Powder blushes: Powder blushes are an excellent choice for all skin types. They go on easily, blend beautifully, and are available in great colors. A brush is essential for applying these smoothly, softly, and evenly.
Application: To find the area to be blushed, place the full end of your brush about one- quarter to one-half inch behind the laugh line. Starting here, brush downward and back toward the center of your ear, being careful not to place any color below the level of the mouth. Applying your blush by brushing down as opposed to back and forth eliminates a stripe effect. The blush area should be about two inches across, with no hard edges. Always use your sponge to soften edges.
Pros: There are only pros to this type; it works for just about everyone! The only possible negative for powder blushes is due to powder’s naturally drier texture, making it sometimes appear to sit on top of the surface of the skin, although this effect is usually short-lived. It can be eliminated altogether by choosing a silky-smooth, perfectly soft powder blush.
Liquid, gel, cream, and cream-to-powder or stick blushes: These are not my favorites and I recommend considering these carefully. The only real advantage they have over powder blushes is that they tend to mesh better with the skin, which on some women can look more natural—as if it were a glow from within. Yet in spite of this minor positive point, liquid, gel, and cream-type blushes don’t perform reliably for most skin types. They can be very awkward to blend evenly, and many tend to streak whether you use your fingers or a sponge. Liquid and gel blushes can also stain the pores, making the face look dotted with color, and they don’t work well over foundation—the foundation gets wiped off as you apply the blush. Still, if you have near-flawless, smooth skin (no dryness and not oily), no visible pores, and have a deft touch at blending, you are a candidate for liquid, gel, or cream blush. It does help that many of today’s cream blushes are silicone-based, which allows a clean, smooth application and a soft powder finish. Just don’t buy anything until you check it out in the daylight and see how it wears during the day.
Application: There isn’t one best way to apply these types of blushes. A sponge is my first choice, but some women do fine using their fingers, or even a synthetic brush. Use whatever works best for you and always double-check to make sure there are no hard edges to soften. Gel blushes can be the hardest to blend evenly, so you may want to start with cream or cream-to-powder formulas.