As a long-time beauty lover, I spent much of my youth on YouTube watching first-impression beauty tutorials, which often featured pricey products touted as cult favourites; think: NARS Orgasm Blush, Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation [2], and just about everything from Charlotte Tilbury [3]. A decade later, the online hype for the latter is growing again, but this time, it's for one product: the Beauty Light Wand [4] (£30).
About eight months ago, Vogue published a Beauty Secrets video featuring singer Madison Beer [5]. Although many tweens already coveted her beauty routine, it was this step-by-step tutorial that got the Beauty Light Wand, specifically in the shade Pinkgasm, on everyone's radar. Fast forward to today and most retailers — Boots [6] included — can't seem to keep the shimmering cream blush on its shelves for more than a few weeks. Now, it's back in stock — but was it always worth the 10,000-person waitlists? I had to find out.
Cream blush, in general, has had a stellar year. Whether it's been in the form of a stick, compact, or tube, almost every brand I know and love launched an iteration on the trend in 2021, but few come close to the Beauty Light Wand's newly-embossed throne. (To be clear, Pinkgasm isn't even remotely new, but TikTok can make anything feel fresh again.)
Two things set the Beauty Light Wand apart from the rest: the applicator and the finish. Instead of being housed inside a flat compact or tiny tube, the Light Wand uses a cushion to deposit the product directly onto the skin. This does have one major downside; the product comes out fast and messy, so the cap will likely be left with some product residue. While you should beware of leaving this on anything white, I recommend twisting the cap shut before putting it away with your other products.
Despite looking like a Bingo marker, the cushion applicator is ingenious. Resembling a faux bunny-rabbit tail, the fluffy cushion manages to remain soft and velvety even after oozing with product. It's so foolproof I can't even be upset about how the tube feels like it's made up of 50 percent air. Luckily, a little goes a long way and you can build up several layers of this blush without even having to pump out more product.
As for the finish, it can be compared to NARS Orgasm Blush but with a creamier soft-focus glow. The coral undertones mixed with a highlighter-like luminosity makes this the kind of multipurpose product even my "I-don't-know-how-to-do-makeup" friends love. Long story short, the next time this sells out and I'm running low, my villain origin story begins.
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