How to apply blush Tips, mistakes to avoid and a guide for selecting your blush

What is blush and what is it used for?

Blush can make all the difference for your face, but one thing needs to be ensured with the utmost care: its application (and blending, of course).

If you want to warm up your face, blush needs to be applied to the right areas and in just the right amount (you don’t want to look TOO flushed!). Here are some of our tips.

How to choose the right blush

Blush should be chosen according to your complexion: depending on your skin tone, you can use a pinker or a more golden shade.

So how do you choose the right hue? Keep these basic concepts in mind:

• For fair skin, a pinkish shade is preferable, with colours tending towards peach or apricot.

• For deeper skin, it's better to choose a golden or bronze finish in a bright, orangey hue.

If you're unsure which shade is right for you, try applying a bit of blush to your face without any foundation underneath, to see if it looks good with your natural complexion.

TIPS: If you want to create a glamorous evening look, choose shades that tend towards red, or at least something a bit brighter. Evening light washes out much more than daylight, so you will have to apply a bit more blush to the area than you normally would. The same reasoning applies if you have to take photographs: the make-up will need to be more structured.

The powder blush is particularly suited to combination or oily skin.

Its powder texture adheres well to the skin and allows the product to be applied and distributed evenly. When used with a good brush, it's very easy to blend: you can apply just a bit to the chosen area and then blend out to enhance features and avoid a "build-up" of colour.

It should be applied with soft, circular movements on the apples of the cheeks and in a sharp, angled manner on the cheekbones.

Be careful not to apply too much product: as it’s in powder form, you can pick up a lot of pigment, so remember to tap your brush to remove excess powder.

Also pay attention to the shape of your face to ensure you enhance it as best as possible:

• On a square face, blush should be applied to the cheekbones and chin, blending towards the forehead.

• On an oval face, blush can be applied to the centre of the forehead and the tip of the chin.

• On a round face, blush should be applied from the cheekbones to the corner of the mouth and blended out to the hairline.

• On a triangular face, blush should be applied to the widest part of the cheekbones and blended towards the eye.

What's the difference between bronzer and blush?

The basic difference is in the colour and the effect given: blush is applied to the apples of the cheeks to create a natural rosy effect; bronzer is used to accentuate a tan or to recreate it during months when warm sun and holidays are out of the question.

Bronzer can also be used to 'sculpt' certain facial features and create the much-loved, popular contouring looks of today.

What’s the difference between blush and rouge?

Some claim that there's a very slight difference in the way they're used (rouge for the cheekbones, chin and nose and blush for just the cheekbones and the apples of the cheeks).

In reality, rouge and blush are the same product. In fact, it sometimes happens that these two words are interchanged.

The difference comes from language and contemporary trends: rouge is the French word by which this product used to be known. Blush is the English term used nowadays.

Both terms therefore indicate a product that enhances certain parts of the face and invigorates the complexion.

Now there are no more secrets when it comes to blush! All you have to do is choose the one that best suits your complexion and follow our tips to use it right for every occasion. Have fun brightening up your complexion... The complements you’ll receive are sure to make you “blush”!