Technique: Brushing up on Blush

Brushing up on Blush Blush is just one of the many important aspects of your total makeup look, but it is also one of the aspects that is most often done incorrectly. Blush should never be the most dominant part of a make-up look, unless of course you are trying to look like a clown. You may choose to do a dramatic eye with a neutral lip or a neutral eye with a dramatic lip, but your blush should always look natural and kind of blend with the overall feel of your make-up look. When choosing a blush color, a good rule of thumb is to choose a color that has the same undertone as your lipstick. For instance, if you are going to be wearing a cool shade of pink lipstick, your blush should also have a cool tone. You could wear a burgundy lip with a pink blush; it doesn't have to be the same color, just the same undertone. When it comes to the blush application, there are two ways to wear blush. You can either: smile and gently dust some color on the apples of the cheeks for a natural blush look or you can place the blush in a C-shaped curve. When doing the C-shape, be sure that you start at a place that is no closer to the nose than the center of the eye and no further down than the bottom of your nose and follow the curve of your cheek upwards and around the eye. NEVER make blush in a straight line, ever. Stripes may be slimming in a vertical pattern on your clothing, but they are never flattering on your face. The next step is to blend.

You may also want to use a neutral blush in a darker shade to create contours on the face and a lighter shade to create highlights. Remember that darker colors recede or go backwards and lighter colors enhance and bring forward. You can use these principles to shape your face the way you want it, hiding flaws and accentuating your best features. This is much healthier and less expensive than plastic surgery and if you don't like the outcome you can simply wash it away.

Tips:

If you are looking for that sun-kissed sheen, dab bronzer powder on your forehead, chin & nose before applying blush. To make sure it doesn't look like a stripe; use "a big brush & a light hand".

For a sexy look, dab a little shimmery blush on the highest point of your cheekbone in a “C” shape around your eye and to the outer edge of your forehead.

When using your blush brush always sweep it in one direction. Going over & over or around and around causes streaks & can hurt your brush.

Clean your make-up brushes weekly with a mild soapy cleanser and water, then lay them flat to dry. If you don't keep your brushes clean, they'll gather bacteria and transfer it to your skin.

If you end up applying too much blush you can always tone it down by going over it with your finishing powder or any translucent powder. If you are using a Powdered Blush you can also remove some excess by going over it with a cotton ball. For a cream blush you can blot the excess off with a tissue.