Have You Blushed Today? Top 7 Techniques to Use When Applying Blush.

by Inna Grinblat of Glamorized Skin

Many women leave blush out of their list of staple cosmetic products. Yet blushes and bronzers are the only products that can make your overall look come together with just a few strokes or give you the benefits of the special slimming effects. Hollywood stars, such as Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian, create their signature looks using blushes and bronzers. In the following article, I will discuss the importance of using a blush and now it can improve your appearance and self-confidence. To make things simple, I will be referring to a blush or a bronzer, when using the word blush but I will note which shade/tone I have in mind.

1. Make Your Face Look Slimmer With More Profound Bone Structure.

In order to define your features, your first step should be to figure out your face shape, as described in one of my previous articles, The Ultimate Brow - Part I. There are four general face shapes: long, round, square, oval. Which one is yours? Usually, those of us with round or square face shapes desire to create an illusion of a narrower face and here is how you can do just that. Feel your cheeks for your cheekbones and cheek hollows (right below cheekbones). Do you feel the bone underneath the skin and the angle it is at? This is the general angle your blush brush should follow. It may be more horizontal or more vertical, but you should follow it closely when defining your cheeks with a blush. Additionally, your blush "line" should be either at or right below your cheekbone (your cheek hollows), depending on the overall size of your face. Ladies with smaller, more delicate faces should apply blush right at the cheekbones and those with more area to work with may apply it right below. To narrow your face, start to "draw" with your blush as closely as you can to your ear and bring it out toward your nose/mouth. This way the color will be more intense closer to the ear and less intense as you blend it out towards the center of your face. By following this technique, you will create an illusion of a narrower face with defined cheekbones.

2. Make Your Skin Glow With a Couple of Strokes.

The main secret to a glowing skin is good skin care. We discuss skin care for different skin types here: Oily/Combination Skin Care and Dry/Sensitive Skin Care. However, not all of us have the luxury of having great skin at all times. We just do not have that healthy and beautiful glow that would appear after a long walk in the park every day. No worries, ladies! By applying blush that matches your skin tone well, you can create the glow we all desire. For warm skin tones with red, pink, or yellow undertones (learn more about different skin tones in our article, Color Wheel Your Face) choose peachy colors with a little pink in them, i.e. Smashbox Blush Rush in Chiffon. For cooler skin tones with blue undertone, choose pink shades with just a bit of purple in them, i.e. Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Smoldering Plum. When applying blush, follow the techniques I describe in this article for a natural looking effect. Additionally, apply a little blush to your temples and the bottom of your chin. This will create an impression that your skin is glowing all over.

3. Make Your Skin Appear Healthier.

Always make sure you are using correct shades for your coloring. Ladies with cool skin tone and either light or dark hair color will look best in peach and pinkish-purple tones, i.e. MAC Powder Blush in Coygirl. I believe brownish and red colors would be too warm for their undertone. Warm skin tones, however, would look washed out/sick with peachy pink blush, while very nice with red or brownish-orange tones, i.e. MAC Powder Blush in Style. Redheads should opt out for reddish-golden shades to achieve a natural look. By paying attention to different colors of your blush you will know which shades make you look washed out and will refrain from using them.

4. Erase Fatigue and Add a "TAN".

Using a blush is the best way to add a "tan" to your appearance without actually spending any time in the sun. First, decide what time of the day you will be wearing your "tan". If it is during the day when there is plenty of day light, try to use a lighter colored blush/bronzer, such as light golden brown with a little sparkle. However, if you are "tanning" yourself for an evening out, then use a deeper brownish matte color. When applying a bronzer, you should use the same technique I describe above in Step 2. Additionally, you may use a little on your cleavage and your collar bones to deepen the effect of your sunless tan. Apply it right under your collar bones and vertically right in the middle of your chest bone. As always, remember to blend well to avoid sharply visible lines of color.

5. Make Your Narrow Face Rounder.

If you have a narrow face that you would like to appear wider, there is a very simple technique you may follow. Again, feel your cheeks for your cheekbones and the apples of your cheeks to figure out which angle you will follow. However, when you apply the blush, start from the apples of your cheeks and blend it out to your ear. Basically, the apples of your cheeks (the front of your face) will have the most color with just a little on your sides. Lighter color on the sides of your face will make them appear fuller. Of course, do not forget to blend the front to make sure there are no harsh lines.

6. Emphasize Your Cheekbones.

Most of us have beautiful cheekbones and we just do not know how to emphasize them. The best way to do it is by using two different blush colors. Of course they should be in the same family of colors, with a lighter and a darker shade. For example, take a deep red and a lighter pinkish-red or a deep brown and a lighter brownish orange color. Apply the darker color to your cheek hollows trying to "draw" the bottom of your cheeks. Then, apply the light color to the apples of your cheeks. Do not forget to blend each color into another. Voilà! Now your beautiful cheeks are Glamorized.

7. Downplay a Protruding Jawline.

If you have a square jaw and would like to draw attention away from it, there is a little trick you can use. Apply your blush (any red, pink, purple or brown variety you choose) to the cheek hollows and the apples of your cheeks. Then, take a deep colored bronzer and a large angled brush (contour brush) and apply the bronzer right on your jaw bone in a sweeping motion from the ear lobe to the chin. Blend this line downward below your jawline to erase any harsh lines. This will not decrease the appearance of your jaw dramatically, but it will diminish the effect a little.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome. I am looking forward to see what you think about blush application techniques I have described. Do you believe they are easy to follow on every day basis?