To Blush or Not to Blush

By Karinda Ristic
Professional Make-up Artist

I have found that most women do not use enough blusher, or are too afraid of using it at all. This is a pity!

There is no other make-up product that can give you an instant youthful lift and an impression of good health, like blusher. Blusher also enhances the shape of your face and creates a more contoured look and adds natural colour to the face.

It is important though to choose the correct colour to best benefit your skin tone. There are some general guidelines: Use light pink or peach on fair skins, apricot or terra-cotta on olive skins, and coral or plums will look best on dark tones.

You can also consider using a light bronzer instead of blusher. Bronzers will look best on dark tones and will create a natural sun-kissed glow on the cheeks.

Blusher is available in a variety of textures – pressed powder, cream and liquid. Powder blusher is easy to use and can be the most sheer. Cream formulas blend easily and create a beautiful sheen, but it can worsen oily skin. Liquid blusher tends to dry very quickly and therefore makes it difficult to control.

Use a soft blusher brush and dip it lightly into the blusher. Smile and apply the blusher in a swirling motion on the apples of the cheeks and blend out towards the temples. Remember to start with the tiniest touch of blush and then gradually increase the intensity. This will create very natural cheeks.

Note: This article was posted on http://www.destinyconnect.com/blogs/karinda/archive/2009/11/02/to-blush-or-not-to-blush.aspx (2 November 2009)