The older I get, the more I realise how subjective beauty trends can be. Growing up, my sisters always warned me not to pluck or wax my eyebrows because they had fallen victim to the pencil-thin brow trend of the early 2000s. I might have taken their advice a little too literally, in retrospect. Towards the end of my high school years, the world collectively developed a penchant for blocky, filled-in brows — a trend that, at the time, had us all convinced we looked like Cara Delevingne. Looking back, they did not flatter me in the slightest. Although I’m unlikely to ever try out that particular trend again, I look back fondly on my past self and give her kudos for trying out something new.

Recently, I was scrolling on TikTok and came across a content creator talking about a new beauty phenomenon known as ‘blush blindness’. The reference they used in their video was a photo of pop singer Sabrina Carpenter, who’s become known for her signature rosy complexion. The creator went on to explain that it’s a term coined to describe individuals such as Carpenter, who pile on ultra-pigmented blush without realising that they might be overdoing it. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to blush either, and can be used to describe our inability to see any sort of fleeting beauty standard objectively. When will the time come where we look back on this blush-crazed era and cringe? Next month? Next year?

Blush is obviously not a new product, but the way we formulate it and apply it has certainly changed. In the last few years, it’s evolved from being just a powder-based product — and cream and liquid iterations have risen in popularity thanks to brands such as Rare Beauty, Westman Atelier, and Charlotte Tilbury.

I’ve certainly noticed that blush has been in vogue as of late and, after years of having none in my repertoire, I recently invested in several cream and liquid versions for my own make-up bag. I’ve always been a little scared of ‘blush blindness’ even before I knew such a term existed. When applying blush, I always make a conscious effort to buff it out with my concealer sponge for fear of looking like a clown.

Like all beauty methods and trends, how you choose to apply your blush is totally subjective. Despite the criticism some creators have been facing for their heavy-handed applications, many have been hitting back by packing even more blush on in their videos — saying that they won’t be toning it down just because others don’t like it. While a whisper of colour on the apples of the cheeks might do it for some people, let those with ‘blush blindness’ have their fun, I say. If we never experiment with trends, how would we come to define certain eras? What would ’90s beauty have been without thin brows and dark lip liner? The ’80s, without mullets and vibrant eyeshadow? Regardless of how we may feel in the future, trialling contemporary beauty trends is a way for people to feel connected to one another and to determine what truly works for them.

If you’ve been wanting to try out a new beauty trend or application, particularly blush, then consider this your sign to do so. Although there’s a high likelihood that I’ll think poorly of my current blush or make-up choices in five years’ time, I’m not going to let it get in the way of trying something that I may end up loving.

Words: Amberley Colby

This article featured in the spring 2024 issue of Fashion Quarterly.