Your Guide To The Shimmery 'Blighlighting' Makeup Technique

Blush is to 2023 what lip liner was to the early 2000s: an indispensable part of every makeup routine. Whether it's the clean girl look, which uses a bit of blush to create a healthy rouge, or the tomato girl aesthetic, where blush is the main star for that beachside glow, blush has remained the key to achieving several modern-day looks. There's no wonder a new hack for using the product appears on TikTok almost every day, from the circle blush hack to Patrick Ta's expert tip on mixing cream and powder blush. And while we're on the topic of blush hacks, permit us to add one more to the list. This one is called "blighlighting," and it's celebrity-approved.

Blighlighting, short for blush highlighting, is a makeup technique that combines blush and highlighter to create a shimmery, dewy look on the skin. While it is a bit unclear where the fun and slightly tongue-twisting term originated from, all hands point to makeup artist Jamie Greenberg and her blighlighter products, which are hydrating hybrid balms containing both blush and highlighter in one. Since then, the term has taken off, with Rare Beauty founder Selena Gomez sharing the technique as a loved hack.

In a 2023 interview with Byrdie, Selena Gomez shared how she blighlights with multiple products, which involves a little mixing directly on your cheeks. "I place one or two small dots of blush on my cheeks with one or two small dots of luminizer and blend together — there are so many good combos," she said.

But this trick doesn't just depend on placing two dots of blush and highlighter; it also depends on the kind of blush and highlighter you're using. To properly mix both items on your cheeks, it's best to use liquid blush and highlighter, as they help create a more even mix between the two items. Gomez herself uses Positive Light Liquid Luminizer with Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, both from her Rare Beauty brand. 

Blighlighting also lets you mix and match shades of blush and highlighter to create your custom dewy shine. Whether you want a rosy blush with gold highlighter or some coral-toned blush with green-toned highlighter, Gomez was right when she said there are so many good combos, and the options are endless.

Blighlighting is a great way to add shimmery goodness and a healthy dose of color to your skin simultaneously. However, it is essential that you do not overdo the technique to avoid overpowering the blush with highlighter, or using too much blush and too little highlighter. To prevent this, start with just a few drops of blush and highlighter and work your way up if you need more coverage or a deeper flush.

If you do not want to blend both items directly on your face, mix them on a pan or palette first and brush or dabble onto your cheeks. Alternatively, you can pour a few drops of both on your fingertips and rub them together to get a warm mix that blends much more easily into your skin. Blighlighting is a straightforward hack, but it can make all the difference in how much shine your blush has.