Beauty basics: blush tips

Just in case you don’t have a PhD in make-up-ology, and don’t know the precise location of the cheek apple, it’s the puffy part of the cheek directly beneath the irises of your eyes. “Most women aim to give themselves cheekbones by contouring blush in the hollow underneath the bones, but the look right now is to colour the apple,” says hair and make-up artist Laura Dominique. “Rouging the apple of the cheek gives the face a natural and innocent just-woken-up freshness, which is less groomed and conspicuous than sweeping blusher along the cheekbones,” says Laura. The trick is to use the right kind of blush for your skin type and texture and apply it like an expert for a polished and pretty result.

Get the product right

Before you apply any colour, you need to get the right shade and formulation for your skin tone and type. Dry skin types are generally better off with a creamy blush, such as Stila’s Convertible Color Dual Lip and Cheek Cream, $45, or Tony&Tina’s Kiss of Blush cheek gel with aloe, $34; both contain emollients and moisturisers to help prevent any pigment gathering and flaking on the skin. Oilier skin types should opt for a powder blush such as Max Factor’s Natural Brush-On Satin Blush, $24.95, which is designed to adhere to the skin. If you have a fair complexion, go for a bright pink, such as Lancôme’s Pommette, $60, in No.18 Rose Caresse, which brings a youthful blush to pallid skin.

If you have a medium complexion with a yellow undertone, try a colour such as Origins Pinch Your Cheeks, $23, in Raspberry, a shade that brings the golden tones out of yellow-based skin (most women have a lot of yellow in their skin). If you have an olive to dark complexion, peach and apricot are the most flattering shades; try a sheer and shimmering shade such as Maybelline’s Expertwear Blush, $13.50, in Peachy Cheeks. If your skin has blue undertones, choose a cherry shade like Bloom’s Sheer Colour Cream, $20, in Rouge; anything yellowish will make you look washed out.

Apply the colour

Look at yourself in the mirror and smile then apply a light dusting of pigment, or a 10-cent piece-sized smudge of creamy blush, to the apple of your cheek. If you’re using a gel, gently blend it into the skin with your fingertips – the warmth of your fingers will melt it so that it glides over the skin and can be easily manipulated. If you’re using a powder, opt for a medium-sized brush and collect just a light dusting of powder from the compact (try not to overload the brush with powder, as it is harder to remove pigment than it is to apply more).

Rosy glow

The pros use highlighters to blend the blusher and bring out the cheekbones. Seeing as this is really not an exercise in contouring, but colouring, dab a speck of highlighter on the highest point of the cheekbones – the point where light naturally hits the cheeks. “This is a simple and fast way to make the face look vibrant and dewy,” says Laura. Try Revlon’s Skinlights Instant Skin Brightener, $30.95, which is a gel-like cream that contains shimmering micro-particles and an SPF 15 sunscreen. If you prefer a powder, try Chanel’s Poudre Coromandel Iridescent Face Powder, $84, or L’Oréal’s Touch-On-Colour in Go-Go Gold, $20, for instant shimmer.

 

Words: Nikki Goldstein. Photography: Steven Chee. Hair & make-up: Chris King.