Tarte’s Blush Tape Made Me Look Like A Hot Doll

I can't shut up about blush these days. After having chronic acne for the majority of my teens and 20s (as well as enduring one particularly scarring makeup application where I left the chair looking like I had a heat rash on my face), I spent most of my life avoiding cheek makeup altogether. That is until the spectacular blush-aissance that we've been enjoying as of late. Fueled by mega-trends like cottagecore and TikTok girlies' GRWM videos, blush is back — and like never before. The latest launch to make waves? Tarte's Blush Tape is a dewy magic wand that bestows a flush of color to cheeks in a matter of dots. (As the name suggests, it joins the wildly successful Tarte Tape family of Shape Tape concealer, Face Tape foundation, and Sculpt Tape contour, among other SKUs. As a massive fan of the brand, I knew I had to try it out for myself.

Blush Tape comes in three shades — Peach, Pink, and Berry — and I immediately gravitated toward the warm-toned peach hue. (Anything too cool-toned tends to look a bit off on my olive skin.) If you've tried products like Maybelline's Instant Rewind concealer or Charlotte Tilbury's Beauty Light Wand, then you know the drill with cushiony foam-tip applicators: Depending on the packaging, you either twist or squeeze the product so it saturates the foam, and from there, you can dot the product right where you want it. As much as I love the no-mess, takes-five-seconds-to-apply tip, it's not without its faults. I personally find them hard to clean and, as a result, not something I'd share with friends or keep in my kit as a makeup artist.

Back to the blush — as for the juice, I was surprised at how sheer the formula is. When it comes to liquid or cream blushes, I tend to think less is more, especially considering how buildable they can be. The first time I tried Blush Tape, I went with three small dots along my cheekbones. After blending, I decided it simply wasn't enough and added two more — better. If you're used to a matte cheek stain, this is definitely not that. I loved the natural, radiant finish this stuff gave my skin. It looked more like I'd gone out for a quick run and less like I was wearing makeup. Blush always makes me feel like a doll, but this is not your basic blush — this is hot girl blush.

Now, hot girl blush does come at a hot price. At $35, this stuff is not cheap — and judging by how much I use at a time, I'm not entirely sure how long a tube would last more enthusiastic blush folks. However, if you're a connoisseur and want to build out your blush wardrobe, this is a truly stunning dewy blush that will make your skin gleam.