not a professional. just crazy.
By Rio Viera-Newton, a beauty columnist at the Strategist since 2017. She's also an esthetician and the author of 'Let's Face It: Secrets of a Skincare Obsessive.'
Photo: Rio Vierra-Newton
It’s no secret that TikTok is one of the best ways to discover beauty products. After two years of doomscrolling on my oddly specific “for you page,” the app has been responsible for at least half of my recent haircare, skin care, and makeup purchases. And better yet, beauty TikTok is committed to finding the best deals—whether that be sharing a dead-on dupe of a higher end product or simply celebrating an underrated, wallet friendly drugstore find. The comments section also serves as a makeshift review component — you know a product is really good if users are going absolutely berserk in the comments:“I HATE YOU FOR SHARING. DELETE THIS AND GATEKEEP THIS PRODUCT!” I pulled that one from the Covergirl Skin Milk review, a product I recently raved about in my winter makeup piece.
All this just to say, when I noticed a string of videos popping up — some with thousands of views and enthusiastic comments — claiming the Wet n Wild Megaglo Makeup Stick Blush in “Peach Bums” was a $5 alternative to the celebrity beloved $38 Charlotte Tilbury “Pinkgasm” Blush, I was intrigued. Now, Charlotte Tilbury’s Pinkgasm blush exploded on TikTok after Madison Beer — singer and Gen-Z beauty icon — used it to create a fresh-faced makeup look during a Vogue Beauty tutorial. Her cheeks looked perfectly flushed and sun-kissed with this beautiful lit-from-within finish.
I’ve had Charlotte Tilbury’s Pinkgasm for a while now, but after an accident in my makeup bag, it somehow spilled everywhere, andI had barely any product left. And the TikTok buzz surrounding Madison’s tutorial sold the product out immediately — I could not, for the life of me,find a Pinkgasm anywhere (it’s now recently back in stock). So when I heard about Wet n Wild’s Megaglo option, I raced to my local Ulta and purchased it so that I could put it to the test.
The reason I was specifically intrigued by the mass approval of this drugstore alternative is that in terms of formula and packaging, it’s really not much of a traditional dupe. The Charlotte Tilbury blush is a liquid formula that dispenses through a sponge at the end of a tube. The Wet n Wild blush is in a standard, cream blush stick — more comparable to my MAKE Beauty’s Bisou Bisou or Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix. Because of this, the application process is a little different — for Charlotte’s you dot the product along your cheeks with the sponge then blend it in with a brush, for Wet n Wild’s, you simply swipe it onto your cheeks and dab it out with a beauty blender or fingers.
But I will admit, the finish is pretty much identical. Both have a warm peachy pigment with a substantial sheen that creates a dual highlighter and blush effect. Instantly after applying, both blushes bring warmth, dimension, and an insane glow to the skin — it truly makes it look like you’ve come back from a picnic on a warm spring day, all fresh and sun-kissed. It adds a punchy glow and peachy tint to the skin, while still looking natural enough to wear to work or lunch with friends.
As far as differences go, I would say that theWet n Wild formula has a bit more intensity on the pigment side, and slightly less on the highlighter side — more of the peachy tone comes through in the Megaglo, but the sheeny effect is about 5 percent less than Peachgasm. However, I actually prefer the lesser highlight — sometimes I think when a blush has too much glow in it, my skin’s natural texture starts to look a little too bumpy. But with Megaglo, you get the perfect amount of pearlescent sheen, with an extra kick of pigment, without putting a spotlight on possible blemishes.
So if you can’t seem to get your hands on Pinkgasm, or if Charlotte’s products are a little out of your budget, this is your answer. But hurry, before Madison tries this one, too!
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Tags:
- beauty
- makeup
- cheekss
- the strategist
- blush
- charlotte tilbury
- not a professional. just crazy.
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