The Makeup Trend Joanna Gaines Desperately Needs To Let Go Of

Joanna Gaines is easily one of the most striking HGTV stars, past or present. While the "Fixer Upper" alum has become a total boss in the home decor space, she's also attracted the attention of beauty lovers, who've fallen in love with her makeup looks — no wonder Gaines-inspired makeup tutorials are a thing! Unfortunately, because there will always be naysayers, and not everyone is a fan of the way Gaines, who also looks great without makeup, chooses to apply her favorite products. Well, actually, it's just one specific aspect of her beauty routine. In 2020, HGTV fans flocked to the Crappy Contouring subreddit — a community built on pointing out contouring faux pas of the rich and famous — and gave their candid thoughts on the way Gaines dresses up her cheeks with blush. 

Alongside a profile shot of Gaines, presumably taken from one of her many shows, a fan titled the post, "Joanna Gaines' weird use of blush." To be fair, the photo in question looks a bit distorted and saturated, so it probably doesn't reflect the actual quality of her makeup. In any case, there were a few fans who agreed that Gaines' blush has looked a little harsh in the past. "I've always noticed this about her!! Love the woman, but man, it's strange how she uses really harsh orange 'blush ..." commented one fan, who also took issue with her eyeliner. A second user wrote that her "makeup is questionable, but her clothes are always cute. She always looks comfy, but stylish," while a third commented, "She seems like a nice person but her makeup always looks awful."

Fortunately for Gaines, her outer appearance isn't her main priority. Joanna Gaines has always been able to stand with HGTV's most gorgeous leading women (even without makeup). But, even if she couldn't, she's developed a more meaningful definition of beauty over the years.

"As I am getting older the idea of beauty is very different for me, yes, I am getting gray hairs and wrinkles, but I feel more beautiful now because I know I have a great purpose," Gaines shared with Darling Magazine in 2018. "I know I'm meant to raise my children well, to love my husband well, and to help others in their home. When I do these things, that's when I feel beautiful ..." She continued,  "Not until I stopped being so hard on myself did I start noticing beauty in other places, and that was freeing and refreshing ... So many times in our culture we focus on the external and forget that we have to tend to our hearts."

Also, Gaines revealed to People that she's stopped trying to achieve perfectionism. Gaines was speaking about her personal life and design empire, which has spanned HGTV and the Magnolia Network, but her message could also be applied in a broader context. "Perfectionism, I hate that word," she said. "To me, perfectionism, when I'm bending towards that ... it typically means I'm trying to prove something, which then is, 'What am I insecure about?'" And, while she does expect excellence out of herself and her team, perfectionism, specifically, "kind of just makes me nauseous," she says.