TikTok Is All About Blush, but Only These 4 Viral Products Impressed Me

I have a love-hate relationship with TikTok. Having myself, alongside my entire generation, bullied by kids in the 9th grade is humbling — if not embarrassing — but it is also a dreamscape for the beauty-obsessed. There are thousands of videos reviewing products, sharing dupes, finding hacks, etc., so I let the millennial roasts go because I would have never discovered KVD's wonderful foundation balm and an incredible bottom lash mascara without it.

For the last six or so months, the product category of obsession has been blush. TikTok users have been discovering and sharing countless ways to use the beauty staple beyond just applying it on the apples of their cheeks — like the 5-second blush application hack and blush facelifts.

As such, it seems like a new blush product is constantly going viral. In the name of science and my own personal makeup obsession, I have spent several weeks testing all of the viral blushes I could get my hands on. In total, I was given 10 blushes, and after trying all of them, there were just four that left an impression on me: the Nars Liquid Blush, Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand, Kaja Cheeky Stamp, and Rare Beauty Soft Pinch.

Wearing Charlotte Tilbury Pinkgasm.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand in Pinkgasm

Shop now: $40; charlottetilbury.com

Okay, TikTok got me because this is now potentially my favorite blush I've ever tried?? Years ago, I used the pressed powder Charlotte Tilbury blushes, and while that was my signature for a while, I outgrew it. I was luckily gifted the Contour Wand in Pinkgasm, and I would have to say, this is the blush I have been using the most since. The liquid plush formula comes out through a soft cushion tip as you squeeze the tube. It does have somewhat of a shimmer, light-catching sheen to it, so I skip highlighter altogether when I use this. It's an incredibly easy and foolproof application. I make three very light dots on my cheeks and use my middle and ring fingers to tap and blend.

Nars Liquid Blush in Orgasm

Shop now: $30; ulta.com

Nars Orgasm blush was the first blush I ever committed to and the longest standing one remaining in my makeup kit. However, in line with the times, I have moved toward the liquid and cream blushes that are the style du jour. The other three blushes are cream formulas, but Nars Liquid Blush stands out for being a thin water-like consistency that is unbelievably pigmented. I advise very slowly and gently pressing the pump and getting the smallest drop of product on your finger possible — you'll be shocked by how little you actually need.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Encourage

Shop now: $20; rarebeauty.com

In the last couple of months, it has felt like I've written about Rare Beauty hundreds of times, but it's not my fault — it's theirs for having products everyone can't stop raving about and that TikTok is also obsessed over. The Soft Pinch Blush has over 83 million views on TikTok and the shade range is spectacular; I like that there are two finishes, dewy and matte. The matte is my go-to because it makes me look like I have porcelain skin in a chic way (and not in a haunted AF Annabelle doll way).

Kaja Cheeky Stamp Blendable Blush in Saucy

Shop now: $24; sephora.com

Right off the bat, I need to just say Kaja Beauty is making the cutest and most fun packaging out there. Frequently, that is enough to initially sell me on the product, but Cheeky Stamp Blush also works superbly, so it's more than just a pretty package. Unscrew the lid and a heart-shaped stamp applicator comes off. Open the pigment pot of the blush and saturate the heart in color before dabbing it onto your cheeks. It's pigmented but light and natural, so I usually go with two deep or three light heart stamps before blending out with my fingers.