With the arrival of the warm days of spring, and while TikTok continues to add views on the videos of how to transform the face with color in cheeksthere is a lot of intrigue around how to apply el blush. When it comes to making it look like it’s your own Natural glow and blushing, ‘you must look like you just came out of a spin class,’ insists make-up artist Sir John, the man behind the luminous makeup and Beyoncé’s bulletproof. From creating a supercharged canvas to choosing an easy-to-apply formula, Sir John and other in-demand professionals share their secrets on how to apply blush and get a shiny finish.
Create a dewy canvas
When it comes to being HD camera ready, all the experts agree that smooth and hydrated skin is essential. Apply a moisturizing cream, or a first moisturizer if the priority is nuance. For ‘maximum hydration’, makeup artist Naoko Scintu recommends starting with a hydrating mask, such as Dr. Jart+ Dermask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution, as another option. But Sir John likes to take things a step further by applying another layer of moisturizer over the face following foundation, so that the blush really melts with the skin. ‘The best time to apply blush is when the skin is still damp,’ he explains. ‘The extra layer of moisture makes it softer.’
© Photo: Courtesy
Dr. Jart+.
© Photo: Courtesy
Tatcha.
Choose a soft formula and with an appropriate tone
‘Use shades of blush no more than two or three shades darker than your natural shade, otherwise you’ll have a hard time blending it out,’ says Scintu. For added dimension, she likes to use a darker shade in the inside of cheeks, and then graduate outward with a lighter complementary option. When it comes to color, fair and cool skin tones should look for more muted tones, such as pastel pink or peachy pink, while deeper and warmer skin tones can opt for brighter shades. When it comes to texture, a cream, like Glossier’s Cloud Paint or Rare Beauty’s Melting Cream, or a liquid blush, like Benefit’s Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain, are usually best for a second-skin look. ‘give the most natural effect and not wearing makeup, adding a awakened quality to the skin,’ says make-up artist Romy Soleimani, who has Tracee Ellis Ross and Cara Delevingne as clients. However, for Beyoncé’s face, Sir John always add a veil of powder for extra performance of the color and staying power.
Blur, and blur some more
‘I like to start with a blush and cream on your fingers so you can really feel your cheeks, with the added benefit of creating a natural flush through circulation,’ explains Soleimani, adding that she’ll use a small fluffy brush, like Westman Atelier’s Baby Blender Brush, to blur the edges in a circular motion. After application, he suggests obscuring the area around the sides of the nose to further fade discolouration: ‘It will help make it look like you’re blushing naturally, rather than the blush settles on the skin,’ he says. To capitalize on a glassy complexion, Sir John uses a blending sponge, such as L’Oréal’s Infallible Blend Artist Foundation Blender, before administering whisper-light strokes that ‘kiss’ the skin with a powder brush, working it from apples of the cheeks outward, then to the temples and down to the center of the chest for all-over warmth.
seal with gloss
Since the cream highlighter has the blush to a higher levelWhen Soleimani uses RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer on the upper planes of the face, he also infuses it with a skincare emollient, like Weleda’s Skin Food, for an extra glow. Scintu applies a dewy elixir, such as Watermelon Glow Dew Drops from Glow Recipe, to the cheekbones and bridge of the nose for a luminous effect. For a fresh final coat that sets everything in place, Sir John spritzes on Caudalie’s Elixir of Beauty, a cocktail of invigorating rose extract, rejuvenating rosemary oil and hydrating orange blossom water. “You want the skin to be as supple as possible,” he says. ‘It gives it more shine’.
Article originally published by US Vogue, vogue.com. Adapted by Monica Silveti
