The Secret to Making the Jelly Donut Blush Technique Better

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jelly donut blush
Author Name: Beth Rush
Date: Friday December 6, 2024

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Many makeup trends have come and gone, but the jelly donut blush seems like it’s going to stick for a while. After all, everyone wants to achieve that youthful-like skin. And the good news is that it doesn’t involve smearing strawberry jelly on your cheeks. 

What is the Jelly Donut Blush?

The jelly donut blush is a makeup technique that went viral on TikTok. It involves coloring and glazing the cheekbones for a perfect glowy base. It differs from other trends, where people place their blush higher for a lifting effect or on the nose for a sun-kissed effect. Rather than depending on one product, you also need a highlighter for that luminous effect. 

@lenkalul

ad trying the ‘jelly donut’ blush🎀 mixing @Charlotte Tilbury hollywood beauty light wand in ‘spotlight’ with matte beauty blush wand in ‘pillow talk’ #makeup #makeuphacks #makeuptransformation #makeupartist #makeuptutorial #blushhack

♬ original sound – lenkalul

Steps to Make a Jelly Donut Blush

The jelly donut blush technique is inspired by the beloved pastry of the same name. This application process even encapsulates the generous sprinkle of sugary goodness with a red jelly center. Here are the basic steps to achieve it:

  • Add a circle of highlighter: Draw a circle of highlight to mimic the shape of a donut. It’s best to place this on the apple of your cheeks, making it as big as you want.
  • Put a dot of blush in the middle: Add a blush to the circle’s center. Place a small dot for pigmented formulas, or add a bigger one for more sheer products. 
  • Blend, blend, blend: Blend out the products, ensuring everything stays on the front of your cheeks. Keep the blush focused in the center instead of diffusing it.
jelly donuts

How to Make the Jelly Donut Blush Better

What makes the jelly donut blush so popular is how fun and simple it is. However, if you want to make it a part of your everyday routine, here’s what you need to do to improve it. 

1. Utilize Similar Formulas

Most people use liquid products for their jelly donut blush, but it’s important to distinguish what formulas go together for a seamless blend. If you have a watery red tint, you should have water-based highlighter drops since they’ll work together better. Use oil-based cream blushes with highlighters of the same formula.

2. Make Sure You Have a Fresh Base

If you want your liquid products to sit better on your skin, apply them on a fresh base. The powder can make the wetter formulas clump together. While some work on top of the powder, it’s quite a risk that might require do-overs. The damp foundation is ideal for making the blushes and highlighters blend. 

3. Pick the Right Colors

It’s essential to choose the right colors. Numerous options are under a certain type of hue, all varying in depth and pigmentation. While many makeup brands have limited shades that cater more to lighter complexions than darker skin tones, try to look and compare different products. You should choose blush and highlighters that work for your skin rather than against it. 

4. Add Minimal Powder on Top

Set the jelly donut blush glow with your setting powder to make it last all day. That said, add only a minimal amount to keep your hard work intact. You can also add powder blush or highlighter after. Baked cosmetics are creams that have been dried down to a solid formula so they can add color and shine while having a slight mattifying effect. 

5. Use the Right Blending Tools

Brushes are a popular tool for applying and blending cosmetics. However, try using a dampened beauty blender instead. It is ideal for liquid products, blush and highlighter included. You can use a separate one from your other base makeup, ensuring your jelly donut blush application isn’t tainted by other items. 

blush palettes

Product Recommendations

After mastering the jelly donut blush technique, all that’s left is to figure out what products you should use. Here are a couple of recommendations to achieve the best result:

1. Rare Beauty Mini Blush and Luminize Trio

The Rare Beauty Mini Blush and Luminize Trio is a beautiful limited-edition gift set with almost everything you need. The mini Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Positive Light Liquid Luminizer also have similar formulas that blend well together. They’re also known for being pigmented, so a little goes a long way, and they will suit numerous skin tones. 

$49 on Amazon 

2. Laura Geller New York The Best of the Best Baked Palette

The Laura Geller New York The Best of the Best Baked Palette is a versatile palette that works as a topper for your jelly donut blush. It involves two baked highlighters and one baked blush to maintain that natural glow. It’s also accompanied by a baked bronzer and three eyeshadows to complement the apples of your cheeks. 

$41 on Amazon

3. IT Cosmetics Glow with Confidence Sun Cream Blush 

If you’re looking for a stand-alone creamy blush to add to your arsenal, the IT Cosmetics Glow with Confidence Sun Cream Blush is the perfect one for you. It contains hyaluronic acid, peptides and vitamin E for long-lasting hydration. There are numerous shades that will surely show up on the skin as well. 

$17 on Amazon

4. Milk Makeup Dewy Cream Highlighter Stick

The Milk Makeup Dewy Cream Highlighter Stick is an excellent cosmetic product if you want to just glide the flow onto your cheeks. It’s intense upon application, but it eventually diffuses into a radiant glow upon blending. The inclusion of mango butter, avocado oil and apricot oil makes this product work with numerous liquid formulations. 

$18 on Amazon

5. Beautyblender Beam Color Changing Beauty Blender

Beautyblenders work wonders for blending makeup products. They are latex-free and made in the U.S.A., so you can count on quality tools. Plus, this variant has a fun mechanic: Soaking it in warm water transforms the color. This signifies that the foam is activated to keep makeup on the surface. Bounce on your liquids and creams with no problem at all.

$20 on Amazon

Get the Perfect Glowy Blush

The jelly donut blush is one of the best ways to achieve pinky and frost-like cheeks. Whether you pair it with bold eyeshadow and lips or a simple no-makeup makeup look, you will undoubtedly look a little more youthful and a lot more flawless. 

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