TikTok's Favorite Water Blush Looks (and Feels) Like Nothing I've Tried Before

I am what you would call a beauty brand's ideal audience—it doesn't take a ton of convincing to get me on board a trend. Fortunately, TikTok is full of great ones. More often than I'd like to admit, I swear to myself that I'm only logging on to the clock app for 30 minutes, only to find myself still scrolling, saving, and sending videos to my friends long past bedtime. But resistance is futile against the best TikTok trends, especially those based around one all-star product. The Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Blush ($50) is the latest viral find to captivate BeautyTok, designed to deliver a lit-from-within, natural-looking flush of color. Unable to resist anything TikTok-approved (or Chanel-branded), I knew this moisturizing blush was one to immediately try.

Where You've Seen It

Currently, the most beauty-centric corners of all social media apps are utterly transfixed by liquid blushes—not cream, necessarily, but tints and water-based blushes that sink into the skin for a buildable wash of color. As part of Chanel Beauty's larger Les Beiges collection, the Water Fresh Blush joins the complexion-evening Water-Fresh Tint ($65) as one of the latest microfluidic products in the range. Earlier this summer, word of the blush's unique texture and universally flattering color library began to spread, just now achieving critical mass across the platform.

Users were quick to rave about the blush's hydrating formula—more on that in just a sec—but most of the attention is placed on its radiant look. A no-makeup makeup essential, many flocked to the comments to remark on how well it fits with the app's other forever trend: the "clean girl" aesthetic.

The Formula

The Les Beiges range has two products formulated and classified as microfluidic, which refers to those tiny, spherical bead-like drops you see right in the bottle. When dispensed via pump, they stand out against the transparent liquid like a shimmery marbled pattern, When mixed together, it creates a shimmery pool of 75% water blush. The water and glycerine in the formula help lend a seamless effect to the blush, which can be layered up for a more intense look, too. The other microfluidic product in the line, the Water-Fresh Skin Tint, is enjoying a viral moment of its own on TikTok.

My Review

While cream blushes have been my one true love for years, liquid blushes are something I'm less familiar with. When I first dispensed the blush onto my hand, I was taken aback even though I knew what to expect. It looked so watery (duh!) that it almost looked like a regular liquid blush that separated over time. Upon mixing up the tiny blush puddle, though, I began to understand the hype. The shade I tried, Light Peach, looked beautiful pooled on my hand, but didn't quite translate onto my face. Perhaps the color I was sent is too light for my complexion, but I'm on the fairer end of things as it is.

I tried waiting for the blush to dry down a bit before layering more on for added intensity, which did work a little bit but the coats took a bit of blending to really become one. I know that so much of this product's appeal is based on its barely-there finish, but I think I'm someone who enjoys a bit more vibrance on the cheeks. In terms of how it felt, I was totally blown away—it makes sense considering the water-centric formula, but this blush is truly weightless on the skin.

Personally, the Chanel Water-Fresh Blush is not exactly my speed, but the no-makeup makeup lovers out there might have just found their new holy grail.

Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Blush $50.00

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