If there is one single make-up category that has soared in the last year, it's blush. Sitting at the very centre of TikTok's biggest beauty trends (namely sunset blush, boyfriend blush and most recently jelly donut bush), our collective obsession with the instant flush-giver is perhaps best represented as 'blush blindness' - the online movement that set to highlight the beauty community's apparent overuse of blush. In fact, in its trend report of 2024/25, John Lewis declared 'blush is back,' citing TikTok trends and the Sabrina Carpenter effect as culprits, which helped to boost sales of its blush offerings by 23% between May and June 2024 alone. Naturally, brands are meeting the demand with increasingly innovative formulas. Case in point, K-Beauty brand Glow Recipe's new Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush, £22.
Just how innovative, you ask? Well, first and foremost the brand is adamant to let you know its latest offering isn't a 'blush' at all, but a 'flush'. That will be down to the fact that Glow Recipe prides itself on its skin-first approach - simply look to its viral, best-selling Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, £32, for the proof. A first of its kind, the highlighter-serum hybrid quite literally blurred the lines between skin care and make-up, and can be used both under or over make-up for an ultra-luminous finish while healing skin over time with some seriously noteworthy hero ingredients.
Those same ingredients, namely, antioxidant-rich niacinamide, vitamin A and C-enriched watermelon and hydrating hyaluronic acid feature in the new Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush too, making it the latest addition to the brand's growing skincare-makeup-up hybrid portfolio.
Shop: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush
www.sephora.co.uk
Meet the viral breakout K-Beauty brand, Glow Recipe's newest skincare and make-up hybrid. With two shades on offer - Watermelon Flush and Berry Flush - they quickly glaze cheeks with a natural-looking subtle flush while leaving skin glossy and radiant.
Our honest review of the Glow Recipe's new Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush
It's fair to say these tints aren't really blushers in the truest sense of the word. Housed in the classic Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide range's teardrop shaped glass vessels, the formula encased within is a glossy, gel-like serum which doesn't resemble any liquid or cream blush I've used to date. It's totally weightless, and Glow Recipe's new Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush blends in with ease and leaves a skin-like, ultra-comfortable, lit-from-within subtle flushed sheen on the skin which mimics the look of just having caught some sun on holiday.
There are two shades to pick from Watermelon Flush and Berry Flush, and I landed on the latter berry-plum hue which showed up nicely against my medium skin tone. While it won't replace my trusty powder and liquid blushers which I will always call on for those full-glam moments, after testing these out for a week, I can certainly say they are perfect for an off-duty, no make-up make-up look where radiant skin is key.
Speaking of, the fact that these buildable tints are powered by 100% skincare makes this blusher a perfect choice for days when you want to let your skin breathe while still looking somewhat put together. It is loaded with clinically effective 3% niacinamide to reduce the look of dark spots, hyperpigmentation, texture and pores, as well as K-Beauty hero ingredient centella asiatica to soothe, and watermelon and hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate. However, the real star ingredient comes in the form of micorfine pigments that are wrapped in non-comodogenic jojoba oil, which create that all important soft flush all while evening the skin tone.
Sameeha Shaikh is Grazia's beauty writer, working across all categories to bring you insights on the latest trends, industry news and the products you need to know about, viral or not (most probably viral).