Blush: Powder, Loose, Cream or Liquid?

Nowadays you can find blush in pretty much any form, from liquid to mineral powder, the beauty brands have got you covered. This post is going to go through the main types of blush, where and how to wear them, with some recommendations thrown into the mix. 

bareMinerals Blush in Promise

Loose Powder Blush

This is the riskiest one of them all, but the finish is beautiful. Any skin type would suit this blush, as this product tends to be very finely milled and avoids the cakey look. So you won't find this clinging onto dry skin patches. I would recommend using a sparse brush for this type of blush product, you want to make sure that minimal product is picked up on the brush when you are applying. Remember you can always add product but it gets a little tricky taking it away! My favourite brush to use for this is the Real Techniques Blush Brush, the tapered end is great for applying product to the apples of the cheeks and the sparse bristles only pick up the amount needed. 

Topshop Cream Blush in Head Over Heels

Cream Blush

The perfect one for that natural wash of colour. If you have dry or mature skin this is the blush to go for, its moisturising and will give that youthful glow. I find the best brush to use is a stippling brush, my favourite being the Real Techniques Stippling Brush. After I apply the product with the brush I use my fingers to blend it into the skin a bit more and you end up with a muted wash of colour and a lovely dewy glow.  

Benefit's benetint lip and cheek stain

Liquid Blush

The product I go for when I want that 'pinched cheeks' kind of look. If you have oily skin, liquid blush would be perfect for you as a stain will stay on you cheeks all day and not budge. This one is safest applied with your fingers, but you have to act quick with blending. Just put a drop or two on your fingers, apply on the apples of the cheeks and blend. If you need to eliminate that clownesque look then grab your foundation brush and lightly go over the blush to soften the colour.

MAC Powder Blush in Melba

Powder Blush

Last but definitely not least is the trusty powder blush. Powder blush is good for any skin type dry, oily or combination. This one gives a simple but sophisticated look with a matte finish on the skin. These blushes tend to be quite pigmented depending on what brand you go for so I use a sparse tapered brush for this product, typically the Real Techniques Blush Brush (you can never go wrong with Real Techniques Brushes).  

Natural and Awake Makeup Look

For those tired and dull skin days (having had lot's of those since being at uni). My face is always in need of a bit of a pick-me-up. These are some of my beauty picks for an awake and fresh faced look after pulling those pesky all nighters. 

First, I like to prime my face with the Benefit "that gal" Brightening Face Primer which instantly corrects dull skin and gives a natural glow to the skin. Then I use the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation which is becoming to be my new favourite foundation. It has a light to medium coverage that is buildable and gives a lovely natural, dewy and glowing finish. Under the eyes and any blemishes I have I use the Benefit Erase Paste. This also does a brilliant job of brightening under the eyes to hide those dark circles and makes you look more awake (even if you are a walking zombie).
I like to have a subtle pink glow on the cheeks and for this I use the Topshop Head Over Heels Cream Blush which is a lovely coral pink colour and complements any skin tone. If I wanna go that extra mile and look even more awake I will go in with a highlighter and for this I use just a bit of Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle, this gives a bronze, rose gold colour to the tops on the cheek bones. 
For eyes I keep it really simple, to be honest I would rather have that extra few minutes in bed then faff around with eye shadow when I haven't had much sleep. So I just pop a bit of BareMinerals Eyecolor in Soul on the tear duct area to brighten up the eyes then use a few coats of Maybelline The Rocket Mascara. Then to finish off the look I use Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss.

xoxo

The Daily Makeup Routine

The Face

I have been more into BB creams lately instead of foundation, foundation just makes my skin look a bit of a 'nothingness' and 'dull'. This Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream gives a nice dewy, natural finish. BB creams don't tend to be very high coverage, hence the natural finish so I go over any blemishes and dark circles with the Make up For Ever Full Cover Concealer. This concealer is one of the best in the market, it's waterproof so it literally doesn't budge one bit... not to mention neither does it crease under the eyes which is a big bonus. When my face is looking a bit colourless I like to bronze it up with the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder, yes you heard right... chocolate. Basically imagine putting hot chocolate powder on your face, it smells like a dream. Don't worry though you don't go around smelling like a bakery all day though (however, not necessarily a bad thing), the smell doesn't linger. Then for a rosy glow to the cheeks I add a bit of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Rose Petal. 

The Eyes and Lips

For days when I have enough time for eyeshadow, I like to keep it pretty natural. I always reach for my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette with my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (which is amazing, my eyeshadow stays on all day). I put 'Bootycall' from the palette all over the lid with 'Tease' in the crease and 'Busted' as eyeliner. Then I curl my lashes with my eyelash curler (from boots but not too sure on the brand) and apply a few coats of Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara. This mascara looks like you have false eyelashes but in a nice, natural way (I am not aspiring to rock the look of a Geordie Shore girl, don't worry). For the lips I keep it really natural with the Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss, this just adds a neutral peach sheen to the look.  

The Tools
I use these brushes everyday so as you can see, I am a big fan. From left to right, I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for blending in the BB cream and any concealer I don't blend with my finger. This brush gives a natural, airbrushed look to your foundation/BB cream. For the bronzer I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush as it has a tapered end, it's easy to work into the cheekbones and down the side of the face. I will also use this brush for blush as well but the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush I apply with my fingers. Next I use the spooly to comb through my eyebrows (makeup tip: spray hairspray on the spooly before you comb to set the eyebrows), I can't remember where I got this but probably just a cheap basic Boots Drugstore one. In the crease for my eyeshadow I use my favourite eyeshadow brush which is the the MAC 217 Blending Brush, a little on the pricey side but it has lasted forever and its still in amazing condition. All over the lid eyeshadow colour I use the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush. Last but not least, I use the Bobbie Brown Eye Liner Brush on my top and bottom lash line to apply the eyeshadow for a natural, blended out eyeliner look.

xoxo