- Learn to use blush in every step of your routine.
One of the best things about blush: You can use it on any facial feature. Blend cream blush onto your
cheeks, sweeping the blush from the cheekbones up to the hairline using a loose synthetic brush. Then,
use what’s leftover on your finger to dab it on your eyelid, blending upwards towards the brow. Avoid
putting any color next to your lash line — you don’t want to wind up looking sick.
Glen adds, “If you do a red or pink blush on the eyes, it either has to be further away from the lashes or
have a black eyeliner separating it from them.” Finish off by taking more blush on your finger and press
it to the center of your lips, blending out. Add a swipe of your favorite lip balm and you’re all done. - Set your blush with a tissue.
While translucent powder can be a great product to set your makeup with, Glen warns that this can give
your skin a dull look, especially if your skin trends dry. Instead, blot your blush by holding a tissue to
your cheek, then lightly pressing with a makeup sponge. This absorbs any extra product without dulling
your glow.
- Know when to skip shimmer formulas.
Shimmery blush can make smooth skin look luminous and glowy, but Glen warns against using it on
rough, dry, or uneven skin textures — the shimmer can magnify pimples, bumps, and large pores. If you
have textured skin or are dealing with winter dryness, stick with matte or cream finishes. - Don’t forget to blush when contouring.
We all know by now that contouring is a great way to carve cheekbones and jawlines using just makeup,
but if you don’t add blush to the finished product, you’re missing an important step. Contour queen Kylie
Jenner swears by adding extra blush at the end of her makeup routine.
“Blush makes me feel … like my whole look is complete,” she says as
she applies the finishing touches. Use it to add warmth to your cheeks
and cheekbones after applying your contour, and just before you finish
with highlighter. It makes the finished product look warmer and more
natural.
- Layer blush formulas for long-lasting results.
Gearing up for a long day or a special
occasion where you won’t be able to
touch up your makeup? Layer a powder
blush over a cream or gel formula for a
beautiful, customized look that won’t
quit. But remember: You want to apply double the formula, not double
the color. Use each product sparingly to avoid going overboard — you
don’t want to show up looking like a Toddlers & Tiaras contestant. - Dot on a little lipstick as a makeshift cheek color.
If you’re in a pinch and don’t have any blush on hand, add a little color
to your cheeks with a bit of lipstick. Just make sure to blend quickly — if
it’s a highly pigmented lipstick, it could set fast and look blotchy. - Finish your look with a setting spray.
Seal in your look without drying out your skin or adding another layer of color by spritzing a setting spray
all over your face after you finish applying your makeup. One of our favorite picks is Urban Decay
All-Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. Mist onto your face in both X- and T-motions to cover all
sides of your face and lock your makeup into place all day (or night) long.
Cream Blush:
Like the name suggests, cream blush is a cream product.
Cream blush comes in several types, such as sticks, tubes, or pans.
You can buy cream blushes in a blush palette, or as individual shades.
It is best applied with a sponge, fingers, or stippling type of makeup
brush.
Because it is a cream product, it will dry down. Some formulas dry fast,
meaning you need to blend it into your skin quickly.
Powder Blush:
The most popular blushes are pressed powder blushes, though loose
powder blushes are available too.
Powder blushes should be applied with a makeup brush, preferably a fluffy round or angled brush. This makes it
easy and quick to disperse the color over your entire cheek.
Available in both blush palettes and as single blush shades.
Cream vs. Powder Blush: Which one should you wear?
You should wear cream blush if you:
● Have dry or mature skin
● Prefer a dewy or natural blush
● Prefer applying products with your fingers or stippling brushes
● Use a lot of other cream products – it will look cohesive on your face!
● Have the time to blend out the product nicely
You should wear powder blush if you:
● Have oily skin
● Use lots of powder to set your face
● Want to quickly swipe on color with a fluffy brush
● Prefer a shimmery blush
● Want the color to last throughout the day
Matte vs. Shimmer
Similar to the finishes we talked about in the Eyeshadow part of the
Makeup Basics series, blushes come in matte and shimmer styles.
Matte blushes have no shimmer, glitter, or shine to them. They are a
flat color that is added to the face.
Shimmer blushes range from having a slight sheen to a full glitter,
making your cheeks look shiny and sparkly.
Typically, I recommend matte blushes. They work for everyone, and if
you want a little something shimmery on top, you can always add a
little bit of highlighter.
Shimmer blushes can look pretty – on some people, when used the right way. Unfortunately, when a blush has
too much shimmer in it, your face will look oily and slippery – not the look that most people are going for!
To be safe, I recommend that you stick to a matte blush or a blush with only a slight sheen to it.
Picking a blush shade
As a standard rule, your blush shade should be slightly darker than your skin tone, leaning towards warmer
shades.
Fair/Light skin tone:
Light pink, bubblegum pink, or peachy tones.
These shades are light, helping them look like a natural flush instead of a deep red clown look (unless that’s what
you’re going for, no judgment!)
Medium skin tone:
Deeper peachy/mauve, raspberry, soft
brown, or orange/apricot.
The lighter pink tones are likely to show
up poorly on your skin, or make you look
ashy! Instead, try rich pink and orange
tones that are a bit darker than your own
skin.
Deep skin tone:
Berries, reds, warm browns, and bright oranges.
Light shimmery pink blushes would look like a highlighter on a person with a deep complexion, and could look
very pretty but for a standard blush, bright shades of orange, red, and berry shades are STUNNING on deep
skin.
