Cheeks · 3 min read
Where to apply blush, and how much
A simple guide to blush placement, building colour without overdoing it, cream versus powder, and shades to try for your colouring.
Blush is the quickest way to look fresh and awake. The secret is placement and building colour slowly.
Placement
- The classic: smile, apply to the apples of the cheeks, then blend up and back towards the temples.
- A lifted look: place blush slightly higher, along the top of the cheekbones, and blend towards the ear.
- Soft and natural: a little across the cheeks and a touch over the bridge of the nose, as if you had been out in the cold.
Building colour
Tap the brush to remove excess, start with less than you think you need, and add in thin layers. It is much easier to add colour than to take it away. If you go too far, blend over the edge with a clean brush or a little foundation.
Cream or powder?
Cream and liquid blushes melt into the skin for a dewy finish and suit dry or mature skin; apply with fingertips or a damp sponge before powder. Powder blushes are buildable and long-wearing, and go on after any powder.
Shades to try
As a starting point, fair skin often suits soft pinks and peaches, medium skin suits roses and corals, and deeper skin suits berries, bricks and rich oranges. These are suggestions, not rules: wear the shade that makes you happy. You can preview blush shades live in the Beauty Mirror.