Product Series: Blush

Blush! It’s a product that doesn’t get enough praise in the makeup process. Looking back at history of beauty, before products were even invented, pinching the cheeks to add a flush of color to the face was considered beautiful. There’s an element of youth and health to adding color to the cheeks and that’s exactly what we’re continuing the Product Series with today…

 Before we move onto my favorite blush products, I just want to clarify how (and where) to apply blush. As always with makeup, there are no set rules so I hope the pointers below will help you decide what works best for you.

Generally, you’ll hear “smile and apply blush to the fleshy part of your cheeks“. The problem with this method is, the fleshy part of the cheeks lift upwards when we smile, and when we apply the blush to this area and stop smiling, the cheeks drop back down to their natural position…dragging the color down with it. So it’s best to apply blush looking straight at the mirror – not too high towards the eye socket and not too low past the hollows of the cheekbones.

Another misconception is that blush has to be applied to the apples of the cheeks only. This is not always the case. If you have a round shaped face, or you’re trying to create a more ‘uplifted’ look, sweeping the blush starting at the apples and dragging it up towards the top of the ears – parallel to where you would apply your contour will help lift the cheeks giving the face a more sculpted and youthful look.

BLUSH TEXTURES and PRODUCTS

Ranging from subtle nudes to peachy corals to Barbie pinks, along with an amazing array of colors, currently there are 4 typical blush textures you can choose from: Powder, Cream, Cream to Powder hybrids and Liquid/Gel formulas

***Click the product pictures below to view color range and/or Purchase***

POWDER BLUSHES

Powder blushes are probably the most popular formulas, as they are easier to build up and also blend out. A natural diffused look is always flattering when it comes to blush products so I really love the control powder blushes give. Below are some of my tried and tested favorites.

MAC Powder Blush / NARS Blush / Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush / BH Cosmetics Blush Palette / ELF Blush Quad (DS)

CREAM BLUSHES

I love the concept of cream blushes especially if you prefer your skin to have a natural/dewy finish. However the downside of cream blushes is that they can move around and look patchy unless they’re set with a similar color powder blush. That not only defeats the purpose of a dewy look but also doubles up on product use. In any case, it’s a personal preference and these cream blushes are the best in terms of application and quality.

MAC Cremeblend Blush / Josie Maran Lip&Cheek Cream / Clinique Chubby Stic Cheeks / Ciate Blush Pop Creme / NYX Rouge Cream Blush (DS)

CREAM to POWDER HYBRID

Although higher end brands such as NARS and YSL had cream/powder hybrid blushes within their line for some time, the affordable and quite unique range by Colourpop Cosmetics have brought this blush formula back into the limelight (review here). Although it applies like a cream, these blushes dry to a light powdery finish giving the versatility of a natural look without the cakey build up.

YSL Baby Doll Kiss&Blush / NARS Multiple / Colourpop Blush / Sephora Cream to Powder Blush

LIQUID/GEL BLUSHES

This texture of blush is by far my favorite for complimenting the natural/dewy look especially during summer months. Light and watery, liquid/gel blushes are easy to blend, they distribute sheer yet buildable color and they set still allowing the skin to breathe. I love all of the following brands, although Stila is the most affordable – check out my full review here

Stila Aqua Glow Watercolor Blush / Armani Maestro Fusion Blush / Perricone MD No-Blush Blush

There’s no other product (other than mascara) that instantly brightens the face with minimal effort like blush does. If you’ve never considered blush to be an essential part of your makeup routine, or you’d like to try different formulas and brands, I would highly recommend you give the above options a try. It’s amazing what a difference a bit of blush can make.

What’s your favorite blush? Leave your recommendations in the comments below