Blush is at the heart of many trends, from “sunset blush” to “strawberry makeup”, to “pomegranate makeup,” and has clearly made a comeback on TikTok in the post-Covid era. This time it’s used to imitate the effects of a sunburn. “Heat stroke makeup” seeks to reproduce the look of a day spent in intense sunlight (without the negative consequences) by applying blush not only to cheekbones, eyelids and lips, but also the torso.
Blush and bronzer touches
“Heat stroke makeup,” inspired by skin’s natural tendency to turn red in excess exposure to the sun, is a bold makeup look that’s both colorful and realistic-looking. The look features the blush treatment given to cheeks and nose, plus touches of bronzer to accentuate a suntanned complexion, and glowing, slightly dewy skin to give the impression of a “beach getaway.”
This latest social media craze is a sort of caricatured continuation of the ’Island Girl Makeup’ trend, which won over makeup fans in June. But for this look, makeup isn’t only applied to the face, as it’s used all the way down to the neck, collarbones, and sometimes even the stomach, in the interest of reproducing that sunburned look by leaving traces of the tank top or jewelry on the skin. The idea is to capture that natural redness and luminosity that comes after sun exposure, without the effects of UV rays. As a bonus, freckles created with an eyebrow pencil can emphasize the sun-kissed effect!
A trend originating from China
The fad really took off when the Chinese edition of men’s magazine GQ posted photos of models on Instagram paying tribute to summer, high temperatures and (too much) time spent in the sunshine. The publication has clearly shaken up the codes in a country traditionally wary of the effects of sunrays on skin.
“This makeup is of exceptional quality, oh my god,” ‘Why don’t you mention the makeup artist, I need to know how they did it?’ read some of the comments. A photoshoot that didn’t go unnoticed and was quickly picked up on TikTok.
While this look may be fun to recreate, it’s important to remember that a real sunburn is a serious medical condition. This makeup may look funny, but it nonetheless questions the evolution of consumers’ relationship with sun protection. On this subject, the proliferation of misinformation and fanciful discussions on social media is truly worrying.
