'I tried the viral "ski mask" blush hack. Here's how it went.'

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Senior Health and Beauty Writer trials the viral sun-kissed skin hack. 

In case you haven't been outside in a while, we're in the middle of winter here in Australia. It's CHILLY. And we're all reminiscing on those warm summer days/getting TF out of here and going to Europe.

But there's a viral beauty hack that's been getting around TikTok town, and it promises to give us the appearance of a sun-kissed glow, without the risk to our skin.

Because there are so many ways to get a beautiful, bronzy, sun-kissed look, without stepping a single foot outside.

Watch: Leigh Campbell tries the 'diamond lips' trend on You Beauty. Post continues below.

It's called the 'sun-kissed skin' blush hack.

Influencer Kim Lloyd was one of the first content creators behind the beauty technique, which involves using a cream blush or bronzer stick and applying it in a rather... unorthodox... way.

Please take a peek below:

@itstherealkimshady THES BEST TIP trust #sunkissedmakeup #blush #blushplacement #terracottablush ♬ original sound - Kim Lloyd

In case you can't look past the hectic amount of blush, the idea is to give dull skin a rosy and bronzed shadow for a healthy, summery glow. The hack has racked up thousands of views, and the results look seriously swoon-worthy.

So, on this week's episode of You Beauty news, we ('I') decided we should put the hack to the test.

Now, we've tried a lotta different hacks on the You Beauty podcast. From the viral 'dot method' hack to mixing foundation with water, and *that* concealer hack — you name it, we've probably tried it.

But, there's always room for one more.

Here's exactly what happened when Leigh Campbell and I tried the viral blush hack.

What is the sun-kissed makeup blush hack?

Okay. Before we start scribbling a tonne of blush all over our faces, let's discuss what this hack actually involves, yeah?

As mentioned, this particular method is supposed to give you a really seamless, lit-from-within look, adding warmth and colour to your complexion.

Listen: Want to get this episode in your ears? Check out the latest episode of You Beauty news below. 

Now, going by influencer Kim Lloyd's video, she takes a cream blush stick and draws the outline of a ski mask around her face, before blending it all in with a fluffy blending brush. 

She starts at the centre of her forehead, leading down to her temple, along her cheekbone, across her nose, around and down along the other cheek, up the temple and joins it in the middle, before blending it out.

In the viral clip, Lloyd said, "This is my number one makeup tip if you want your skin to look nice and sun-kissed. I think everyone needs a terracotta blush. These are my three favourites: Persona in Teddy, Saie in Spicy and Merit in Terracotta."

"I'm going to use the Persona, and you're going to literally draw almost like a racoon shape around your face."

As she blends the blush out, she added, "It might look crazy but this is where you naturally get a little bit sunburned, so it works out perfectly. That's literally it."

I decided to go with Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush, $77. Leigh opted for a creamy bronzer.

We also had two blending brushes and Hourglass Veil™ Soft Focus Setting Spray, $79, on hand.

How did you go with it?

I used a terracotta-toned blush, so the colouring would be midway between pink and brown and wouldn't be too intense.

I drew a line from the centre of my forehead across to my temple, over my cheekbones and across my nose. I kept the stick in contact with my skin, so it glided across my face and helped keep things equal on either side.

I one hundred per cent went too close to the ends of my brows (lol) but rolled with it.

Seamless.

Now, I'd go as far as to say that the ensuing events were... tragic. 

The amount of product that was deposited from the cream stick onto my face immediately made me feel uneasy/laugh nervously (as above).

It was too late to pull out, because a) I was the one that said it would be a good hack, and b) I had an article to write.

Plus, it felt like it would be one of those just 'trust the process' kind of things (lookin' at you, 10-pump foundation hack).

So, I started blending.

As I got to work buffing the blush into my hairline and around my nose, I realised that instead of mimicking a natural flush, it looked like I was *actually* sunburnt. 

Like, it was miles away from the super-cute tutorials I'd seen on TikTok?

Help???

Pray 4 me.

I hit a point (see: picture on the right) where I realised it just wasn't... getting... better. 

It just wasn't melting into my skin in the way I had imagined it would, and by the end of it, I just looked like I had some kind of severe skin reaction/fell asleep at the beach. And I had a full day of recording and meetings.

Ruh Roh.

The verdict.

My final look. Do we want to see it? I don't. 

Here's what my face looked like after the sun-kissed blush technique:

The picture doesn't do it justice.

Literally looks like I'd been scorched by the fiery pits of hell.

Leigh Campbell on the other hand, well, she looked great. Bronzed, glowy, healthy. Like she'd just spent the week in Greece.

Compare the pair.

Bronzer = yes. Blush = no.

However, I feel like the main issue was in the amount of product I applied. I needed to use far less, and maybe even dab it on instead of aggressively swiping it around my face.  

¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ 

I could also could have potentially blended it in with foundation or a tinted formula to make it not so... intense.

Either way, the result wasn't great.

Would I try this hack again?

I think... no.

I... I just... no. I won't be trying this again.

I ended up having to redo my makeup post-podcast record because I looked like I had Scarlet Fever, and had a ton of meetings afterwards and WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF.

But, yeah. I think I'll be sticking to my usual blush technique from here on in.

Have you tried this technique before? How did you go with it? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Feature image: TikTok/itstherealkimshady; Supplied.