Three Tips to a Natural Fall Flush
Cream-based products provide your perfect fall flush. (Photo: Jon Paterson)
With crisp fall days officially making their way from coast to coast, it’s a nice time to pack away the bronzer and embrace your natural flush. I’m someone who blushes easily — my fair skin quickly turning crimson with little provocation needed — but I’ve learned to stop being embarrassed and actually play up my rosiness. For a little help, I enlisted Lucia Pieroni, Creative Makeup Director of Clé De Peau Beauté and makeup artist to celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Moss after seeing her warm up the cheeks backstage at Vera Wang’s recent runway show. Here are her top three tips to getting a natural fall flush.
1. Use cream-based products you can apply with your fingers.
“I’ve always used my fingers for blush — you’re more in control of it,” says Pieroni. She prefers cream blushes and even lipsticks to recreate or enhance a flush on your cheeks. “With creams it’s more of a natural look, it’s more sheer, and you can feel the skin.”
2. Your ideal shade is darker than you think.
To determine your best shade (or fake a flush in a hurry), Pieroni suggests simply pinching your cheeks and watching them color rush to them. The makeup artist says you should select a shade much darker than you think. “If it’s too light it ends up really girly and pink, so you need to find one that’s quite dark. A ruddy brown lipstick is kind of the perfect color,” she says. I’ve been using Honest Beauty Crème Blush in Truly Daring ($22), but if you want to try a her lipstick technique, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Téméraire ($36) is a gorgeous, semi-sheer shade. Another great option is FLOWER Kiss Me Twice Lip and Cheek Chubby in Raisin the Roof ($10).
3. Centralize the application to cheeks only.
Application is simple, too. “Focus on just the apple of the cheek and blend it out,” says Pieroni. “That’s the kind of look you do with your fingers.” She insists the look is simple to create in seconds. A perfect flush that requires no makeup brushes and can be applied on the go? Sounds like the kind of effortless application I’ll be wearing all season long.
Related:
