Natural flush: How to make the most of high-colour cheeks

By Aisling Keenan
13th Mar 2020

Natural flush: How to make the most of high-colour cheeks

My own natural flush steered me away from blush for years, but then I discovered the best way to build on what I have going on naturally…

Blush was never something I thought I could wear. My cheeks, unfortunately for me, always look flushed – but not in the soft, organised way that someone with an even complexion wearing blusher looks. My cheeks? Ruddy. I look permanently embarrassed, with uneven dots of colour springing up all over my face like an updating heat map.

The colour is unreliable, sometimes puce, sometimes pink, sometimes even orange. I covered it up and avoided blush so as not to add to the situation. But I’ve had a glorious, blush-wearing last few years since I learned the tricks. Depending on the day, I’ll choose to either conceal my natural colour or embrace and work with it – both are fine.

CONCEAL

If you’re not in the humour of working with your colour…

Hydrate your skin really well first
Use a green colour corrector targeted on the areas you get most colour
Blend that well and follow with a warm-toned foundation (the green colour can sometimes wash out your normal skin)
If needed, concealer on the area can provide extra coverage
Lastly, I’d recommend using powder and then powder blush on top of all of that – you’ll have created a great base and can place the colour wherever you want it

EMBRACE

If you want to work with your natural colour…

Start with great hydration again – if you like, use a green-tinted moisturiser like this one from It Cosmetics
Next use a medium coverage foundation to even out your skin
Don’t powder just yet!
If you can wait a few minutes to let your foundation settle in to see your natural colour coming through, do
Then, use cream blush: I find that it melts in to your skin more easily and therefore looks more natural
Less is more here – start with a small amount and look at yourself from all angles to see what the colour you’ve added looks like with the rest of your skin

The cream blushes I go back to time and again are: