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 blushWhen 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 blushHow 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 blushThe 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 lookFollow 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 templesFor a sun kissed glowApply blush underneath your eyes, across the bridge of the nose, and back toward the ear.To shorten your face and create balanceApply 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!How can you make your blush last all day?Applying a primer to your skin before makeup application will help keep makeup in place.Also, once you’ve completed your makeup routine, use a facial mist or setting spray such as Pevonia’s Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Mist.Now go yonder and blush away! And experience how incredibly energizing it can be for your complexion!

This word is frequently mentioned in the beauty industry but if we were to ask what your UNDERTONE is, would you know what to say? In this blog entry, ELES gives you tips on how to determine your undertone.From the word itself, it is the colour underneath the surface of the skin. Knowing your undertone is the key to getting makeup products (and clothes) that look great on you.There are three main types of undertones:Cool (pink, red or bluish undertones)Warm (yellow, peachy, golden undertones)Neutral (a combination of warm and cool undertones)Makeup artists can spot your undertone effortlessly but in the absence of a glam squad, these tips will help you determine your true colour! If you’re an aspiring makeup artist, knowing how to determine an undertone will help you create a great makeup base for your cilents as well. Here are our tips: A white cloth can tell you what your undertone is!This technique is very similar to what videographers call a white balance. After washing your face, go near the window where you can have natural light and place a white cloth or white paper beside your face. Ask someone to check out the contrast of your skin. If the skin appears: golden or yellow = WARM pinkish or flushed = COOL can't tell? = NEUTRAL Gold or Silver?Try wearing your gold and silver necklace or bracelet and ask someone which one looks great on you. If you look radiant and glowing in: Gold jewelry = WARM Silver and platinum jewelry = COOL What clothes look great on you?When picking clothes, it’s easy to know what shades are warm and cool. For cool colours, think of water, sea, and sky. For warm coloured clothes, think of the sun, Autumn leaves, and earth colours. If you look good in clothes that are colour: Orange, Yellow, Dark Green = WARM White, black, blue, and gray = COOL All colours. If you look fab like a supermodel in everything that you wear, you are blessed! = NEUTRAL ;) The Sun will also tell you your undertone! Your skin turns golden brown when you lounge under the sun = WARM Your skin burns when exposed under the sun = COOL Eye ColourThis is not always accurate but it will help. blue, gray, or green eyes = COOL brown, amber, or hazel eyes = WARM Check your Veins! Blue veins = COOL Green veins = WARM in between = NEUTRAL Our recommendations:Using a foundation that matches your undertone is the true secret to naturally flawless looking skin. It won't look cakey or fake and it will blend well as you fade your foundation down your neck. Below is a list of ELES foundations you can choose from:ELES HD Luminous FoundationCOOL - Ivory, Honey BeigeNEUTRAL - Buff, Almond, TanWARM - Linen, Cream Beige, SandELES Liquid Powder Mineral FoundationCOOL - Linen, Vanilla Cream, Sandy Beige, Natural Beige, EspressoNEUTRAL - Tender Beige, Porcelain, Cameo Beige, Almond,WARM - Cream Beige, Pale Beige, FawnELES Mineral Powder FoundationCOOL - Nude, ChestnutNEUTRAL - Shell, Tender, Sunlit, MochaWARM - Blonde, Cream, Sand, Toast