Transition Blush Is Proof That the Beauty Community Has an Ownership Problem
We talked to celebrity makeup artist Kim Baker about who gets to trademark beauty trends.
In 2026, blush might just be the most essential part of our makeup routines. Because of this, the internet has seen no shortage of blush trends — whether it’s effortless “boyfriend blush” that grazes the top of our cheekbones or golden hour-inspired “sunset blush,” the beauty community is constantly dreaming up new ways to wear the cult-favorite face product.
For visionary makeup artist Ngozi Edeme, or Painted By Esther, blush is the focal point of all her looks — and as a result, she’s become synonymous with her signature technique of airbrushed pops of baby pink that seamlessly melt into the cheeks. With the whole world watching, Edeme’s work, worn by canvases like Tyla and Olandria Carthen, has led the momentous push towards bold blush looks on Black women.
So naturally, when fellow makeup artist and brand founder Patrick Ta expanded his blush collection with “transition blush” products, beauty fans were quick to point out the similarities between the brand’s marketing language and Edeme’s signature technique. More specifically, Ta received backlash for his claims of inventing transition blush and his decision to legally trademark the term — with internet users maintaining that it was a blatant act of plagiarism.
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In a community that benefits so greatly from collaboration — who deserves to be credited and when is credit due? “We unfortunately live in a world of opportunity, and he who has the dollar has a greater possibility of bringing their vision to life even if their vision is not [their own] intellectual property,” celebrity makeup artist Kim Baker tells Hypebae. Since the ’90s, Baker has worked both as a model and a beauty professional — but she says she’s never seen anything like the transition blush debacle.
Like most beauty trends, Baker finds that it’s hard to attribute the blush technique to a singular artist. Although she recalls it being referred to as “halo blush” and “layered blush” in past decades, she notes that Edeme’s version of the look is undoubtedly the blueprint for the current generation of beauty fans. “Moral of the story, there is nothing new going on here, just another recycled idea. But [things] got messy when Patrick Ta had the audacity to trademark this from under the feet of another MUA who was building her brand using this method of wearing blush.” she says.
In the beauty world, generations of makeup artists contribute to shaping a single beauty trend. So naturally, the transition blush conversation grew even more nuanced when a handful of internet users began citing acclaimed makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin as the sole inventor of transition blush. Instead, the debate shifted to something much bigger than a single technique, it shed light on an industry that seemingly values trademarking ideas over genuine community.
For Baker, this goes beyond credit — it’s about what the industry owes its own. She tells Hypebae that Ta had a responsibility to work with Edeme on the launch and highlight her contributions as an innovator in the category. But above all else, Baker says that the entire controversy speaks to the beauty world’s toxic affinity for competition and how we must band together to dismantle it, “We are all supposed to be part of a community of artists that celebrate being one. The unspoken oath should be that we are a community. We are one, and we must respect each other’s craft.”
