BEAUTY 101

Choosing the right blusher is all that stands between you and your best look yet. Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith explores why blusher is the most powerful product in your make-up bag

Blusher is the most effective item in your make-up bag – learn how to use it best.

There is a unanimous response to the question posed to make-up artists: What is the one make-up product that truly has the power to transform? The answer is always a firm vote for blusher. When you think about it, nothing else in your beautifying arsenal does what blusher can do quite as easily and quickly. A great base is essential but it only makes your skin look like how you wish it did all the time. Concealer is designed to hide any slight niggles, not bring out the best in your complexion. Yes, mascara can open up the eyes but would you call it transformative? We wouldn’t. A great blusher has the power to make tired skin look more awake, a pallid complexion look more glowy and a tired human being instantly look refreshed, revived and ready to go. And that is life, and skin, changing stuff. No wonder Bobbi Brown call their annual limited edition creamy blush pot Pretty Powerful. Because that’s exactly what a blusher is and why we have put together a comprehensive guide to everything you have, and will ever need to know about this beauty wonder.

Tactile Textures

When it comes to consistency, the world is your blushered oyster. You have powders, creams, liquids and gels to choose from. And the good news is there aren’t any rules when it comes to which one you should use. This is not a case of certain skin types should stick to one type and other skin types should only use another. ‘The texture of the blusher you use comes down to personal preference and, perhaps slightly, how you like to apply your products,’ says make-up artist Aimee Adams. ‘Obviously powders require a brush to get them on whereas you can use your fingers for creams and liquids, although you can still use a brush for them too so it’s really up to you.’ Hoorah, for once there is make-up autonomy.

Layering Up

The key to helping you decide what type of blusher you use is thinking about the textures of the other products you are applying. For powder blushers to sit on perfectly on your skin, it’s best to apply them on top of another powder so that they don’t get cakey. If you favour a liquid base, then by quickly dusting over the top with a loose powder your powder blush will go on much more easily and won’t clump together in the waxes and oils of your foundation. However, if you’re opting for a cream blusher that can go straight on top of foundation and will blend seamlessly in to your base. The same goes for a liquid tint. This in turn has an impact on any further products you might want to apply on top of your blusher – bronzer and highlighter for example. If you have used a powder blush then it’s best to stick to a powder bronzer or highlighter as creams will just rub away the flush you have

A great blusher has the power to make tired skin look more awake, a pallid complexion look more glowy and a tired person refreshed

just created. In short, always keep powders with powders and creams with creams.

Perfect Placement

‘The mistake that most women make with blusher is where they place it,’ says make-up artist extrordinaire Sharon Dowsett. ‘The tip I always give is to replicate the Nike swoosh on your cheek. Start with your brush on the apple of your cheek and then take it slightly down and diagonally up.’ Not entirely sure where the apply of your cheek is? Simply go to the very centre of your eye and draw an imaginary line down towards your cheek. Then go to your outer nostril and draw an imaginary horizontal line. Where the two would cross is where the apple of your cheek is.