Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint review

Food has been a savory muse for a myriad of beauty trends within the past year. Blueberry milk nails, latte makeup, and strawberry girl makeup are just a teaser of all the viral trends that attribute their names to sweet treats. The most recent TikTok obsession is around candy-inspired makeup looks, with Milk Makeup's Cooling Water Jelly Tint in the spotlight. The new twist-up lip and cheek stain looks scarily similar to a jolly rancher—that is, if the hard candy came in a twist-up tube form. So, does this saccharine makeup product actually sweeten my complexion? I tested it out to see if this was the case.

Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint

What is the Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint?

The Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint is a lip and cheek stain that claims to endow both the lips and cheeks in a sheer wash of color "that will. not. budge." It also purports to have a "bouncy jelly texture" that can easily glide onto the lips and cheeks for a 1,000-plus uses. The multipurpose product comes in four shades: "Burst" (poppy pink), "Spritz" (coral), "Splash" (berry), and "Chill" (red). Each stick retails for $24.

How I tested the Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint

After applying my concealer, contour, foundation, highlighter, and bronzer, I placed two very sheer layers of the shade "Chill" onto the big, densely-packed bristles of my go-to Makeup By Mario F1 Makeup Brush. Then, with the makeup brush barely touching my face, I dabbed it onto my cheeks. I watched to see how the product would hold up for eight hours.

What I like about the Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint

The color payoff

Right off the bat, I can tell you that its bold color payoff is its most alluring quality. I've tried several blush sticks over the years and none can compare to this cheek stain's bright color.

The longevity

Before testing this product, I had low expectations for its longevity—three hours, max—as that's how long blush sticks usually last on me. But the Cooling Water Jelly Tint proved me wrong. The rosy red tint of "Chill" still looked as good as new right before I washed my face at night.

The texture

I'm not kidding when I say that this product's self-proclaimed "bouncy jelly texture" feels like I'm touching a piece of Jell-O. But that doesn't mean it squishes as easily as Jell-O—my stick of "Chill" is still perfectly intact.

What I don't like about the Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint

The application process

As much as I appreciate that I've finally found a stick blush that can last for more than three hours, nailing the application process for this blush is not intuitive. One swipe directly onto the skin results in a bit too much for every day. Luckily, I found that applying thin layers with the help of a brush proved to be the most effective method for me (it's what I do when applying liquid blushes). That said, I would proceed with caution when picking up one of these blushes if you're new to working with highly-pigmented blushes.

Is the Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint worth it?

Yes, if you want, bright, blushing cheeks all day long.

I'll admit that $24 is pretty pricy for a lip and cheek stain, but if you want a sheer wash of color on your cheeks that treats your skin to a gorgeous glow that lasts just about all day long, then you, your money, and your cheeks are in good company.