Not all me no shita chiiku users want to appear like they’re fighting off a cold, though. In fact, Harajuku model RinRin Doll uses undereye blush to achieve the exact opposite effect. “Rather than a sick look, the blush brings a more youthful and innocent look to the face,” she says. It “makes you very much healthy and alive,” she says, because it simulates the full-of-life color you get from exercising — or being embarrassed. In Japanese pop culture, RinRin notes, flushed cheeks are usually associated with young people because they’re more likely to play outside or make endearing mistakes. “The usual angled blush from under your cheekbone to the temples can contour your face to a more chiseled one, and make you look more mature,” she says. In contrast, she explains, the higher blush placement favored by Harajuku girls makes cheeks appear round and youthful. In her YouTube tutorials , RinRin uses a wash of baby pink for a sweet image, or coral for a freckled, sun-kissed face. She warns that bold hues, like the ones on display in Harajuku (where cheek tints include directional lavender and tangerine), require strong fashion statements to match. MAC makeup artist Mariko Tagayashi told WGSN that the look gives off a kind impression, with the added benefit of covering dark circles. She also said that me no shita chiiku makes your peepers pop, and RinRin agrees that concentrating color near the eyes brings attention there. Japanese beauty blogs have termed the effect "uru-uru," an expression used to describe huge, round eyes that are almost brimming over with tears (what we might call puppy-dog eyes). Indeed, undereye blush has roots in Japanese history: For centuries, traditional geisha and kabuki makeup has employed a striking touch of vermilion to accent the eyes.