If you have full or round cheeks
Round cheeks look innocent and youthful (think sweet-faced Michelle Williams), and thanks to the fullness of your face, a sheer wash of color instantly makes you look healthy and happy.Of course we’ve all seen cases of good blush gone bad. (Hello, clown-face!)
The trick to applying blush to full cheeks, says makeup expert Jose Rivera, is all about making sure your cheeks don’t look overdone. “Place two fingers next to your nose,” he says, “and apply blush beyond that.”
If you have high cheekbones
For those beauties with sky-high cheekbones, give yourself a big pat on the back. You are already blessed with beautiful cheekbones!
Like full lips or large eyes, faces with high cheekbones are rated as highly feminine—and one look at Kate Moss’ killer bone structure tells why. But still wondering how to apply your blush properly?
That age-old smile trick is for you! “Smile and apply blush to the apples of the cheeks,” says Rivera, referring to the spot on your cheek that puffs up when you smile. “If your cheekbones are naturally high, it will bring balance to the face.”
If you have a warm skintone
Blush can be a tricky thing—do it right and you look like a glowing goddess, pick the wrong colors and you look a bit clowny.
MORE: Fake a Full Night’s Sleep With Blush
The trick to picking the right color for you? Catering to your skintone. “Select a blush color that mirrors the undertone and depth of your skin,” says Rivera. “[Women with] warm undertones from fair to deep look great in peach, apricot, orange or coral.”These warmer, peachier shades will accentuate the yellow tones in your skin, whereas cooler red and pink shades might look artificially rosy. You can still go as bold or subtle as you want, just stick to warm, glowing shades.
We recommend: Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals Blush in Golden Gate, $16
If you have a cool skintone
If you have cool undertones—i.e., more of a blueish or rosy tone to your skin than a warm yellow—you should opt for true pink, red or berry shades.Just steer clear of dusty, muted rose shades. They look artificial and are very aging. Stick to colors that would appear naturally in your skin—healthy flushes of red and pink.
We recommend: , $21
