There’s a fine line between radiance and reflectivity, and somewhere along that tightrope walks the glazed blush look which started trending in 2024 and has refused to give up its crown. It’s not just dewy skin. It’s not just flushed cheeks. It’s the illusion of a soft sheen blooming from beneath your skin, like you’ve just emerged from a steamy bath in an expensive ryokan, cheeks kissed by heat, spirit calmed by ceremony.
The problem is that in the wrong hands, the glow can tip into chaos. Highlighters turn chunky. Blushes look like beetroot juice spiked with glitter. The dew gets greasy. The pores throw a tantrum.
To help you land squarely on the side of angelic and not alarming, here’s your no-nonsense, disco-dodging guide to products that deliver the glazed blush look with grace. These are skin-loving, light-bouncing, sweat-mimicking formulas that say ‘healthy flush’, not holographic horror.
The skin-prep that makes everything else behave
Before we get to the glazed blush of things, skin prep is essential to ensure a smooth, hydrated base that enhances the luminous effect. The right base skincare will have your makeup glide and stay put without breaking up and getting patchy through the day.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops
This serum combines the brightening power of niacinamide with the hydrating properties of watermelon extract. It imparts a subtle, dewy glow without any shimmer, making it perfect for layering under makeup. Still undefeated for that skincare-meets-glow look that behaves under makeup.
Clinique Moisture Surge™ SPF 25 Sheer Hydrator
A lightweight, cloud-like cream that provides intense hydration while offering sheer sun protection (you should still apply a sunscreen). It’s suitable for most skin types and leaves the skin feeling moisturised and glowing without any greasiness. Plumps and primes without weight, so blush doesn’t slip right off.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Part foundation, part highlighter, part magic trick–this cult classic is the ultimate glow booster for a glazed blush beauty look. With a sheet buildable tint and a luminous soft-focus finish, it works as primer, highlighter or mixed into your base. IT adds warmth and creates a healthy, almost candlelit glow that layers beautifully under makeup.
Base players that stay out of the way
When the brief is “glow, not coverage,” you need base products that act more like supportive friends than scene-stealers—evening out tone, adding hydration and letting your glazed blush shine (literally and metaphorically).
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30
This cult favourite hits the sweet spot between skincare and makeup. It offers light, buildable coverage that evens out complexion without masking skin texture, plus broad-spectrum SPF 30. The finish is radiant but never oily, making it ideal for layering blush and highlighter without fear of slipping or patchiness. Bonus: it’s infused with vitamin C-rich ingredients to brighten over time.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30
An icon in the “your skin but better” category, this skin tint delivers a dewy, real-skin finish that feels breathable and hydrating. Glycerin and macadamia oil keep skin plump throughout the day, while its sheer pigment subtly blurs imperfections. It plays beautifully with cream blushes, allowing their pigment to pop without interference.
M·A·C Strobe Dewy Skin Tint
A newer entrant but a worthy one, this tint brings together MAC’s strobe-tech radiance with everyday wearability. Think glass skin in a tube. The gel-balm texture melts into the skin for a sheer, glowy veil—no cakiness, no flashback, just a luminous base that pairs effortlessly with the glazed blush look.
Cream blushes that don’t compete with your highlighter
Cream blushes are ideal for creating that glazed effect, offering a seamless blend into the skin. The key here is balm-like texture with a slightly glossy finish.
CHANEL LES BEIGES WATER-FRESH BLUSH
Utilising patented microfluidic technology, this blush contains micro-droplets of pigment suspended in a hydrating base. It offers a sheer, weightless finish that delivers a natural, healthy-looking glow.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush
This blush provides a radiant finish with a buildable formula, allowing for a customisable intensity. It’s designed to blend effortlessly, giving the cheeks a natural, dewy glow.
Kiro Beauty Wonder Wand Multi-Stick
A homegrown favourite, this stick offers a creamy texture that glides smoothly onto the skin. It’s enriched with nourishing ingredients like rosehip, avocado and moringa oils, and provides a luminous finish with a shade range that is suitable for various skin tones.
Highlighters that whisper, not scream
The right highlighter can enhance your blush, adding dimension without overpowering the look. You want something that melts into skin, no chunky shimmer, no major metallic payoff.
Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick
This gel highlighter imparts a translucent, glassy finish, mimicking the look of well-hydrated skin. It’s infused with skin-loving ingredients like Vitis Vita grape extract, promoting a radiant complexion along with giving your face a glow-from-within look.
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand
The viral sister to Flawless Filter, this liquid highlighter gives cheeks a glossy, “just caught the golden hour” sheen. It blends seamlessly, sits well over cream blush and flatters most skin tones.
Nudestix Nudies Glow All Over Face Color Bronze & Glow
A solid stick format that make application on the go very doable. These are creamy, slightly balmy and leave a glazed, glassy finish on the skin–especially the shade Illumi-naughty over a cream blush.
Setting mists to lock the vibe, not the crust
A setting spray can meld all the layers together, ensuring longevity and a cohesive finish. Think of this as your finishing veil that melts everything together, takes away powderiness and makes the glow look intentional.
M·A·C Fix+ Stay Over
The industry OG, now upgraded. This alcohol-free version of the cult favourite mist keeps your makeup intact without drying you out or messing with your glow. It doesn’t mattify, instead, softens and melds all your cream layers into one seamless finish.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set Setting Spray
Dewy by name, dewy by nature. This spray has a lightweight, water-based formula that leaves behind a glossy, hydrated finish without feeling sticky. The bottle may look sparkly, but the spray itself is shimmer-free. It’s made to enhance your skin’s natural radiance, not drown it in disco.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray
Part skincare, part setting spray, this mist grips makeup and infuses your skin with skin loving ingredients like blue agave extract and niacinamide. it’s a brilliant option if your glazed blush look tends to fade through sweaty days and suspiciously long meetings.