I Tried Patrick Ta's TikTok-Viral Blush Technique

Patrick Ta is my favorite makeup artist, so it should come as no surprise that I test his techniques on myself. And if you’re on TikTok, you’ve probably seen his viral blush technique in action—it’s definitely a “trust the process” sort of situation.

For this technique, Patrick starts with powder blush and then sets it with cream blush—and this goes against pretty much everything we’ve been taught about makeup. Always set your creams and liquids with powder, right? Wrong! The reason this technique completely blew up on social media is because it goes against the norm, and after trying it out for myself, I can confirm it's worth the hype.

First, start off with a foundation or tinted moisturizer—I used Saie’s Super Glowy Skin Foundation. Next, go in with your favorite contour—I’m a big fan of Milk Makeup’s Sculpt Stick because of its ultra-creamy and easy-to-blend formula. Then, dot concealer as needed. If you’re going for a more natural look, you can’t go wrong with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

Now, it’s time to move on to the fun part—the blush. So far in this process, the products I used have been liquid or cream formulas, and blush will be the first powder applied to my face. I used Patrick Ta’s Major Headlines Blush Palette Vol. II, which conveniently has both cream and powder.

I grabbed a blush brush, lightly tapped it into the powder formula (Patrick Ta’s blushes are super pigmented, so a little goes a long way), and lightly began to tap it onto the apples of my cheeks. So far, so good.

Finally, it was down to the real test—to see how the cream blush would look on top of the powder. Initially, I was worried about the product separating, but the key is all in the hands. As long as you go in with a light hand and rolling motions of your damp beauty sponge of choice, you’ll be all good. For this, dampen a sponge, like a beautyblender, ring out the excess water, and lightly tap it into a cream blush.

The cream over the powder is where a lot of people mess up and notice product separation, which is why I can’t stress enough that you need to really get all of the water out of your makeup sponge. However, once you nail down the technique, you’ll absolutely adore the way your complexion looks. And if you just can’t figure out the beauty sponge, feel free to use a brush, instead.

You might be wondering what makes Patrick Ta’s viral blush technique so special. And the answer is quite simple: luminosity. If you’re the sort of person who wants to look bright and glowing, this technique was made for you. The whole point of doing the powder and then cream is because the cream adds sheen to your skin. Whereas, on the other hand, if you set your cream with a powder, you’re getting a more matte effect. Trust me when I say once you try Patrick Ta’s viral blush technique, you’re never going to go back to your old ways.

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