Hazy, Soft, and Anti-Dewy: How Tastemakers Are Wearing Blush This Fall (and Beyond)
Cream blush, you will always be famous. No other makeup product sets my pulse skyrocketing quite like a pot of rosy pigment meant to make my cheekbones shine like a mirrorball, but I've admittedly been unfaithful to my dewy confections for the past few months. Dare I say I'm over a glazed-donut glow? Countless beauty fans would agree—including top-tier makeup artists, it turns out—as soft-matte pigments have taken the market by storm as of late. No more glistening cheekbones; anti-dewy blush is the fall beauty blueprint (though, I predict it'll stick around well into 2026), and below, the pros explain how to appear exquisitely blurred.
The Rise of Anti-Dewy Blush
Beauty trends exist on a pendulum swing, as you likely already know, so consider the uptick in hazy, soft finishes a rebound from the "blush blindness" wave of years past. "We go hard in one direction, then get tired of trends and crave the opposite," explains celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell. "The market is so overly saturated with dewy, juicy, cream, liquid, gel blushes now. Personally, I love juicy-looking makeup and hydrating formulas, but I'm diving IN to soft-matte finishes."
Sewell's not alone. Even beauty juggernauts known for their super-dewy blushes, like Nars, Glossier, and Ilia, have introduced soft-matte formulas alongside their cult-favorite creams—a clear signal of the changing tides. "There’s a growing preference for blurred, soft-focus finishes that enhance skin rather than shine on top of it," Niko Lopez, head of global artistry at Nars, tells Who What Wear. Hence why the brand decided to reformulate its iconic Multiple stick (which originally launched as a shimmery, cream formula in 1996) into a cream-to-powder finish with skin-blurring effects. "It creates dimension while still looking effortless," Lopez adds.
Makeup artist Sam Michalska, Ilia's executive director of global education, has also noticed brand loyalists shifting their attention away from ultra-dewy looks. "Everyone is gravitating towards this sweet spot between dewy and matte that gives you a naturally radiant look without looking like you just finished a hot yoga class," she shares. It's a delicate balance to strike, no doubt, but with high-tech blurring technology, featherlight pigments, and light-filtering powders, today's soft-matte formulas truly knock it out of the park when it comes to that coveted, filter-like haze. Now, matte blushes are no longer synonymous with a cakey, dry complexion, no matter how much product you pile on.
Glossier's new Cloud Paint Plush Blush is a prime example, as the innovative formula features a "memory cloud" technology that allows the wearer to literally mold the blush like clay. The pillowy-soft texture blooms across the skin with a mere press of a fingertip, making it easy to build soft layers—a popular technique for long-wearing color, Emily Trillaud, Glossier's vice president of product, tells me. "Blush has shifted from a finishing touch to a centerpiece of a beauty look, with current trends focused on layering and placement expanding beyond the cheeks, sometimes seamlessly blending into the temples and eyelids," she explains. "We expect to see this interest in blush continue through the fall, and soft-matte powder blush is the perfect way to achieve a softer layered look."
How to Wear Blush in Fall 2025 (and Beyond)
As someone known to swoon over a rich, buttery blush stick, I have to wonder: Has cream blush finally seen the end of its reign? Well… not exactly. "I think it’s more of a way to share its crown," celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty quips. "Dewy blush and powder blush are best friends, and they can really work in tandem together. Throwing on a powder blush on top of a cream will take pigment to the next level and also last longer." Brands behind the scenes would have to agree; while new matte formulas on the market wear beautifully on their own, layering them on top of creamy pigments will make a fall beauty look really sing. Besides, these products are created to be quite versatile—meaning there's no shortage of ways to play.
For a contoured look, Trillaud recommends tapping a deeper shade of liquid Cloud Paint onto the hollows of your cheeks (where you'd typically contour) and on the apples; then follow up with a brighter shade of Plush Blush just on the apples. "For a bolder, more dimensional look, dab the liquid Cloud Paint on the apples of your cheek and upwards on the cheekbone, and, using the same shade, apply Plush Blush on the apples of the cheek," she offers.
