Jelly Blush Is the Freshest Way to Flush This Summer

Beauty trends are inching closer towards the pantry with every passing scroll. From the advent of Hailey Bieber’s glazed donut nails, to ripe-and-refined tomato girl makeup, to the boom of “milky” skin care, if it reminds us of food, we want to put it on our faces. Culinary-coded beauty isn’t just cute—the cross-sensory allure makes these products seem extra indulgent, satisfying, and shoppable. It’s a bit of science, and a bunch of aesthetic. 

The newest member of the “why do I want to eat this makeup” family? Jelly blush. These are the squishy, sheer, kinda-cooling cheek tints (that sometimes moonlight as lip tints) you’ve seen everywhere—perhaps, most famously, this one from Milk Makeup. They’re juicy, they’re playful, and they’re very much on our radar.

Ahead, more on the so-good-you-could-eat-it trend taking over this summer.

What Are Jelly Blushes?

“Jelly blushes are typically a water-based, bouncy, gel-like format of blush that gives a sheer wash of color,” explains New York City-based makeup artist Kasey Spickard. “Often, you’ll see that these types of blushes provide a long-wear, almost stain-like payoff that lasts all day.” Jelly blushes tend to be housed in tubes or sticks, but sometimes crop up in little jars.

They’re also defined by their uniquely bouncy feel, which, of course, must come alive in a beaker before it can bless our cheeks. Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos shares that the main ingredient in jelly blushes is agarose, a type of red algae. “When heated and cooled, it forms a semi-solid gel that traps water molecules—firm but still moist,” she explains. The water-based formula also allows for water-soluble dyes that gently stain the skin, giving the blush its signature long wear.” Cool, right?

The Trend

While relatively new to our stateside FYPs, jelly blushes were already a staple in Korea. “These blushes are definitely trending due to K-beauty; we’ve seen jelly blushes for a long time in that market,” Spickard says. “However, we’re also seeing them pop on social media here in the US because of the overall movement toward ‘clean girl,’ barely-there complexion products.”

Korean beauty brands like Dasique and Fwee were early adopters of the jelly blush trend. Fwee even took things a step further by creating a silicone applicator explicitly designed for the gel formula. Since brushes don’t play well with the gel texture, this tool mimics the effect of blending with your fingers—all without getting dye on your digits. You can use the applicator as a lip brush or to dot and diffuse the blush onto your cheeks.

Stateside, brands like Milk Makeup, Fenty Beauty, and Revolution Beauty have also joined in on the fun. The trend even has a stamp of approval from one of our premiere blush queens, Hailey Bieber—she used Tony Molly’s Cheek Tone Jelly Blusher in a GRWM video this spring.

Beyond the aesthetic appeal and satisfying squish, the gel texture and stick format make jelly blushes a mess-free, travel-friendly alternative to traditional powders and creams. Bonus: they deliver a subtle cooling sensation on contact, making them an especially lovely pick for faking a summer flush—sans sunburn.

How to Apply Jelly Blushes

Brushes aren’t your best bet when it comes to applying these jellies. “I find a brush doesn’t work as well because the warmth and natural oils of the hands help work the product into the skin and give a more seamless blend,” says Spickard. So, wash your hands, swirl your ring finger into the blush, and tap it onto the apples of your cheeks and cheekbones before blending it out.

Want to try the trend for yourself? Find the best jelly blushes, below.