Lean into the summer heat with a vibrant flush of colour. Cream and liquid formulas will be a gamechanger!
In line with the skinimalism movement, dewy, glow-getting blushes are all the rage right now. Martine Ho, founder of Filipino beauty brand Sunnies Face, says, “Fresh, healthy-looking skin is always something people strive for. I love cream and liquid-base products for a dewy, skin-like finish.” Liquid and cream products are pigmented, buildable and easy to blend. Read on for Ho’s best blush tips!
Best Application: Apply with a tapping motion, using either a stippling brush or your fingers, for a seamless finish. This will allow you to opt for either a barely-there hue or to apply liberally for a statement-making look.
Sunset Hues: While muted, rosy tones are forever on trend, try embracing a vivid, sunset inspired palette: think burnt orange, rich plums, raspberry pinks and bold, cherry reds. If you need more convincing, this look coincides with the viral “strawberry girl” and “tomato girl” beauty trends popularised by supermodel and beauty entrepreneur Hailey Bieber.
Make it tonal: Ho suggests opting for a hybrid product: “I love going in and dabbing excess lip products onto my cheeks [or vice versa] for a tonal finish.” This helps bring cohesion to the look, particularly when experimenting with Liquid and cream formulas are incredibly versatile and ideal for mixing and layering.
Blush Draping: Unlike traditional blush placement (centred on the apples of the cheek), blush draping emphasises the cheekbone and temple. With similar placement to highlighter, start at the outer half of your cheek and drag pigment upwards and along the temple. This will give the illusion of a lifted cheekbone. Finish by blending above the brow or into the eye socket for high impact.
Ombre Blush: Ho’s latest obsession – the ombre blush trend – uses multiple shades and products to achieve greater depth and dimension. To replicate, start with a lighter or brighter shade centred on the cheekbone, then apply a darker shade above that. With a clean brush, blend both shades together working upwards towards your hairline to create a gradient of colour.
For a luminous finish: Ho recommends “topping it off with Sunnies Face The Perfector balm [or a liquid/cream highlighter] to create a glowy dimension on the skin”.
Sunnies Face Airblush in Doll, approx $27 at Sunnies Face
Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush in Peach Face, $35 at Sephora
Nudestix Nudies Matte + Glow Core All Over Face Blush in Magenta Magic, $43 at Sephora
Holme Beauty Embodiment Blush in April, $55 at Holme Beauty
Nars The Multiple in Orgasm, $63 at Mecca
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Matte Beauty Blush Wand in Dream Pop, $55 at Mecca
Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double-Take Creme & Powder Blush in She’s A Doll, $60 at Sephora
