The 10 Commandments Of Blush

Blush can either make or break your look. A peachy glow can be the cherry on top of a fresh-face look, but one heavy handed stroke can take you from chic to clown in no time. The seasons may change but you can bet on these 10 commandments never budging an inch!

#1.   Thou shalt start with a clean canvas
A rosy glow is gorgeous, but when you suffer from rosacea or redness your blush can compete with the natural colour of your cheeks. Buff your favourite foundation onto clean skin to pop on colour where you want it!

#2.  Thou shalt find the right formula
For normal to dry skin: Try a cream blush.  It blends in more easily than other formulations and generally looks a little more natural.  It's almost like an added layer of moisture.

For normal to oily skin: Go with a powder formula which helps soak up oil. It will last longer than a cream blush, which can migrate and fade.

For oily skin: A gel (which can be hard to blend on drier skin) stays put. Try Almay Smart Shade Blush.

#3. Thou shalt choose the proper tools

The wrong tools are usually culprits of uneven blush. For bright powder blush, a good fan brush is a must.  It's best at distributing colour evenly and creating a soft effect.

A fan or a big, fluffy brush works with other powder blushes, as long as it's soft. The bigger brushes can be too thick, giving you too dense an application.. I likes both natural and synthetic bristles.  There are also goat- and pony-hair ones for their softness. For cream or gel blush, the best tool is your fingers.

#4. Thou shalt prime first
Blush can exacerbate redness and look blotchy on uneven skin. The fix? A great primer.  That way you have a smooth base for your blush to go over.

#5. Thou shalt always powder before blush
Give your blush a fighting chance by setting your liquid foundation with a powder. Not only will your foundation stay in place but the powder will soak up the oil, leaving your blush sitting pretty.
Even if your skin isn't oily, a layer of translucent powder used as a primer for your powder blush will help the pigment go on uniformly and last longer. If you like a dewy look and normally avoid powder, just powder the area where you'll be applying blush.

#6.  Thou shalt learn proper placement
For the most natural look, begin your blush application at the top of the apple of your cheek. The idea is to deposit most of the pigment "where rosiness would first appear naturally, if you were simply flushing,  If you can't see where that spot is, smile to push the apples up. Then, placing the colour on the part that lies directly below your pupil, blend outward, toward the ear.

The proper method to apply blush depends on your face shape:
Round face Apply blush starting from the top of your cheekbone, above the contour colour. Come down at about a 45 degree angle and curve up to the apples of your cheeks.
Thin face Apply blush to the middle of your cheeks in circular motions. Then, blend it to the cheekbones as far as your ears.
Long face Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks and extend to your temples.
Square face Apply blush to your apples and hollows of your cheeks (you can find the hollows by puckering your lips).

#7. Thou shalt layer if necessary 
Some woman complain that their skin "drinks up" the cheek colour by midday. To keep the colour going strong, first apply a little cream blush and let it sink in, then dust a bit of translucent powder over the area and finish with powder blush. The colour should last for hours.

#8. Thou shalt pick a finish
First, think of the lighting: Certain lights reflect more than others—fluorescent especially—so skip anything too sparkly at the office.

Then consider your skin: Blushes with shimmer bring sallow skin back to life, while matte blushes are ideal for oily skin, eliminating shine and staying put longer. Sheer blushes, which tend to be creams or gels, look best on very dark or very pale complexions, since they allow the skin to show through.

#9.  Thou shalt know how to tone it down

Tap off the excess powder from your blush before you apply it. When using gel and cream, dab your fingers.  Just in case you went overboard with the blush, don’t panic — there’s a fix. Dab a tiny bit of foundation onto a stippling brush and apply it to cheeks to lightly diffuse the colour. If you have a damp beauty blender on hand tap it over the colour until the clownish effect is gone.
Another tip is to tone it down with your setting powder.  Dab your brush lighlty over the over-done blush until it has been toned down.

#10. Thou shalt remember to blend!
Blush can easily look uneven and overdone. For fool-proof application, designate one brush to apply the color and one clean brush to blend with.  You can pull off even the most intimidating blushes by blending like a pro.
Without blending blush can appear unnatural and sharp.

Additional tip:-
The whole idea of putting colour on your cheeks is to mimic a healthy glow. Though there's room for variation, rose shades are best for pale skin, apricot shades work for medium complexions, and muted brick reds flatter dark skin.