Choosing the Right Blush Colors for Your Skin Tone

February 28, 2020
Julia Ritzenthaler
Makeup
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Choosing the Right Blush Colors for Your Skin Tone – Do You Know Your Skin Tone First of All?

Your first need to know your skin tone before choosing the right blush colors…we look at skin tone in two ways:

The general color of the skin, or
The tautness or laxity in the skin (i.e. “wow, how do you get the skin on your neck so toned?”)

In this article, we’re going to focus on the first, the tone (and undertone) of the skin and how to use it in choosing the right blush colors for any time of year.

So, just what is skin tone? One way we like to look at it is through the filter of the word “temperature.” Everyone’s skin has a certain general tone and an undertone. The tone, as you might guess is right at the surface and actually changes often. As an example, you sit outside on a sunny day and it may alter your skin tone. You have a skin condition like rosacea, and it too alters the tone of your skin.

As one makeup artist says of skin tone and makeup choices, they must know the tone “mainly for foundation,” but also for making the best choices in eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks, and more.

In choosing the right blush colors, you have to start with your natural tone. This is simple. Take a look at the jawline area of your face as it is the spot least affected by things like dry skin, sun exposure, and so on.

choosing the right blush colors for your skin tone

It will be one of four “tones”:

Fair – This is the whitest skin that burns easily

Light – Still a paler skin, it is a bit more yellow to beige

Medium – This skin may have olive tones

Dark – This is a deep complexion

And regardless of tone, you always have an undertone.

This is a subtler hue that can often be used to describe your general tone in a more accurate way. For example, someone with a dark complexion may have rich blue undertones or honey-warm undertones. The undertone is often the key to picking the right makeup.

It is vital that you identify and recognize these two different colors, and to start to gauge them, use these three initial “temperatures”:

Cool – Defined as red, pinks and blues.
Warm – Defined as golds, peaches, and yellows
Neutral/Moderate – Defined as olives or a balance of both cool and warm hues

How do you ensure you’ve picked the right undertone? Most experts say that your veins are an easy gauge. For example, if you look at the underside of your wrist in bright light, your veins are likely to be blue to purple or even green in tone.

If they are blue or purple, you are cool, and if they are green, you have a warm undertone. If they are a mix blend of blue to green? You’re moderate or neutral.

If you’re unsure, consider the jewelry that looks best on you. Is it gold? Then you are likely a warm tone, if it is silver, it is likely you are cool. You can also consider whether you burn easily or bronze easily. If you can sit in the sun and just darken without burning, you are probably warm or neutral.

With your tone (fair, pale, medium or dark) and your undertone (cool, warm, or neutral) determined, you can then start to select makeup with more accuracy. And you can also choose makeup for the seasons, especially blush.

Choosing the Right Blush Colors for Your Skin Tone and Undertone

The experts at Color Science have this to say of colors and skin tone:

Cool Undertones

When you are of the cool undertone variety, go with blue eye shadows and accentuate with red, pink or purple lip color. Then boost the natural rosy skin with pale pink blush

Warm Undertones

If you have a golden to brown complexion, your best colors are earthy hues for the eye, and a more coral tone for the cheek and blusher areas. Your best lip colors are darker reds

Neutral Undertones

Lucky neutrals can choose whatever they’d like, but it is a good idea to always go with hues that naturally complement the hair and eye color.

The team at Good Housekeeping goes a bit more into the subject, focusing first on tone and then undertone. They have these tips for selecting blusher properly, which they say “isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal — you need to choose the right shade to flatter your complexion.”

Warning that the wrong colors can age you, while choosing the right blush colors will add a youthful glow, they suggest choosing “something that’s close to your natural flush and the best way to figure out what that is is to pinch your cheeks.” If that isn’t helpful, they give these tips:

For pale, fair skin, you are best off with light pinks that won’t overwhelm your natural coloration. Go for the lighter pink or lilac hues that provide a sheer, flattering wash of color
For the light-medium skin, go pink and peachy pink for a natural glow. Since this shade is universally flattering, it is a win-win choice
If you are golden or olive skin toned, it is the warmer hues that work well with a pinker blush
With darker skin tones brighter hues and warm undertones, think apricot, give a great level of radiance to your look.

Another makeup expert uses what she called a “weird blush trick,” to choose the right hue. She explains “The secret, it seems, lies in your lips.”

What does she mean by that? Her trick is to pull down the bottom lip to reveal the color inside, look at the color and use it to guide your choice in blusher. In other words, the color inside your bottom lip is going to provide you with the ideal, goes-perfect-with-everything color you badly need when seeking the optimal blusher. Naturally, you will see that there are a few shades of red to pink inside the lip, but what makeup experts would use is the uppermost hue, just inside the lip and closes to the backside or inner lower lip.

Of course, going to the trouble of choosing the right blush colors might seem unnecessary to you if you are not a big fan of this particular makeup. So, it pays to ask if it is always a necessity.

Why Wear Blush? It’s a Game Changer

We agree, and it is usually that ideal hint of color that ensures a radiant, natural glow. While you need to consider the look you are going for, it is best to just rely first on natural tone.

Other experts back up such claims indicating that any “blushstinence” should end. Why do they insist on their readers adding blush to the repertoire as a must-have item? They say it is the single beauty product that can allow “even the sleepiest, most stressed-out people look like they just took a week-long nap on the sands of St. Tropez while cuddling a Golden Retriever puppy—all in under 30 seconds.”

Naturally, you have to know HOW to apply it to get that refreshed, youthful, and glowing look. The good news is that it is amazingly easy to use blush effectively and correctly if you have the right tools and make the right choices.

Using Blush Effectively – Top Tips and Secrets

Blush, as another expert wrote, provides you with the ability to “brighten up your entire face and highlight your visage with just a few strategically placed swipes.” This is interesting because so many people are a bit hesitant to use it fearing they will make a mistake in the application process.

The good news? It is difficult to make mistakes when applying blush, and it can actually become the ONLY product you use if you are not feeling the need to do an entire makeup application.

The trick is to know which kind of blush to use after you become familiar with the colors you should be applying. Your choices are:

Powder – This is applied with a brush and can be put directly on the face or over foundation. The powders have the widest array of colors from which to choose, and they have many “finishes”. For example, you can add an “illuminating” blush that has a bit of sparkle or a “matte” that just adds a nice dose of color. They are easier to “blend out” when applied with a brush, and if you are going to explore options in contouring, they can be great for “building” layers. We strongly recommend the use of a “primer” if you are going to apply it directly to the skin as it allows it to cling better and blend more smoothly. If you have normal to oily skin, the powders will work best.
Cream – These are put on top of a foundation or on bare skin and will usually have a lot more “staying power” than powders. They are usually applied with a sponge or the fingertips. They need a “lighter hand” than powder because they feature far more pigment and can easily veer you off course and into “clown” territory. If you have normal to dry skin, a cream may be better suited to your skin type. Those with oily skin may also have better luck with creams and gels.

What Tools Do You Use?

You also have to know which tools work best for you and to make the right choices, you need to figure out how you will wear blush. For example, as one expert noted, everyone says that smiling and dabbing the “apples” of the cheek is best since it is a focal point. That is correct, but not all faces look great with rosy “apples”.

The team at Allure says you have to “keep it believable,” when applying blush since the entire point of using it is to “mimic a healthy glow.” That starts with choosing the right color and then applying it in a way suited to the way YOUR face might naturally flush or blush. Think about the way you look after exerting yourself or after coming in from a very cold day. Where does the blood rush to in your face? Those are likely spots for blush.

Then, you need to consider the tools that can help to blend and apply blush in the right spots and ways. Big fluffy brushes are great for those who will use powders, but you also want a more controllable brush, such as a fan brush.

Beauty Junkees Duo Fiber Makeup Brush Set with Case

Where Do You Place Blush?

Your next step is to “learn proper placement,” and for the most natural look you can begin at the apple of your cheek, but try to remember that your goal is to put the pigment in that natural spot, is if you were blushing. If you cannot figure out where that spot is, fake a smile to get that area to push up and pop out. Then dab blush on the area just below the pupil, blending outward and towards your ear.

Remember that you have to keep the natural shape of your face in mind as you apply blush. The experts offer this advice:

Round faces – Start at the apples and then along the cheekbone and to the temple
Thin faces – Apply with a circular motion at the center of the cheek and along the cheekbone, back to the ear
Long faces – Dust the blush on the apple and then up to the temple. Put some on each eyelid and the chin
Square faces – Apply to the apples and into the hollows of the cheek, then skim over the temples for contouring

Choosing the right blush for your skin involves identifying skin tone and undertone. Don’t ignore skin type, either, since you never want to age yourself by using a product that dries or irritates the skin. Getting a glow at any time of the year is possible, and with these hints and tips, it is easier than ever.

More Great Resources on Choosing the Right Blush Colors:

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR SKIN TONE BEFORE BUYING FACE PRODUCTS

The 10 Commandments of Blush

This Weird Trick Will Help You Find Your Perfect Shade of Blush

Choosing the Right Blush Colors for Your Skin Tone