I'm Blushing

I never knew the power of blush until a few years ago. After applying foundation, you've made a one dimensional canvas, and you need to add definition back to your face (I'll do a complete post on contouring and highlighting soon). Blush is great for bringing your face back to life and giving you a nice, rosy glow. There are a few different types of blush: powders, creams, and gels. Most gels come as tints or stains. These types have more staying power and are great for those with dry skin.

Credit: tartecosmetics.com

My favorite blush? Tarte Cheek Stain in Blushing Bride. Before this product, I only used powder blushes, but the color always faded so quickly. I'm not the biggest fan of powder anything, seeing that my skin is so dry...it just doesn't set well on my face. So when I stumbled upon this product one day a few years ago at Sephora, I was intimidated yet eager to try it. When I think of stain, I think of something that will provide long lasting color, but will not provide much room for error. I immediately became obsessed with this cheek stain. It provides great color, lasts for hours, and even gives me a dewy finish.

It can be tricky using this for the first time, but I was able to figure out the best method for application. Like with any other blush, where you put this product is extremely important. Blush is supposed to look natural, not overdone. It should look like your cheeks were just pinched, not like you're a friend of Bozo. The best trick and the one I've always used is to smile and apply your blush on the apples of your cheek and blend up and outward towards the top of your ear. There are other angles to blend if you're wanting to play around with your face shape (like angle towards your temples if you're trying to thin a round face, angle straight across to fill a thin face). 

I dot the cheek stain on the apples of my cheek and outward, like the picture below. I know, talk about Bozo, but not to worry, this isn't the final result. Once I've applied the product, I use my fingertips and pat the area and blend the color. And that's it...you'll have a beautiful dewy color for the rest of the day or night. 

Top left: 1) Jeez...this pic is worse than my driver's license photo...fresh application of foundation...see how one dimensional my face looks? Top right: Smile to find the apples of your cheeks! Bottom left: Don't be shy with the product, the key is blending! Bottom right: Blended results. See how I have a nice glow?

Other than long lasting color, what are some other perks of using this product? It's formulated without any parabens, alcohol, or oil. So it won't dry your skin out or cause breakouts. Lastly...it smells AMAZING.

You can purchase the Tarte Cheek Stain in several shades at tartecosmetics.com or sephora.com