Temptalia https://www.temptalia.com In-depth makeup reviews with swatches and dupes, plus what you need to know about new product launches and tips on how to use your makeup! Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:44:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.13 How to Apply Blush - Everything You Want to Know! https://www.temptalia.com/how-to-apply-blush-steps/ how-to-apply-blush https://www.temptalia.com/how-to-apply-blush-steps/#comments Wed, 01 Jan 2020 21:28:16 +0000 Christine https://www.temptalia.com/?p=403935 Blush can really add a lot to a look, but it can be easy to over-apply color and be unhappy with the end result. A lot of blush application is in the technique and adjusting that technique for different types of formulas, especially more pigmented formulas or shades that offer more contrast from your natural skin tone. How heavy-handed you are will often dictate how natural or how intense the blush will appear on your skin. If you've always wanted to learn how to apply your blush easily, keep reading for these tried-and-true makeup tips! Apply Blush in Layers Build Continue Reading… ]]> Blush can really add a lot to a look, but it can be easy to over-apply color and be unhappy with the end result. A lot of blush application is in the technique and adjusting that technique for different types of formulas, especially more pigmented formulas or shades that offer more contrast from your natural skin tone.

How heavy-handed you are will often dictate how natural or how intense the blush will appear on your skin. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to apply your blush easily, keep reading for these tried-and-true makeup tips!

Apply Blush in Layers

Build up coverage gradually, rather than applying more to blend out later.  Buildable coverage is not a bad thing; pigmentation is not everything!  By applying sheerer layers of product, it is easier to achieve diffused edges, even coverage, and avoid disturbing your complexion products because you had to blend too much!

How to Apply Blush
Sonia G Face Two Brush

What Tools to Apply Blush With

Use the right-sized tool for your cheeks!  Depending on the size of your features, a smaller or larger brush might better.  You’ll want to adjust the size to suit your cheek bones as well as the types of products you use.  If you use sheerer products, smaller and larger brushes work just fine, but if you use more pigmented products, you might find more precise brushes do a better job of placing without overdoing.

For more pigmented formulas, use a softer, feathery, less-dense brush.  My personal favorites are to opt for brushes marketed for highlighting (often tapered and are moderately dense) or a fan brush, which is more feathery and less dense.

For sheerer formulas, use a medium-sized, denser brush.  More typical blush brushes–wider brush head, some doming on the edge, more tightly packed with bristles–do best with sheer to medium pigmented formulations as they can pick up more product on the larger surface area and can also get more product off the surface of a stiffer formula.

Blush Brush Recommendations

  • Sonia G. Face Two ($48) — flatter edge, great for really buffing and diffusing blush onto the skin
  • Sonia G. Cheek Pro ($46) — traditional, moderate-dense brush, not too big or too small
  • Sonia G. Fan Pro ($32) — small, precise application with a less-dense brush
  • Chikuhodo Z-8 ($111) — luxuriously soft for feathery, diffused blush application; best with more pigmented products or those preferring sheerer coverage

How to Apply Blush
Kaja Beauty Hella Azalea & Poppy Champagne | Look Details

Where to Apply Blush

Apply to the apples of cheeks, just above or below, and diffuse toward the ears or temples.  Experiment with placement to find the right blush placement that suits your facial features and your style.  Some general guidance on face shapes and blush placements:

  • Heart-shaped faces do well with blush that starts closer to the ear and extends to just below the apples of the cheeks
  • Longer faces do well with blush pulled more upward, applied just below the apples of the cheeks
  • Squarer faces do well with blush applied just below the cheek bone to help add definition
  • Oval faces do well with blush applied on the cheekbones and/or just above

How to Blend Blush Like a Pro

Cheat the blending by using the leftover foundation on your brush/sponge to blend.  Most of us apply foundation prior to blush, which means that there’s some residual amount still on our brush or sponge (and if you use fingertips, then just go back and get a smidgen more), and this can be used to diffuse and soften the edges of more unblended blush.  It’s also really useful for when I’ve diffused and spread the color too far beyond where I want my blush to be, so I can make the area look skin-like again.

Use small, circular, buffing motions.  To really even out and blend out more intense blush, I like to use small, circular motions–buffing–which help to soften, even out, and then gently disperse blush slowly but surely.

Always use gentle pressure!  Not being heavy-handed has always been a tough lesson for me to learn and practice, but the gentler I am, the less mistakes I make.

How to Apply Blush
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

How to Fix Blush Mistakes

Total failure?  First, breathe; it’s okay, it’s makeup and it washes off. We all have off-days and better and worse application. Re-apply your foundation over top, whether by using a residual amount that’s leftover on a brush/sponge (like the first tip under how to blend above) or if it just feels like abort-mission-level mistake and you just need to get a blank canvas all over again.

Help! I’ve overapplied my blush!  See cheating the blending–a sheer layer of foundation will reduce the intensity quite a bit.  Similarly, you can also use a skin-hued loose or pressed powder blended on top, which will have the same effect.

My blush is too shimmery!  Apply translucent powder (I prefer loose), which will help to tamp down the shimmery finish of your cheek color.  You can also try using a matte blush of a similar hue, but this can often result in less-shimmery but more-intense coverage so it doesn’t always work as well!

Need a how-to for liquid blush? We have a dedicated guide for that, plus more how-tos for highlighting, bronzing, and contouring.

Need helping finding the right blush formula? Check out our top picks for blushes here.

Blushes We Recommend

01.

01. Rose Bronze (02) Chanel

Chanel

PPermanent. $45.00/0.17 oz.

A+
Chanel Rose Bronze (02) Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel Rose Bronze (02) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a medium pink with subtle, cooler pink pearl that gave it a satin finish when...

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Chanel Rose Bronze (02) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a medium pink with subtle, cooler pink pearl that gave it a satin finish when...

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02.

02. Cola Pop Clinique

Clinique

PPermanent. $21.00/0.12 oz.

A+
Clinique Cola Pop Cheek Pop Blush

Cola Pop is a rich, reddened plum with subtle, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It was richly pigmented--it's one of the deepest-hued shades in...

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Cola Pop is a rich, reddened plum with subtle, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It was richly pigmented--it's one of the deepest-hued shades in...

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03.

03. Black Honey Pop Clinique

Clinique

PPermanent. $21.00/0.12 oz.

A+
Clinique Black Honey Pop Cheek Pop Blush

Black Honey Pop is a medium-dark pink with moderate, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer, which applied...

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Black Honey Pop is a medium-dark pink with moderate, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer, which applied...

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04.

04. Rose Petillant (330) Chanel

Chanel

PPermanent. $45.00/0.17 oz.

A
Chanel Rose Petillant (330) Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel Rose Petillant (330) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a light-medium pink-coral with subtle, warm undertones and a satin finish. ...

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Chanel Rose Petillant (330) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a light-medium pink-coral with subtle, warm undertones and a satin finish. ...

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05.

05. Oh, Darling! MAC

MAC

PPermanent. $42.00/0.31 oz.

A
MAC Oh, Darling! Extra Dimension Skinfinish

Oh, Darling! is a bright, medium gold with strong, warm undertones and a metallic finish. It was richly pigmented with a smooth consistency that was...

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Oh, Darling! is a bright, medium gold with strong, warm undertones and a metallic finish. It was richly pigmented with a smooth consistency that was...

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06.

06. Ginger Pop (01) Clinique

Clinique

PPermanent. $21.00/0.12 oz.

A
Clinique Ginger Pop (01) Cheek Pop Blush

Ginger Pop (01) is a brighter, medium coral with moderate, warm undertones that were just barely orange-leaning but fairly well-balanced between pink...

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Ginger Pop (01) is a brighter, medium coral with moderate, warm undertones that were just barely orange-leaning but fairly well-balanced between pink...

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07.

07. At Night Hourglass

Hourglass

PPermanent. $40.00/0.15 oz.

A
Hourglass At Night Ambient Lighting Blush

Hourglass At Night Ambient Lighting Blush ($40.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark coral with moderate, warm undertones and fine, golden pearl...

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Hourglass At Night Ambient Lighting Blush ($40.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark coral with moderate, warm undertones and fine, golden pearl...

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08.

08. Paris Skies Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Paris Skies Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Paris Skies Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a soft, medium mauve with cooler undertones and warmer, pale golden shimmer throughout....

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Sydney Grace Paris Skies Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a soft, medium mauve with cooler undertones and warmer, pale golden shimmer throughout....

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09.

09. First Date Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace First Date Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace First Date Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a light, peachy orange with strong, warm undertones and a pearly sheen. The finish was...

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Sydney Grace First Date Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a light, peachy orange with strong, warm undertones and a pearly sheen. The finish was...

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10.

10. Secret Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Secret Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Secret Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a brighter, medium-dark pink with warmer undertones and a smooth, metallic sheen. It was...

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Sydney Grace Secret Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a brighter, medium-dark pink with warmer undertones and a smooth, metallic sheen. It was...

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11.

11. Drama Class Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty

PPermanent. $20.00/0.1 oz.

A
Fenty Beauty Drama Class Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

Fenty Beauty Drama Class Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a lighter purple with subtle, cool undertones and a natural finish...

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Fenty Beauty Drama Class Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a lighter purple with subtle, cool undertones and a natural finish...

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12.

12. Day Dream Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Day Dream Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Day Dream Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a deep peach with strong, warm brown undertones and a matte finish. It was intensely...

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Sydney Grace Day Dream Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a deep peach with strong, warm brown undertones and a matte finish. It was intensely...

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13.

13. Peaches and Cream Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Peaches and Cream Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Peaches and Cream Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a rich, medium-dark coral with moderate, warmer undertones and a matte finish. ...

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Sydney Grace Peaches and Cream Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a rich, medium-dark coral with moderate, warmer undertones and a matte finish. ...

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14.

14. Thinking of You Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Thinking of You Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Thinking of You Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a rich, deep coral with strong, warm orange undertones and a matte finish. It was...

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Sydney Grace Thinking of You Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a rich, deep coral with strong, warm orange undertones and a matte finish. It was...

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15.

15. Coral (004) Dior

Dior

PPermanent. $37.00/0.16 oz.

A
Dior Coral (004) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush

Dior Coral (004) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush ($37.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a light-medium coral-orange with warm undertones and a satin finish. Once applied...

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Dior Coral (004) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush ($37.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a light-medium coral-orange with warm undertones and a satin finish. Once applied...

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16.

16. Pink (001) Dior

Dior

PPermanent. $37.00/0.16 oz.

A
Dior Pink (001) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush

Dior Pink (001) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush ($37.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a pop of cotton candy pink with cool, blue undertones and a satin finish. It had...

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Dior Pink (001) Backstage Rosy Glow Blush ($37.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a pop of cotton candy pink with cool, blue undertones and a satin finish. It had...

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17.

17. Sanguine Lethal Cosmetics

Lethal Cosmetics

PPermanent. $15.50/0.18 oz.

A
Lethal Cosmetics Sanguine Magnetic Face Powder (Blush)

Lethal Cosmetics Sanguine Magnetic Face Powder (Blush) ($14.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a brighter, medium red with subtle, warm undertones and a satin...

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Lethal Cosmetics Sanguine Magnetic Face Powder (Blush) ($14.00 for 0.18 oz.) is a brighter, medium red with subtle, warm undertones and a satin...

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18.

18. Alezane (260) Chanel

Chanel

PPermanent. $45.00/0.17 oz.

A
Chanel Alezane (260) Joues Contraste Blush

Chanel Alezane (260) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a soft, medium-dark coral with moderate, warm undertones and fine, golden...

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Chanel Alezane (260) Joues Contraste Blush ($45.00 for 0.17 oz.) is a soft, medium-dark coral with moderate, warm undertones and fine, golden...

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19.

19. Orgasm X NARS

NARS

PPermanent. $30.00/0.16 oz.

A
NARS Orgasm X Powder Blush

NARS Orgasm X Powder Blush ($30.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a brighter, medium-dark pink-coral base with fine, golden shimmer throughout that gave it a more...

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NARS Orgasm X Powder Blush ($30.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a brighter, medium-dark pink-coral base with fine, golden shimmer throughout that gave it a more...

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20.

20. Savage (2020) NARS

NARS

PPermanent. $30.00/0.16 oz.

A
NARS Savage (2020) Powder Blush

NARS Savage (2020) Powder Blush ($30.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a medium, reddish-brown with warmer undertones and a luminous sheen. The texture was smooth...

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NARS Savage (2020) Powder Blush ($30.00 for 0.16 oz.) is a medium, reddish-brown with warmer undertones and a luminous sheen. The texture was smooth...

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21.

21. Walk of No Shame Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury

PPermanent. $40.00/0.28 oz.

A
Charlotte Tilbury Walk of No Shame Cheek to Chic Blusher

($40.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark reddish-copper with warm undertones and a fine, golden pearl woven throughout that gave it a luminous...

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($40.00 for 0.28 oz.) is a muted, medium-dark reddish-copper with warm undertones and a fine, golden pearl woven throughout that gave it a luminous...

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22.

22. Pansy Pop Clinique

Clinique

PPermanent. $21.00/0.12 oz.

A
Clinique Pansy Pop Cheek Pop Blush

Pansy Pop is a medium lavender with subtle, cool undertones and a satiny sheen. It had good pigmentation in one layer, which was buildable to full...

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Pansy Pop is a medium lavender with subtle, cool undertones and a satiny sheen. It had good pigmentation in one layer, which was buildable to full...

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23.

23. Heather Pop Clinique

Clinique

PPermanent. $21.00/0.12 oz.

A
Clinique Heather Pop Cheek Pop Blush

Heather Pop is a muted, medium pink with subtle, warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had good color coverage in one layer, which was easily built...

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Heather Pop is a muted, medium pink with subtle, warm undertones and a satin sheen. It had good color coverage in one layer, which was easily built...

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24.

24. Summer Love Sydney Grace

Sydney Grace

PPermanent. $9.00/0.25 oz.

A
Sydney Grace Summer Love Pressed Blush

Sydney Grace Summer Love Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a bright, medium-dark orange-coral with warm undertones and fine, golden shimmer that...

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Sydney Grace Summer Love Pressed Blush ($9.00 for 0.25 oz.) is a bright, medium-dark orange-coral with warm undertones and fine, golden shimmer that...

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25.

25. Crush on Cupid Fenty Beauty

Fenty Beauty

PPermanent. $20.00/0.1 oz.

A
Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush

Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a bright, medium-dark pink with subtle, warm undertones and a...

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Fenty Beauty Crush on Cupid Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush ($20.00 for 0.1 oz.) is a bright, medium-dark pink with subtle, warm undertones and a...

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