09
Mar

I was doing my blush wrong. Maybe you are too.

Apples

I met with a Definitely Excellent makeup artist and lovely woman in general last week, Fiona who has just released her line of makeup brushes called Smudge (call 1300 720 413). They are very good, very simple to use and when she explained how to use them all, I felt like I actually didn’t know very much about applying makeup at all. But that happens a lot with me: every time I meet a clever new expert with new techniques to the last one, I feel dumb, but then waaaaay smarter after. I’m used to it now.

Anyway. Fiona didn’t approve of my blush. I was trying to be sophisticated, and sweep it back and up towards my hairline, under my cheekbone, so as to push said cheekbone out. That’s what I’d been taught to do most recently, and thus it was what I did every day.
 

But, she said, that’s spreading my face out too much, and taking the
focus away from where it should be. You already have decent cheekbones, she
said, and as you’re not actually hitting the mark underneath them (very
hard to get right, usually only the pros can do all the tricky
contouring stuff) it’s a bit of a shambles. Oh, I said. I see.  The
ideal look, the most flattering, freshest look for my facial features is a kind of
triangle, going up from the lips out to the eye line, she said. And by
doing my blush (badly) all the way out there, I was doing my face no
favours, and I looked older than I needed to. Well, I said. That’s no good at all.

What she advised me:
Just keep the godamn* blush on the very apples
of the cheeks. It’s easy, it’s fresh, and most importantly, it keeps
everything in the middle of the face, and so spatially, things look a
whole lot prettier. Use not that whopping great fluffy brush, just use
a medium sized one for more precision. All it takes is a big smile, and
the gentle brushing on of powder or creme blush onto the fleshy part of
the cheek. Don’t take it out, down or up, just keep it on the apples.
(Never put blush on the actual cheekbone, of course, that’s a big no
no, very 90s and actually pushes your cheekbones back, rather than accentuating them.) Blend it gently so there are no lines but keep it on those apples. And always apply a little more than you think, cause it will sink in to your skin, she said.

I’ve done it ever since, and she’s right you know: My face does look
fresher, there are no tide lines where I’ve blended badly up the side
of my cheek, and there is no blush sitting in my smile lines, making
them pronounced. How fun to know a new face-flattering trick! Of course, the reason I tell this whole story is because maybe it will look beautiful on you too; maybe you should try it.

As for what I’m using, I do powder first (M.A.C in Pinch Me) so
it’s stays put, and then a creme blush (Becca in Hyacinth) on top so it
looks dewy.

As today is obviously No Makeup Sunday (NMS) I’ll pop a photo up in the morning when I’ve done my makeup.

Cut to Monday, and here tis.

Dsc00328

*I may or may not have added the godamn or dramatic effect.

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