No more playing it safe on the cheeks. Take a refresher course to get the look you want
It was the eyes, then the lips. Now, the beauty world is homing in on the cheeks.
"I think this look is a big drink of water," says Benefit co-founder Jean Ford. After so many seasons of smoky eyes and bright lips, this is a refreshing change that really embraces a warm-weather spirit, she says.
Colour is the spring buzzword, says Pati Dubroff, celebrity beauty artist for Clarins, so no more playing it safe on the cheeks.
"A pop of bright blush is totally doable and can look very pretty when done right," Dubroff says. She applies that pop right on the apples of cheeks.
The apple is the highest point of your cheek, which is easiest to find if you smile with a closed mouth, says Laura Mercier global artistry director Matin Maulawizada. Concentrate the colour there.
"Look at a baby's face. You can see their apple very easily, mimic that," Maulawizada says. "As you get older, you'll have redness in places you don't want, so don't use that as a guideline."
Nars make-up artist Francelle Daly found a spot between the apple and the hollow for the models walking in the spring Marc Jacobs show.
She liked the result — "It looked as if the models were blushing," she says — but that took some trial and error. "As you experiment with colour on your cheeks, it becomes easier."
To choose a colour that works for your skin tone, work in the palette that you already use — maybe you prefer pinks, corals or peaches — and then choose a shade or two brighter for blush.
Maulawizada suggests pushing your index finger against your thumb.
"It'll turn red, and that red is your red. It could be a warm or cool shade depending on your colouring. And you can go lighter or darker with the blush, but that's your range to work with."
Expert tips
- If using a powder blush, fill your brush with colour — dipping both sides in — and then blow off any excess, says Benefit's Ford. Apply it moving in gentle strokes upward outward towards the hairline.
- Women who pull out their brushes and drag them back and forth under their cheekbones end up with a very Eighties look — too Eighties, Maulawizada says.
- Daly prefers working with creams because they blend well, as they warm up next to the skin. She finds them an easy building block, too, if you also wear foundation or tinted moisturiser. You can mix the cheek colour with foundation or moisturiser.
- If you have oily skin, Daly suggests a powder blush.
- Before applying blush, take the time to even out your skin tone, which creates the smooth canvas, Ford says.
With your rosy cheeks, though, tone down the colours on your lips and eyes. Maulawizada would stick to "I say, even out the skin, fringe the lashes with mascara, put on a little lipstick. Dare to go bare everywhere else," Ford says.
- The interest in bright blush complements all the 1970s-inspired fashion this spring. However, the path from the past isn't a direct route when it comes to cosmetics because formulas have improved over the years. They'll go on more evenly, look more natural and last longer.
Pledge to yourself that on one hot summer night, you'll bust out the tropical pink cheek and the turquoise eyeliner to go with it.
Editor's picks
- Benefit Bellabamba (top right): 3-D brightening powder in watermelon pink with shimmering gold undertones.
- Revlon powder blush (top left): Add that natural burst of colour to your cheeks with the ultrasoft powder blush.
- Une Pinceau blush brush: A multipurpose high-coverage brush.
- MAC Blushcreme in Posey (centre): This cream blush blends well giving a vibrant, slightly shiny look.
It was the eyes, then the lips. Now, the beauty world is homing in on the cheeks.
"I think this look is a big drink of water," says Benefit co-founder Jean Ford. After so many seasons of smoky eyes and bright lips, this is a refreshing change that really embraces a warm-weather spirit, she says.
Colour is the spring buzzword, says Pati Dubroff, celebrity beauty artist for Clarins, so no more playing it safe on the cheeks.
"A pop of bright blush is totally doable and can look very pretty when done right," Dubroff says. She applies that pop right on the apples of cheeks.
The apple is the highest point of your cheek, which is easiest to find if you smile with a closed mouth, says Laura Mercier global artistry director Matin Maulawizada. Concentrate the colour there.
"Look at a baby's face. You can see their apple very easily, mimic that," Maulawizada says. "As you get older, you'll have redness in places you don't want, so don't use that as a guideline."
Nars make-up artist Francelle Daly found a spot between the apple and the hollow for the models walking in the spring Marc Jacobs show.
She liked the result — "It looked as if the models were blushing," she says — but that took some trial and error. "As you experiment with colour on your cheeks, it becomes easier."
To choose a colour that works for your skin tone, work in the palette that you already use — maybe you prefer pinks, corals or peaches — and then choose a shade or two brighter for blush.
Maulawizada suggests pushing your index finger against your thumb.
"It'll turn red, and that red is your red. It could be a warm or cool shade depending on your colouring. And you can go lighter or darker with the blush, but that's your range to work with."
Expert tips
- If using a powder blush, fill your brush with colour — dipping both sides in — and then blow off any excess, says Benefit's Ford. Apply it moving in gentle strokes upward outward towards the hairline.
- Women who pull out their brushes and drag them back and forth under their cheekbones end up with a very Eighties look — too Eighties, Maulawizada says.
- Daly prefers working with creams because they blend well, as they warm up next to the skin. She finds them an easy building block, too, if you also wear foundation or tinted moisturiser. You can mix the cheek colour with foundation or moisturiser.
- If you have oily skin, Daly suggests a powder blush.
- Before applying blush, take the time to even out your skin tone, which creates the smooth canvas, Ford says.
With your rosy cheeks, though, tone down the colours on your lips and eyes. Maulawizada would stick to "I say, even out the skin, fringe the lashes with mascara, put on a little lipstick. Dare to go bare everywhere else," Ford says.
- The interest in bright blush complements all the 1970s-inspired fashion this spring. However, the path from the past isn't a direct route when it comes to cosmetics because formulas have improved over the years. They'll go on more evenly, look more natural and last longer.
Pledge to yourself that on one hot summer night, you'll bust out the tropical pink cheek and the turquoise eyeliner to go with it.
Editor's picks
- Benefit Bellabamba (top right): 3-D brightening powder in watermelon pink with shimmering gold undertones.
- Revlon powder blush (top left): Add that natural burst of colour to your cheeks with the ultrasoft powder blush.
- Une Pinceau blush brush: A multipurpose high-coverage brush.
- MAC Blushcreme in Posey (centre): This cream blush blends well giving a vibrant, slightly shiny look.
