Blush is one of those products that women either apply too heavily or shy away from it completely. Blush has two purposes. The first is to give your complexion a hint of color, or radiance, and emulate a healthy, natural glow. Secondly, it is to sculpt your cheek hollow and make your cheekbones pop! Make sure your blush brush matches your cheek size to create the best finish possible.

It shouldn’t be much larger than the apple of your cheek, nor should it be much smaller. Either way, it is important to have the right brush, shade, and the correct application. I recommend you throw out that tiny brush that the cosmetic manufacturers include in most blush compacts. (Unless of course, you prefer racing stripes on your cheeks!)

Blush is one of my favorite weapons in my makeup case. I can instantly create radiance and a glow with a little sweep of blush. The color will resemble the natural glow of your cheeks after you’ve exercised.

To help determine what is “natural” for you, think about what shade pink or red you see in your cheeks after you’ve worked out. In doing so, you will determine the correct tone and depth of color to use on your cheeks. If you are still unsure, try pinching your cheeks slightly and observe what shade, and depth of pink your cheeks become.

Do you remember what your undertone is?

If you are warm, you should look for blush colors that are peach based, or warm-bronzed based, and have soft rose tones in them.

If you are cool, you should look for blush colors that are cool pink in tone. Be careful not to go too bright – imagine the color of raspberries.

How to Apply Blush

Blush is a good starting point when applying color because, if your blush looks flattering on your fresh canvas, you can be assured that it is natural looking. The hardest part with applying blush is getting the right amount on. As with everything else, I always recommend to start off lightly and build to a more flattering finish. Again, I choose to work with powders, however, if you are using cream blush, the same principles apply.

Use your tapered blush brush and swirl it into your powder blush, remembering to tap off the excess powder.

Smile big and find those apples of your cheeks. This is your starting point.

Using the tip of the brush (not the side) and in a circular motion, apply the blush to your apples.

To blend, follow the tops of your cheekbones and blend up to your hairline.

To ensure that your blush is most flattering to your face, here are some guidelines to follow:

• Do not apply color past the center of your eye, towards your nose.
• Do not go lower than your nostril line.
• Wipe the excess powder off onto your towel and use that clean brush to blend the color that you have already have on your cheeks.

Now take a look at your work, and if you want to intensify your cheeks, go ahead and apply another layer. Remember you can always add more when you’ve finished your entire makeup look.

If you have a fuller face, apply your blush on the center of your cheek, just underneath the eye, and do not blend it up the cheekbone. This will create a more narrow, focused eye line, and make your face look slimmer.