Blush is a genius product in a makeup bag! It’s no wonder that women discovered centuries ago how important it is for a complete makeup look and began to use it actively. Celebrity makeup artist and beauty expert Alena Sidorova explained how to choose and apply blush correctly to look like a luxurious lady, not a ridiculous Marfusha from "Morozko."
Powder or Liquid
Blush is mainly available today in three consistencies: powder texture, cream, and liquid tint.
Powder: they are like powder (can be pressed or loose), but very pigmented, easily picked up on a brush, but you can "overdo it" and look like a "matryoshka," so it’s better to choose pressed blush.
Cream: they look like a cream and blend beautifully on the skin; there are no special criteria for color selection. They work wonderfully on mature skin, not emphasizing wrinkles. "The only downside is that they are not long-lasting and need to be touched up throughout the day. But there’s a secret. It’s better to apply such blush right after the cream and then powder it — this will give lasting power for the day," advises the expert.
Liquid Tints: essentially, this is water with coloring pigment. Ideal for good or tanned skin, you can apply it on the cheeks, on the immobile eyelid, and on the lips to achieve a monochromatic makeup that gives the face a fresh and healthy look. It applies beautifully with fingers; if mixed with foundation/BB cream, the shade will be muted, but it will appear as a natural flush on the face.
Your Personal Palette
"Before choosing and buying, pinch your cheeks, and you will see the natural color of your blush, and only after that, match the colors to find your shade," explains the celebrity makeup artist.
Typically working shades are: red, plum, and pink. No brick tones! They will look different on each skin, sometimes bright, sometimes muted. There’s no need to fear bright colors; they can always be toned down with powder or foundation. And if applied to the lips, on the apples of the cheeks, and swept towards the temples and a little on the movable eyelid, we achieve a lifting makeup effect.
If you don’t have blush on hand at the right moment, it can easily be replaced with your favorite lipstick. But only the one you planned to apply on your lips today. "Apply the lipstick on the back of your hand and use your finger to transfer it to the apples of your cheeks with tapping motions," continues the beauty expert.
On the Cheekbones or Apples?
It’s better to apply blush directly on the apples of the cheeks. This will instantly refresh your face, even if you’ve only slept a couple of hours. "Stand in front of the mirror and smile. Apply the blush with a fluffy brush in circular motions from the periphery of the face to the temples. The blush should not go beyond the line of the second finger from the corner of the lips to the earlobe vertically," recommends Alena.
Cream textures/tints are also applied with a brush or fingers, but do not smear; otherwise, it will look "messy" on the face. The most universal method is to apply in circular motions on the apples of the cheeks. The second option is diagonally. This creates a refreshing makeup and a lifting effect. Blush towards the temples with a transition to the immobile eyelid emphasizes the eye makeup and again "lifts" the face visually. You can also apply pastel shades of blush with a wide brush, blending downwards. However, the expert does not recommend this last method for those with round faces.
