As one does, I was scrolling through TikTok last week before bed when a beauty review from Katie Wang (@katiewongspelledwang) stopped me dead in my tracks. “I may have discovered the easiest, one-step product ever,” the TikTok creator says in her video. I was intrigued. Wang went on to share her magical new discovery: Danessa Myricks Beauty’s Yummy Skin blurring balm powder ($36), which offers light coverage, reduces skin’s texture, and balances oils throughout the day. She then easily applied the balm-to-powder formula with her fingertips (though it also comes with a fancy little spatula), and the results were impressive: Her skin looked instantly flawless, with little to no effort required. I decided I instantly needed to try it.
The blurring balm powder is one of Danessa Myricks Beauty’s first items to go viral on TikTok—Wang’s review has more than 355,000 likes—although the brand, which was launched in 2015, has enjoyed much success with its Colorfix eye, cheek, and lip pigments. As I awaited the product to arrive, I explored several other TikToks giving the blurring balm powder a stellar review. Creator @iamtahira loves the universal shade, which can be used as a primer underneath foundation to extend its wear. Others love using it as a light coverage foundation: @mycurrentfaves mixed colors 3 and 4 to find her optimal base, while @poorlildarkbxy found the perfect match in color 10, exclaiming, “Go ahead and open your purses!”
After using the blurring balm powder, each reviewer I came across appeared to be left with an even, glowing complexion that still looked like their natural skin—but better. So, below, I tried it for myself to see if it’s really worth the hype. (Spoiler alert: It is.) Read on for my five main takeaways.
Be Sure to Prime Beforehand: Like any makeup product, you’ll want to prime your face before using the balm. Given the formula is a balm-to-powder finish, this means skin will be left with a more matte finish than a dewy one. If you want to counteract that, I suggest using a hydrating serum and moisturizer beforehand; I used Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Dew Drops and Tatcha’s Dewy Skin Cream prior to application.
It’s All in the Fingertips: The product has the consistency of a balm, so it’s best to warm it up in your fingertips and then glide it on, which will help melt it into the skin. (Other creators have also used sponges and brushes with successful end results.) With my skin prepped, I glided on the product—in color 2—and it was a perfect match, blending seamlessly into my own complexion. If you’re not sure which shade to get, fret not: They are flexible and will adapt to your skin tone if not an exact match (color 3, for instance, was a tad dark for me but could still work).
You Can Build Coverage: Compared to a foundation or concealer, the beauty balm is decidedly lighter in coverage; I would say it’s closer to a tinted moisturizer. With one layer applied, I easily built up coverage—swiping on a tad more in the areas that needed it (mainly around my cheek area, which experiences the most redness). Given it dries down to a powder finish, I was worried that building up the product could possibly make it cakey—but that wasn’t the case.
Don’t Feel the Need to Set It: The beauty balm already has a powder-like finish, so avoid setting with even more powder. Given my skin is on the drier side, I’m typically not a huge fan of matte finishes—so to give the skin more luminosity, I applied a light press of face oil over my cheekbones, just to add some shine back into the skin (plus you could also apply a liquid highlighter). If you’re on the go, I do love that this product requires no setting (you can just swipe on and leave). Throughout the day, I found it controlled oil too—so this would work especially well for oily skin types.
Yes, You Can Layer Product Over It: To finish off the true test-drive, I then tried applying a powder bronzer (by Benefit Cosmetics) and cream blush (by Rare Beauty) over the blurring balm to see how it interacts with other formulations. Both products blended well with it. Sure, the balm powder is definitely not what you would use for a full face of glam—but what I was left with was a very natural face, and I barely looked like I was wearing anything at all. And isn’t that the ideal day-to-day goal?
