A complete guide on where and how to apply blush correctly

Ah blush! The one product in your beauty arsenal that can enhance the features on your face while providing skin with a natural warm, rosy glow.

I’m personally a huge lover of blush and wear mine daily all year round. It’s the perfect go-to when you’re after a minimal makeup look that’s quick and easy to apply. It also works in perfect unison with bronzer when you want to contour your face or simply create a healthy sun kissed glow. The problem is with the many conflicting tutorials out there, where, and how do you actually apply it? Well, we turned to the experts at Beauty Collective for the low-down. Keep reading for our complete guide on all things blush!

Why you should wear blush

When used correctly, blush can totally transform pale, dull or washed-out skin. It infuses warmth into any complexion by adding a touch of natural, flushed-cheek colour, so your face looks instantly brighter, healthier (and perkier!)

Blush is also a great multitasker! This complexion booster not only adds colour to your cheeks but can also double as an eyeshadow (a great way to tie your makeup look together) and if you opt for a brown-toned blusher you can use it to contour your face. That way you get a blush and contour effect in one – a great time-saver!

What type of blush should you use?

Today’s blushes come in many textures — cream, powder, liquid. As a general rule of thumb, cream is great for dry skin, while powder is the best option for oily skin types, but it’s also a personal preference. Natural makeup works well with creams, but with powder you can be more direct on where you place it, and it tends to last longer too.

However, for the best of both worlds we highly recommend baked blush – a pigment packed powder blush! Powders are usually made from lots of pressed powders, but baked powders are actually creams that have been baked slowly in a specialist oven until they are dry. This is what gives baked makeup some of its unique attributes; it has an ultra-soft, velvety texture and provides a sheer wash of soft colour for a naturally flushed complexion.

How do you choose the right blush shade?

Choosing the right shade can be a little tricky. Firstly, you need to understand your skin’s undertone (whether it’s warm, cool or neutral) then once you know this, choose a shade within your undertone, you can go as light, natural, bright or deep as you want.

In general, if you have fair skin opt for light, dusty pinks and sheer peaches. If you want to make a bold statement, you can even give bright pink a go!

For medium skin bright pink looks great on a cool undertone while coral and orange bring out warm tones.

And if your skin is more on the olive side, anything with a golden undertone will bring out the rich warm tones in your skin. If you’re more of a cool olive, try light plums and cool pinks.

How to apply blush

How you apply your blush is just as important as the type and shade you choose. Firstly, you have to select the right tool for application! Opt for a sponge when using creams, a sponge or fingers work fine with liquids and use a brush for powders.

If powder blush is for you, you need to choose your brush wisely too! A big soft brush can be very ineffective. Choosing a specific powder blush brush is your best bet as it tends to be on the firmer side so that when you apply the blush to your skin you can control the powder and ensure in spreads correctly and in the right place.

Where to apply blush

The ever-popular question of where to apply your blush can have a different answer depending on what you read, or what the trends are, however here at BC we use the general rule of thumb as below;

For a natural look

Follow the natural structure of your cheekbones. It’s best to smile and then apply blush to the apples of your cheek and blend towards your temples/ears. This will lift your cheekbones and add a little extra colour to your face without looking over the top.

For an instant facelift (and to make your face appear more oval-shaped)

Apply blush to the back of your cheekbones into your temples

For a sun kissed glow

Apply blush underneath your eyes, across the bridge of the nose, and back toward the ear.

To shorten your face and create balance

Apply blush to the centre of the apples and out, just toward your eyes, avoiding blending too far out toward the temples.

Just remember blending is key when it comes to blush application!