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How do you apply your blush?
I’m not married to a particular brush, so I use quite an assortment.
I tend to like medium-dense brush that are small-to-medium in overall shape and size with the ability to blend as well as pack on color. I apply to the apples of the cheeks and then blend outward so the heaviest color remains on the apples.
If it’s a very finicky blush, I’ll use my foundation brush (without taking more product) and buff the edges or use translucent powder to fake the blending.
— Christine
If it’s a cream, ie; ColourPop, I apply with my fingertips as the warmth keeps the product very pliable. If it’s powder, which most of mine are, I’ll use either a stiple brush for those few shades I’ve got that pack a crazy punch of vivid, darker pigment, or a standard medium sized e.l.f. blush brush for everything else, simply because I’ve relegated all my other cheek brushes to highlighter and contour duty!
I mostly use a big fluffy brush. My favorite way to wear blush is diffused all over my cheekbones as a wash of color, I feel like concentrating it on the apples is not flattering for my face shape, and that works best with that brush.
I use a small to medium tapered brush. I have one from Up & Up and elf I like. Also one from a new set of brushes from ecotools. Or I use a fan tail if color is intense or to help pick up color I use a small elf stipple brush. I apply brush on cheekbone and apply to hairline. I apply w/ a c shape motion by temple. I use a flat top blender brush by an unknown brand to blend and buf color if I need to. I tend not to apply blush on apples of cheeks. Sometimes I do but mostly not
I’m not hardwired with my brush either and it largely depends on the formula and experience with a particular product. Despite my stature, I have fine bones and smallish features so I tend towards smaller brushes. I’m using Goss Air Brush a lot these days because it’s so soft, it makes blush blending much easier. I grab for this brush for difficult blushes (Tom Ford, I’m talking your lousy replacement for your blush formula). I prefer my blush high up on cheekbones and blended into temples in C shape. I find higher placement gives me more of a lifted look. If I am looking particularly sh*tty, I will put a bit of Hourglass mood light directly on the fleshier part of my cheeks. It never fails me and is an HG product used frequently.
When I use 2 ‘blushes’, inevitably one of them is a dusting of HG Mood Ambient Lighting Powder, but I pair it with a medium pink blush just on the apples. The HG powder warms my complexion much like a bronzer does on other skin types. And yes, it’s helps a lot on those looking sh*tty days, lol.
Lately I’ve been obsessed with my Bare Minerals blush brush. It’s fluffy with a tapered tip that makes it super easy to apply blush exactly where I want it and blend it perfectly. If it’s a cream blush, I’ll use my MAC 159 instead as that’s my holy grail for cream blushes and highlighters
Often high and out, as my apples are uneven/asymmetrical. Only here does it not sound as if everything I say is vulgar or a double entendre. Might be more centered, if I feel like highlighting or contouring. Like WG2 and air, but do have a stableful of fillies from which to choose. Both the texture and the depth of color of the product lead to brush choice. For cream, often Zoeva. For cp, finger, then rt duo fibre or Zoeva. Nars di has to be started with something denser and non-soft, like a Zoeva face/non blush brush. Real soft blushes with fluffier, diffused app. Will try a pop of the mood alp per Wendy.
I like using a small to medium sized brush since my face is on the smaller side as well as being round-ish. I like tapered ones for light/medium colors and fluffier angled brushed for darker colors. I usually start closer to the middle of my cheekbone and blend sort of upwards towards my ear if that makes any sort of sense. It took me awhile to figure this out, but it does my face look less round. I don’t apply near my temples in a C motion though.
I’ve realized for me putting blush on the apples of my cheeks and blending outwards makes me face look rounder as well as makes me look even younger. I already look young for my age and I don’t need to look even younger lol.
Oh, one of my favorite brushes I like applying blush with is the Real Techniques Contour Brush it’s fluffy and perfect for my face shape as it’s on the smaller side.
I use a sephora double ended blush brush that came in a kit. For more pigmented products (like Becca) I usually just take a little bit product at a time and start from apples of my cheeks and flick up and outward. For sheerer, more pinky cutsie blushes I pat it directly on the apples of my checks in a circle. With cream blushes I just use my finger.
I also want to try the hangover blush application which is popular among Japanese people. This technique focuses blush under the eyes, high up on the cheekbones, and across the nose bridge.
I do apply my blush this way on occasion, brushing it across my cheekbones and continuing across my nose. It is flattering, I have a round face and it suits me.
I predominately use powder blushes (NARS and MAC mostly), I prefer using a small to medium sized blush brush and sweep/blend the powder from the apples of my cheeks up towards my temple into the hairline. I don’t like using really large or overly fluffy brushes with my blush.
Because my face is long and narrow, I use blush along the cheekbone line to give illusion of breadth; very occasionally I will use a lighter one top of cheeks as if from sun. For application tool — I’ll use fingers for cream products like Colourpop’s, and brushes for powders with the firmness of the brush according to the product itself: the more caked or firm the blush, the firmer and more dense the brush; the more pigmented, a brush that gives a lighter touch.
I’ve been using a Rite Aid Renewal brush that I got as a freebie with some items I bought from a makeup resale site for YEARS! This is just so ironic, because we don’t even have Rite Aid in my state. If that person hadn’t sent it to me, I never would have discovered it. I can’t see myself ever using anything else!
I have one blush brush.
I apply the roses of my cheeks last – don’t know, I just do. I like a lot of pinks and reds since lighter colors just doesn’t show well on me.
Being that I use the same brushes for the same color of product (blush, dark eyes hadow, light eye shadow, etc) before I wash my blush brush I can actually apply blush right to my cheeks without using any from a palette. lol It has come in handy when I am low on time and forgot blush but needs juuuust a little.
I usually use the Morphe M500, which is huge and lightweight. I’m very fair so I always like to use fluffy brushes for color products. I want to find an alternative from another brand in a similar shape, since I don’t want to buy any more Morphe products. I used to use the Wayne Goss 14 brush for blush, but even that is often too dense with most blushes, so I use it for highlighter instead. I’m going to dig up my Real Techniques blush brush because that’s pretty fluffy too.
As for the application shape/area, I usually start further back on my cheekbones (right in the middle of my cheekbone, not in the hollow of my cheeks and not on top of the cheekbone) near my hairline and blend it forwards towards the apples of my cheeks, and then up towards my temples. I try not to bring it too far towards the center of my face, but I definitely do cover a more diffused, larger area of the face.
After I powder my concealer and foundation, then I go in with blush/contour/highlight.
Fro blush I like MAC’s 159 duo fiber blush, or a fluffy rounded blush (The one i’m currently using is 12 years old, and was my mothers so the name has rubbed off!) And I’ll start by lightly tapping the bristles into the pan of blush, then I’ll tap off the excess, and if I have to, I’ll rub the bristles on my wrist to take off even more product!
Then I start by patting/circling the blush onto the apples of my cheeks, and then I drag it up along my cheek bones! I do circular motions to buff and blend out!
And that’s it!
I recently got one of those brushes with the handle on one side. It looks sort of like a gigantic, soft toothbrush. I figured it was worth a try, and I really love it. It makes applying my blush quick and easy. I’m happy that I took a chance with it.
I usually get my larger Armani blush brush if it’s a more neutral blush color or bronzeresque shade. I tend to use my RT Bold Metals for things with more color as it’s smaller in size. it does pack on the pigment though so I have to be careful.
I second that: “I apply to the apples of the cheeks and then blend outward so the heaviest color remains on the apples.” I use the Artis brush oval 7. I don’t use any other kinds of brushes now! (I always use powder blushes)
Like Nancy if it’s Colourpop or a cream I use my fingers. Powder I apply to the apples and try to swoop a bit over towards the ears. I’ve always had trouble with blush looking patchy/uneven I’ve recently learned to use finishing powder thanks to you good people. It’s my hg and I use hourglass in the palette usually the light pink.
I have some cheap brushes I got on Amazon and use a different one every time.
Cream with my fingers. Powder with a medium round brush.
I have an oval small face (I’m petite all over 5’3) with high cheeks I like to use a small to medium stipple brush for putting my blush and when a certain color comes on too strong I’ll diffuse it with powder lately better yet, a very soft highliter. I believe a major thing that can mess up an entire look is heavy blush I’m very fair and I like it soft, preferably high up in my cheeks it looks nice. Been experiment g with cream blushes and liking how natural they look I just blend with clean fingers so easy but I do find cream is a bit more challenging to apply than powder so quick with a brush.
Because I’m so fair, most blushes are too pigmented. For powder blushes (mostly what I use) I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush most of the time, because it’s big and fluffy and I can diffuse the colors with it. I apply to my cheek bones upward into my hairline, because I’m overweight and round-faced. I never apply it to the apples of my cheeks.
For cream blushes, I usually use my fingertips. ColourPop’s go on best with e.l.f.’s Small Stipple Brush for me.
I have high cheekbones and use Bobbie Browns blush brush. I apply first swab under my apples then blend up and out. I use Laura Geller baked body frosting in the summer for a tanned glow.
I wonder if anyone else has the issue I have. I am using a dusty rose Avon loose powder blush. I apply it with a smaller blush brush as I have a small round face. I don’t pick up much powder as it is highly pigmented. I buff it on and it’s always very dark and I think oh my I’m going to have to take some of that off! But after I finish my eyes and brows and go to put my finishing powder on the blush has faded into my cheeks almost to the point that I think that maybe I should apply more blush. But I don’t as I’m very fair and I don’t want to look like a clown. I’ve never come across this with any other blush, I just wonder if anyone else ever has?
Maybe it’s the Avon blush itself because normally that would not happen. Do you have any other blushes? I am really fair too and am not fond of the clown look either. I use a peach/coral shade and that is more subtle than the rose shades.
You might try putting blush on last, so you can see how much looks right with whatever level of intensity the rest of your makeup has. It’s hard to tell the best amount without the rest of your face being done, imho.
I think it is the Avon blush.
I’ve noticed some of my cheapie blushes from Catrice & Sonia Kashuk do that. (Especially the “made in Italy” ones for some reason.)
It could be the blush, or it could be that it’s too intense for your bare face, but doing your eyes and brows changes both the coloring and proportions (visually) of your face, so what seemed to be working for your naked face doesn’t show up as much on your completed face.
I use an angled brush – It’s a Real Techniques one – no idea the number and that works well for me.
I apply my blush w/ an angled brush. But it took me forever to find the one I love. That one is of medium density, but very fluffy & soft. But what I like most about it, is that it’s wider than it is long. So it fits the apples of my cheeks perfectly. As for how I actually apply, I dab the brush into the product & first stipple the color where I want it, then blend. But I swear the brush basically does the work for me.
I’m pretty similar in that I don’t have a specific brush I always use. I apply along the apples of my cheeks and then blend outward, but only starting from the outer sides of my pupils (if that makes sense) as I have a lot of redness and a round face and that de-emphasizes both (a trick I learned from a woman at my local NARS counter a few years back that changed EVERYTHING for me). That box of “anywhere below the pupils” is a no-go zone for all cheek products for me and it’s definitely helped my look.
Stippling blush brushes? Do tell! I’d love some brand recommendations. I like higher-end brushes ’cause I’m spoiled by the quality of a few Shu Uemuras I bought 20 yrs. ago.