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:

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Calypso Coral

€28 from brownthomas.com

Fenty Beauty Matchstix in Yacht Life

€28 from fentybeauty.com

Nars Liquid Blush in Luster

€28 from spacenk.com

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Photo from Unsplash