Blush cosmetics give your cheeks that rosy, warm glow of beauty. There are varieties of blushes; they usually come in powder, liquid, or cream types. Although the preference varies with the individual, if you are new with this cosmetic it is advisable that you try on the water-based cream variety in the morning, since it sets in well into the skin and has a longer life; use the powder as a retouch for the course of the day, patting it over the morning application. Powder blushes are at a disadvantage as a first application, since you cannot retouch it with cream; the skin will cake and blotch up all over the face. Application of blush powder on skin with foundation as the only makeup layer will end up messing with the moisture, smearing the face too much that you have no choice but to redo the entire Bridal makeup. Powder is effective if patted over a fully made-up face, complete with face powder as a final layer.
In choosing the blush, be sure that the shade of the cream is darker than that of the powder, since the cream will in effect set into the skin, toning down two shades darker in the process; the powder blush won’t set but stay on top of the skin, maintaining its original color. Go with the blush shade that you may be able to use at anytime of the day, and complements as close as possible every makeup effect. Choose the shade which closely approaches that of your skin tone, and is within the range of your skin type. To get a rough idea of what shade you should go for, check the natural color of your cheeks by pinching it, then see which shade it ends up with; you can also try matching the blush shade with the color of your lips.
In applying the blush, swipe it with a brush, then tap off any residue, in order to get a more even effect upon application. Gently do swiping strokes on the cheeks in a triangular shape, widening the swipes towards the temples. Then smoothly blend the application outwards and up towards the cheekbones. Apply more on the rise of the cheeks and gradually swipe it up toward the hairline. The final effect you are aiming at here is one which gives the face a glowing sheen, without any lines of unevenness.
In order to get the effect of clearer skin, apply the blush on the apple of the cheeks, blending it backwards, but make sure that you don’t let the color get any further than the corner of the eye. To cover up tired skin at the end of the day, try blushes with a subtle pink tone. Blush techniques also vary with shape of the face. If you have a noticeably long and narrow face, keep the color light on the low edge of the cheekbone and keep the strokes horizontal, to create the illusion of width. If you have a round or square face, concentrate the color near the middle, but don’t get too close on the nose.