Makeup - Blush

Blush has never been one of my favorite things.  I used to not use it at all.  My problem with blush is that many people who use it, over use it.  This gave me the wrong impression of blush.  I kind of always thought that if you used it at all, it would leave you looking all rosy cheeked, which I personally think looks quite unnatural.  I also really don't like the swath of red swiped across many peoples cheeks.  This really is the one big item that I think makes many people look rather clownish.

Which is why I avoided it for so long.  But one time while visiting the makeup counter at Clinique, I inquired about proper blush usage. The fabulous artist that I spoke with quickly pulled out about 5 different shades of blush and began determining the correct shade for my skin tone and foundation color.  She figured out what to use and asked my permission before trying it my face.  I allowed her and she applied it, and taught me how to properly apply it as well.

It was neat when she used it, as she only did one side of my face.  This allowed me to see what it was like with it and without it.  On the side that she used it, my face looked normal.  It didn't look clownish, or streaked with pink.  The side without blush appeared very pale.  On the blush side of my face, I also noticed that I had nice cheekbones, while the non blush side I didn't especially notice my cheekbones at all.

So, if you can find the right shade of blush, it will really help accentuate your face in a very feminine way.  But if you use the wrong color, or use too much, you will look more like a clown.

What I do, is to swipe my brush on the blush, smile, and rub the apples of my cheeks, as well as up the side of my face towards my temples.  My wife describes it as placing it where the sun naturally hits your face.  I think of it as applying it where I turn red if I am embarrassed.  I also make sure to kind of swirl it about those areas and make sure it is not applied in just a paint brush type of swath.

Blush is something that I replace more often then I would prefer.  By putting my foundation on first, when I apply the blush to my first cheek, and then go back to the compact to apply more blush to the brush, it is unavoidable that the brush has picked up some of my foundation and then transfers it to the compact.  This eventually clogs up my blush and it does not apply to the brush very well after a while.

Okay, lots to say about such a small part of my makeup routine that takes a few seconds to apply!

Love Ya!