Choosing a blush Color

In the long run the color that looks best and most natural to your skin tone is the best place to start. Think of the color your cheeks turn when you’ve exercised and consider that as a starting point (but not necessarily the definitive color your blush should be).

An option to consider when choosing blush color is to go neutral; a soft golden brown or tannish-looking color is a great foolproof choice for many skin tones. I personally use this look for the summer. For darker skin colors, a deeper golden brown works perfectly. Whatever option you choose, be sure your lipstick colors match the underlying tone of your blush. In other words, if you are wearing a blush with a blue undertone, the lipstick should be in that same color family; rose blush means rose lipstick; coral blush coordinates with coral or coral/tan lipstick, though a soft-tan looking blush works with almost any color of lipstick. You absolutely do not want to wear pink blush and coral lipstick or mauve blush with orange lipstick. The point is for lipstick and blush colors to work together and not look like opposite, clashing ends of a rainbow.

Your blush color does not need to match your clothing, shoes, or any other accessories, although if you wear vivid clothing colors (fuchsia, turquoise, royal blue) your blush should ideally be in the same tonal family as your clothing to prevent an overly contrasting look.

blush mistakes to avoid

1. Blush and lipstick colors should never clash; they should either complement each other or be in the same color family.

2. Never put blush close to or on the lines around the eye; it makes them look more evident, and if you are using a pink, peach, or coral shade of blush, the eye area can also look red and irritated.

3. Do not apply blush below the mouth or the laugh lines; blush is for the cheek­bones only.

4. Do not blush your nose, forehead, hairline, or chin; it can make the face look overly pink or red, or made-up. It may look great in professional photographs, but can look blotchy and uneven in daylight.

5. Do not forget to use your sponge to blend out hard edges or smudges of blush. Blush should always be well blended, with no visible edges where the blush starts and stops.

Updated: October 8, 2015 — 10:50 pm