There is nothing swifter for perking up a face than a hint of colour on the apples of the cheeks.
In reality, blusher needs to contrast with skin to offer a real wake-up call. The trick is to find a colour that matches your cheeks when they're flushed after exercise or being out in the cold.
Use the simple rule of thumb below to find the right colour for your skin tone.
Ivory skin tones:Â If you are on the paler side, a little goes a long way. Subtle colours are more suitable than intense ones, as the harsh, deep colours will translate as colour-blocked on your fair skin. Look for light, soft pinks and peaches to give your skin just the right amount of glow. Those with pink undertones can use pale beige for contouring, with a stroke of warm peach to highlight and play down the rosiness of your complexion.
Olive skin tones: Look for more saturated, bright hues that will play with your skin tone to give you a fresh pop of colour. Deeper corals, mauves, and brighter pinks will add instant brightness to your face and help you look more awake and fresh.
If you are a bit on the sallow side, you'll look best with a honey-coloured contour and a peachy or coral flush.
Dark skin tones: You can play with a lot more colour and texture, as your skin-tone can handle it. Sheer cream formulas in deep red, orange, and plum will add instant colour, freshness, and glow to your skin. Rather than using a darker shade to contour, applying a highlighter or a lighter, "fudge coloured" foundation above the cheekbones will naturally contour and subtly sculpt your face.
Now that you have the colour, the next step is choosing the right texture for your skin type. Powder looks good on oily and combination skin. Cream is great for dry and mature skin. Liquid and gel are great for oily skin.
For even better results, combine cream and powder together, as this helps the blush stay on longer. Keep in mind that cheek stains tend to dry very fast, so you need to blend well and fast in order to avoid a "pantomime dame" look.
To avoid obvious "stripes" of blush, apply it with a generously sized, domedbrush and a light hand,mostly to the apples of the cheeks rather than all along the cheekbone. The easiest way to find the apples of your cheeks is to smile: you'll see them pop out at you, as compared to when your face is relaxed. Gently tap the blush brush onto the apples of your cheeks, starting from the roundest portion and tapping lightly upwards and outwards towards your temple.
