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This winter, we’re seeing makeup looks inspired by nippy winds biting at your cheeks and nose, a.k.a. “I’m cold” makeup on TikTok. Luckily, you don’t even have to go outside and freeze to achieve the trend. Berry and plum-toned blushes—especially ones in buildable gel and cream formulas—are exactly what you need to emulate a wintery flush. Take your pick of the gorgeous hues and easy-to-apply formulas below to get in on the trend.
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The Makeup By Mario Soft Pop Blush Stick in the shade “Plumberry” is a must-have for this trend. I’m a self-proclaimed beauty buff and this is one of my favorite cream blushes in my extensive collection. Don’t let its vampy color intimidate you—it’s actually a very buildable formula, which means that even a few swipes of product blends easily if you’re not too keen on packing on color.
The cream stick includes a brush on one end—my preferred way to blend it—that diffuses the color well without absorbing too much formula. Apply this on the apples of your cheeks and blend it up your cheekbones toward your temple as well as across your nose with the brush.
Yves Saint Laurent launched its unique Nu Lip & Cheek Balmy Tint—a light coverage tint with a hyaluronic acid base. Hyaluronic acid is a hydration superstar, as it helps the skin retain water, making it a staple for people with dry or dehydrated skin. It’s available in three hues, but the shade “Nu Chills,” a soft plum, is a great pick for wintertime.
The brand describes this formula as hydrating cream with a natural (not matte or shiny) finish. Apply it to your cheeks as a blush and, to create a monochromatic look, tap it onto your lips as a balm. Wind-whipped cheeks and lips have never looked so chic.
If you’ve somehow gone this long without snagging Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, this is your sign to click “add to cart.” The liquid blush went viral on TikTok for its ultra-pigmented formula—you only need one small dot per cheek to see an opaque flush.
To hone that windy-weather look, try the red shade called “Grateful.” It claims to have a dewy finish and weightless feel as well as a formula that’s long-lasting on the skin.
Saie makes a number of makeup items that lend well to the “no-makeup makeup look,” and its Dew Blush became one of my favorites this year. There are a few wintery shades including “Dreamy,” a cool-toned berry, and my personal pick, “Spice,” a warm terracotta hue.
According to the brand, it’s a water-based gel-blush that contains evening primrose to moisturize and soothe dry skin as well as mulberry root extract to brighten. The blush contains a doe-foot applicator that makes it easy to pop a dot onto the cheeks, and you can use your fingers, a brush or a sponge to blend it into the skin.
Benefit’s Liquid Lip Blush & Cheek Tint recently went viral on TikTok, but the cosmetic brand has been a tried-and-true for years. This liquid formula is more akin to a stain, providing a flush-from-within type of finish. You can use the small doe-foot applicator to apply one coat for a sheer tint or layer on the product after the first coat dries for a vibrant glow.
You can choose from six colors, all of which have that same natural-looking finish, but “Benetint” (neutral berry) and “Lovetint” (dark red) can help you nail this trend.
Another classic, the Clinique Chubby Stick is super-easy to use thanks to its creamy balm formula that comes in a marker-like tube. Though it’s called a balm, the formula is oil-free and has a gel-like feel to layer onto the skin with ease and give a glow to the cheeks.
Of the four shades available, the bright pink color “Rosy Poly Rosy” will excel at achieving “cold makeup.” Use a fluffy blending brush to sweep the product onto the tip of your nose, your cheeks and even up to your temples.
Social media makeup gurus raved about this drugstore blush stick all summer long, but it’s a great pick for winter, too. Aptly called the On-the-Glow Blush, this Pixi blush is best for people who adore a sheen on the skin.
The formula includes aloe vera and ginseng to moisturize the skin while adding a dewy swipe of color. Snag it in “Ruby,” a gorgeous berry-pink color, to dip your toe into trying this fun trend.
If cream or liquid blushes aren’t quite your jam, the NYX Sweet Cheeks Creamy Powder Blush is a great choice that can still help you get a wintery flush. Despite its matte formulation, the blushes contain micro pearls to provide a creamy texture and gorgeous glow.
It’s available in seven shades, but “Red Riot” (deep berry) and “Citrine Rose” (coral-pink) are tones that’ll pop on the cheeks this winter.
Glossier’s Cloud Paint is an ultra-pigmented liquid blush that’s super easy to apply, but TikTok beauty gurus claim to have found a more affordable version of it in the Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush. Beyond the cost, the main difference between the two formulas is the sheerness: Cheek Heat is beginner-friendly because its thinner formula that can be layered for more opacity, while Cloud Paint immediately packs on the color.
Described as having a “natural finish,” Cheek Heat comes in three colors, with the rosy beige “Nude Burn” providing a lightweight, healthy hue to the face.
In recent years, E.L.F. Cosmetics products have become synonymous with affordable prices and top-tier products. The brand’s Putty Blush—an iteration of its famous Poreless Putty Primer, which went viral on TikTok last year—claims to melt into the skin and change from a cream to a semi-matte powder once it dries. Plus, the formula contains vitamin E and argan oil, both of which help moisturize the skin.
The blush is available in five buildable hues, including “Caribbean,” a cranberry tone that’s festive for the winter season. The brand recommends applying the cream with your fingers or the Putty Blush Brush.
$7 at Ulta
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