How Do I Layer Blush Without Looking Like a Hot Mess?
It’s the season for two inevitable debates: What song will become the song of the summer, and which makeup look will reign supreme? In 2023, monochromatic strawberry-girl makeup was everywhere. This year, early odds are on multi-tonal blush (which will probably end up with a food-inspired name, but I’ll be damned if this column adds fodder to that trend).
The whole concept of blush layering took off earlier this year, with creator Alissa Holmes’s viral look, a punchy blend of orange and pink liquid blush (plus gold highlighter) that TikTok dubbed “sunset blush.” And for the past few weeks, Hailey Bieber has been working hard to make blush layering happen while on a marketing blitz for her new Rhode Pocket Blushes (she used three of them at once in this video).
For makeup artists, applying multiple shades is nothing new. “I like combining two different blush colors together — it creates a more dimensional cheek,” says makeup artist Nicky Posley. But the concept can be slightly daunting for us regular folks. Here’s how to layer blush, according to the pros:
1. Always use cream blush
Makeup artist Carola Gonzalez suggests using cream blushes because they blend more easily than powder. They also tend to have less pigment load and more play time than liquid blushes, so it’s easy to adjust their intensity and placement. “Cream blush gives the skin a built-in radiance that looks fresh — you don’t need highlighter,” Gonzalez says. She likes Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge, Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks, and Ilia Multi-Stick. I’m semi-obsessed with the new Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Glassy Lip + Cheek Balm Blush Sticks, which come in eight shades that manage to be dewy and long-lasting (a rare combo). e.l.f. Cosmetics Putty Blushes are also pretty great for a $7 blush. And the Rhode Pocket Blushes are, as advertised, excellent for layering.
2. Pick two complimentary colors
Bieber may wear three shades of the Rhode blush at a time (Sleepy Girl, Piggy, and Juice Box), but the cynic in me thinks she’s just trying to get people to buy multiple shades of her product. If you’re going for something fresh and fun, where you can actually see the shade differentiation, two is plenty. “I personally don’t combine more than two cheek colors at a time, and the colors should be complementary to one another,” says Posley. To keep the tones harmonious, both shades should be similarly bright. Think: muted pink with a peach or lilac; bright pink with punchy coral; fuchsia with orange. You get the idea. “I love using a soft overall wash of a peach tone, with a pop of pink added on top,” says Posley.
3. Apply one shade at a time
Gonzalez says to ignore the videos where creators apply dots of different colors on different areas of their faces and then blend it all together. “You can’t control how that’s going to come out,” she explains. Instead, apply your first shade using your fingers or a brush, making sure to step back from the mirror as you go so you can see how it looks. Once you’re relatively happy with the intensity, go in with the second color. (If you’re experimenting with a new blush, Posley suggests applying it to the back of your hand to get a sense of how it lays down and builds. “I call it a flight plan,” he says.)
4. Experiment with the shape
The new blush rule is: There are no rules! Try adjusting where you place the color to change up the vibe. Gonzalez says applying blush to the apples of the cheeks and blending it back toward the temple is classic. Wearing it higher on your cheek area or across your nose a bit reads more playful and sweet, and wearing the color lower can be more editorial. You can apply two colors side by side (say, pink on the apples, coral toward the temples) or one on top of the other. “I’ll often use my primary color choice to warm the complexion, and follow that up with more of a pop color, lightly diffused in the center of the original shape,” says Posley.
5. Build each layer gradually
The cream blushes below really do stay put in the heat, but the best way to ensure your look will last is to build it up gradually as you apply. Rather than putting on a lot of blush at once, and then blending it to diffuse the color, makeup artists do the reverse: They’ll apply a tiny bit of color, let it sink in for a second, then repeat the process as many times as needed to get to their finished effect. “It’s all about building the color gradually,” says Gonzalez.
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