Blush is a funny little thing. Put it in one spot and you look as though you’ve just come in from the cold. Move it an inch or two toward your temples and suddenly your cheekbones are getting all the attention.
Same face, same pink powder. Quite a difference.
There’s no need to study one of those complicated face-shape diagrams, either. The question is really what you’re in the mood for. Something soft and rosy? Keep the color toward the front of your cheeks. Want a little more definition? Take it higher and farther back.
For that just-pinched look
Remember the rosy cheeks everyone seemed to want in the late ’90s? A little pink, slightly flushed, nothing too carefully drawn on. That look never really went anywhere.
The apples of your cheeks are where to start. Give yourself a small smile to find them, then relax. Your face moves, after all, and the blush needs to look good when you’re not grinning at the bathroom mirror.
A dab of cream blush on each cheek is plenty to begin with. Use your fingertips to work the color outward, keeping it round and softly blurred. No obvious edges, please. And try not to bring the pink too far down toward your mouth.
The temptation is to keep adding more until you can really see it. Resist for a moment. Step away from the mirror and have another look. You might already have enough.
A little more cheekbone, a little less cherub
Now for the other approach.
Instead of concentrating the color on the roundest part of your cheeks, move it up along the cheekbone. Start near the outer apple and work toward your ear, with the color fading as it gets closer to your hairline.
Charlotte Tilbury’s blush guide uses a similar upward placement to give the cheeks a more sculpted appearance. Powder blush is lovely for this. Pick up a little with a fluffy brush, tap away the extra, and sweep it along the bone. Two passes may be all you need. Whatever remains on the brush can go toward the temple.
And don’t worry about making both sides mathematically identical. You’re putting on makeup, not drawing architectural plans.
The business of blending
There’s a particular kind of annoyance that comes from finishing your makeup, catching yourself in another mirror, and discovering two very distinct patches of pink.
Usually, it’s too much product or an edge that hasn’t been blended quite enough.
Cream blush tends to be easier to work with before you’ve powdered your foundation. For powder formulas, L’Oréal Paris recommends setting liquid foundation first.
A clean brush is handy for softening any stubborn edges. So is a damp sponge. Rather than rubbing at the color, try pressing it gently into the skin and building it a little at a time, an approach also discussed by Patrick Ta Beauty.
Another thought: do your lipstick before deciding your cheeks need more color. A brighter lip can change the whole balance of your makeup.
One blush, two very different moods
You don’t need a collection of blushes to pull this off. That trusty compact in your makeup bag will probably do nicely.
For an ordinary Tuesday, a little color on the apples feels fresh without much effort. Dinner plans? Move the same shade up toward the cheekbones and perhaps add another light sweep.
Check your work near a window before heading out. Bathroom lighting can be terribly flattering to a bad blending job. And if your blush barely shows up no matter how much you apply, consider a deeper or more pigmented shade next time.
That’s really all there is to it. Some days call for rosy cheeks; others, a bit of cheekbone drama. Nice to have the option.