How to choose your blush, Ulyxa tells you EVERYTHING!
We've all got one in our bathroom. It gives us that healthy glow, and we love it for exactly that. But faced with the sheer range of colours out there, picking the one that flatters you most isn't easy — and choosing the right shade is essential, because get it wrong and your makeup quickly looks artificial.
Then comes application, and suddenly your hand starts shaking… Where do you actually put the colour so your face doesn't end up looking like a clown mask? One rule trumps all the others: your face shape! And once you've read this article, your brush won't intimidate you any more — you'll nail your makeup first time.
How to choose your blush, and above all how to apply it to your face shape
Let's start with a reminder: for the most natural effect, blush should mimic the colour your cheeks turn when you blush. The usual advice is to smile and apply colour to the fullest part of your cheekbones. But depending on your face shape, the brush movement won't be the same.
Two principles do apply to every woman, though (at least here we're all on equal footing!). First, never extend your blush as far as your nose. Second, avoid taking colour lower than the tip of your nose. Blush and lipstick need to keep a certain distance from each other so they sit harmoniously on your face.
Choosing a blush to suit your skin tone
Not every shade flatters every skin tone. That would be far too easy!
Pink blushes are perfect for fair complexions and blonde or light brown hair. They bring a lovely touch of freshness to your makeup. Peach and mocha tones let you switch up your routine while staying natural.
Orange and apricot blushes are made for olive skin. They bring a beautiful lift of light.
And bold blushes — fuchsia, plum, deep pink — look stunning on Black and mixed-heritage skin.
The perfect texture
When the texture of your blush doesn't match your skin type, you can pick exactly the right colour and still end up disappointed with the result.
Dry and very dry skin should steer clear of powder blush, which will only press on where it hurts — and it accentuates lines and wrinkles too. Dehydrated skin does better with a cream blush, which lets it make the most of the richer texture. Cream blush is also the easiest to work with, whether you use a brush or your fingers.
That said, cream blushes add shine to the skin, which makes them a poor choice for oily and combination skin — they risk making it look shinier still. Powder blush is the way to go here: its mattifying properties will soften those so-called imperfections.
For oval faces :
Your face is long or oval if it's longer than it is wide. Whether it's your nose, forehead or jaw, everything balances out without any one feature stealing the show. Here, the goal of blush is to rebalance the face and reduce that sense of length. To do it, lay the colour on horizontally, from the cheekbone out towards the ear.
If you're trying your hand at contouring, stick with the same principle: use horizontal brush movements to play down the elongated effect.
Round faces :
Your face is round if it's almost as wide as it is long. With this shape, the cheekbones are clearly defined. This time, the goal is to slim the face down. Avoid iridescent blushes, which are designed to add volume — matte blushes are a better fit.
The technique for slimming the face is to properly "map out" the cheeks. Gently suck in your cheeks (gently — I didn't say bite!) so you can clearly see the hollow. Just above it, apply a light shade in a diagonal running from the cheekbone up towards the temples. And to intensify the effect, add a darker shade just below that imaginary line to sculpt the face. Bronzing powders make this effect easy to achieve.
Square faces :
As a rule, women with a square face already know it. The jaw is clearly defined, and roughly as wide as the forehead. Here, the aim is to slim the forehead and round out the face to soften it. You'll get that result by applying blush from the cheekbone to the temple, passing over the cheekbone itself. And since we still don't want to look like a clown, move your brush in a figure-of-eight motion. The product will blend more easily and the result will look far more natural.
Heart-shaped faces :
Not sure whether your face is heart-shaped? If your forehead is wider than the rest of your face, your chin is pointed and your cheeks are very prominent, you've got your answer! To avoid emphasising the roundness of your cheeks even further, apply your blush below the cheekbone.
Hexagonal faces :
A hexagonal face clearly shows the jawline and the junction between jaw and chin. With this shape, the aim is to add volume to the cheeks. To do it, apply a light blush starting at the temples and sweeping down towards the corner of the mouth. Go gently — it's always easier to add product than to take it away.
Still unsure? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our beauty advisors!
Diamond Highlighter | Blush
Brighten up your eyes to create a dazzling look with our Ulyxa Highlighter.
Available in 6 different shades, featuring a dazzling array of richly pigmented hues from snow white to pink to champagne, our sparkling Highlighter will give you the glow you've been looking for.
Ultra-easy to blend and apply, our shades can be layered to personalize your looks and match your skin tone.
Perfect for a healthy glow beyond your skin tone, your face will shine with every ray of sunshine.
