If you thought there was just one way to apply blush, you’re not alone — but you should also think again. Just like with lipstick and eyeliner, blush can be used to achieve different aesthetic effects depending on how and where it’s applied.
For instance, let’s say you’re on vacation. You’re (of course) slathering on the sunscreen but you might still want to look sun-kissed. Said effect can easily be faked with blush, though you wouldn’t apply it the same way you would if you were going for the classic apples-of-your-cheeks-only flush that most folks are familiar with.
The same goes for other techniques, too. Any makeup artist will tell you that application is everything, and it’s for this reason that Allure tapped several pros to find out exactly how and where to apply blush to get the specific results you’re after.
1. Natural: On the Apples
For most makeup non-professionals, this is the most common method of applying blush. Its popularity stems from the fact that it gives an ultra-natural effect — like you just got back from a light jog — and it couldn’t be simpler to do.
“You can create a healthy, natural-looking glow by swirling a small dab of colour onto the apples of the cheeks and buffing it out in circular motions,” says New York City-based makeup artist Elisa Flowers, who adds that this ubiquitous technique both widens and brightens the face. Another helpful tip from Flowers is to place your blush two fingers away from your nose and two fingers away from the bottom of your eye. “This keeps it from looking unbalanced,” she explains.
Her favorite colour to use for this traditional approach? A fresh, rosy pink, like Benefit’s Benetint, which she says melds beautifully with skin for the most seamless finish. Liquid blush formulas like these are perfect for drier skin types and layering to level up the pigment, according to makeup artist Delina Medhin.
2. Dramatic: Draped
Rihanna rocked this ’70s-style blush at the 2017 Met Gala, in case you need even more visual motivation to break out of your comfort zone. It’s a trend that’s seen its fair share of runways over the past few years, but draping looks cool in real life, too — and doesn’t take as long or as much skill to execute as you might think.
“I call draping ‘side-eye blush,’ says makeup artist Ingeborg. “It can be done with a soft and fluffy, smaller-to-medium-size brush and simply involves applying it on the temple area, draping the colour downward across the cheekbones so that it frames the face,” she explains. She favors Viseart’s ultra-pigmented blush palettes (especially in Rose/Coral) for this approach.
Similarly, Flowers says you can sweep the blush from the top of the cheekbones to the hairline, wrapping it around the brow area in an arc. “This motion brings a beautiful brightness to the face,” she says.
For this method, New York City-based makeup artist Joseph Carrillo cannot emphasise enough how important blending is. He likes using two to three shades – a bold blush colour with the other(s) being a softer hue typically within the same color family. “The softer shade is to look like a wash of colour on temples, hairline, [and] cheekbones,” he says, while the bolder colour is “buffed out around the temple and on the outer part of the eye and high points of the cheekbone.”
He recommends starting with the deeper shade at the end of the eye socket and buffing the pigment toward the temples and high points on the cheekbones using a dense brush (he likes Charlotte Tilbury’s Powder and Sculpt Brush) and circular motion. Then, with a larger, fluffy brush, work in the second color right on top and around the edges to ensure the shades flow into each other seamlessly. He loves the six-pan Nars Orgasm on the Beach Palette, especially for warm summer days.
3. Sun-Kissed: Allover Glow
As far as we’re concerned, a just-back-from-Barbados makeup look is never a bad idea. Just because we know you’d never slack off on using sunscreen doesn’t mean anyone else has to know your faux glow happens to be courtesy of well-placed blush.
According to the pros, this technique works best when applied on top of bronzer; the bronzer acts as a base layer that helps to diffuse the blush’s pigment so it doesn’t look too harsh against the skin. For this, makeup artist Carissa Ferreri loves using Kjaer Weis Cream Blush in Sun Touched or Milk Makeup Lip and Cheek in Perk.
“The trick is to create the right amount of dewy glow and apply the slightest bit to the top of the nose on the bridge — think where your sunglasses would hit,” she explains. “And for more staying power, sweep a powder blush on top of the cream.”
Another great tip is to add a touch of colour to your eyelids, forehead, and chin. Ingeborg says that this helps to give the finished look a truly realistic, spent-the-day-in-the-sun effect, as these are the points of your face that the rays would naturally hit first.
Carillo loves this glowy look with a dewy foundation and some faux freckles courtesy of the TikTok-famous Freck Beauty’s Freckle Pen. He employs two shades of blush (a bright color and a softer hue in the same color family) with this method to create the desired dimension. With a stippling brush, he adds the darker colour to the high points of the cheeks and bridge of the nose, and then the softer shade on the apples, chin, and nose.
4. Flushed: Intense and Low
Sure, no one enjoys being blasted in the face by wind or getting burnt on the slopes; that’s how you end up with a raw, apple-red complexion that requires extra TLC for days. But faking it with blush? Now that can be extremely cute.
Ferreri favors using a gel or cream blush formula for this method, and she prefers either pink or rosy tones for the most natural finish. “I like this look to have no texture so that the colour looks like it’s just coming from within,” she says. “Focus the blush a bit higher on the cheeks, like right under the eyes, and then diffuse any harsh lines.”
She adds that you can also take any leftover colour from your fingers or brush and apply the softest touch on top of your nose, just under the bridge. This allows it to look more realistic, which is ultimately what you’re going for with blush.
Carrillo also prefers gel and cream formulas for this flushed look, “or, as some call it, ‘drunk blush’,” he says. He likes using the bottom of a makeup sponge (what he refers to as “the belly”) to blend the blush, starting at the apples of the cheeks. “For placement, smile and apply the colour in the centre of the apple,” he shares. “Start with less, and build gently fading the edges off.”
For the nose blush, he recommends adding the pigment to the sides of the bridge to complete the flushed appearance. One of his favorites to use is the Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush, available in six rosy and peachy hues.
5. Sculpted: Along the Cheekbones
If you want to create definition without contouring, blush is an excellent alternative that will still give you a chiseled effect. According to Flowers, the best way to achieve this sculpted, sophisticated look is to buff your blush directly onto the cheekbones, and just above — almost where you would normally place highlighter. “Apply using small circular strokes, blending outward and upward,” she explains.
Makeup artist Patrick Ta typically uses this technique to pat in powder blushes in an upward motion with his own Complexion Blush No 1 to lift the face. “I like to start mid on the cheekbone and work diagonally upward toward the outer corner of the eye,” he shares. “I also love to diffuse blush under the eye to create a seamless look.” But he makes sure to stop right before the hairline.
On the other hand, Carrillo blends the blush with an angled brush, “starting from the tragus, gliding the brush along your cheekbone, dusting it inward.” He buffs any leftover product on the temples.
Now that you have the techniques, all you need are the products. If you’re not sure what blush colour will suit you, check out this handy guide that will help you find your new favorite color based on your skin tone.