalie Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer), as there were many layers of makeup to follow and my skin gets clogged easily. My lipstick of choice was the HIGHR Collective Lipstick in Chiltern for its intense candy-red pigment and creamy texture, thanks to lots of nourishing plant-based oils. (It stays put on lips, too.) It felt alien to draw all over my face with the tube, but even weirder when I worked it into the skin. I reached for the Clé de Peau Beauté High Coverage Foundation Brush, which is one of the best-quality blending brushes out there. The soft but sturdy bristles helped blend the lipstick easily, but I have to admit, it did take some work.

As you can see, I too emerged from the process with a lobster-esque complexion. The lipstick had defined my cheekbones well, though, so I decided to skip the contouring step and go straight in with Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer. I looked absolutely terrifying, like a ventriloquist's dummy, but when I pulled everything together with my trusty Gucci Beauty Fluide De Beauté Fini Naturel Foundation and did my eye makeup, I started to see the appeal.

The flush on my cheeks appeared entirely natural and believable, and I can't deny the lit-from-within glow. However, I wish I'd avoided my forehead and nose because I looked as though I'd spent a little too long in the sun. Also, the multiple steps are pretty tedious, so I wouldn't make the technique part of my daily beauty routine. Maybe next time I'll dab a little lipstick on top of my foundation for a pretty, sun-dappled finish.

Like TikToker Felicia, I found the lipstick enhanced my skin texture including my acne scars and pores, as it's not really designed to be used anywhere but lips. If I were to try the trend in future, I'd suggest using liquid or cream blush instead, which merges with skin a lot better. A little goes a long way, too, so you can swerve the swathes of lipstick everyone's applying.

Currently, I'm liking the new Hourglass Vanish Blush Stick, which glides on as a cream but feels more like a powder when blended into the skin and imparts a believable flush. I also love Glossier Cloud Paint, which is highly pigmented and easy to blend. A tiny dab packs a real punch, so you can achieve a statement blush effect like in the above TikTok videos or something more subtle depending on how much you use.