Makeup how-to: blush, bronzing, highlighting

WONDERING how to get that healthy sun-kissed glow on your cheeks? It’s amazing what a bit of blush, bronzer and highlighter can do to accentuate, slim and define your features.

Face Mapping

This may sound like a line from a property ad, but blush, bronzing and highlighting is all about location, location, location. Knowing where to apply these products is essential for achieving a sculpted and defined look.

Knowing where to apply what product where is key to giving your face the “lift” it needs.

Blush for example, shouldn’t be applied only to the smiling apples of your cheeks. Rather, the product should be buffed upwards. Bronzer should be applied on the imaginary line from the tip of your ear to just short of the corner of your mouth and again at your jaw-line to slim and define.

Highlighting makes areas protrude while bronzing indents areas. Places where you should highlight include the bridge of your nose, the tip of your chin, on top of your cheekbones, your brow arch; and if you don’t have oily skin, across the middle of your forehead.

Bronzer/Contouring

Choose a bronzer that’s suited for your skin-tone, as bronzers can sometimes appear orange on the skin. Best to buy a bronzer with a bit of a pink undertone for a more natural finish. A matte bronzer is good for contouring, which can take pounds off while defining your cheeks.

In addition to your cheeks, you can also contour your jaw-line, the sides of your nose, your temples, and cleavage.

For beginners, make a “fish-lips face” by sucking in your cheeks to find the hollows of your cheek. Using a small fluffy powder brush or one that is elongated, buff the product into the hollow of your cheek in circular motions. Don’t go too heavy and make sure to buff away the harsh lines – you want a subtle indentation, not a full-on dark line.

Other places that you can contour include your jaw-line, the sides of your nose for a slimmer nose, your temples, as well as  cleavage.

Product Suggestions

• Hoola by Benefit Bronzer, $51 from Myer or David Jones
• NARS Laguna, $72 from Mecca Cosmetica.

Blush

Don’t need that embarrassing moment to make your cheeks flush a rosy pink. Blush is great for revitalising complexion that is dull, helping you look fresh-faced and alert.

Apply blush above the contour of your cheekbones and below the highlight.

There are a variety of blush brushes out there. If you are using an angled blush brush, start applying from the apples of your cheeks and buff upwards toward the tip of your ear. It should be applied above the contour of your cheekbones and below the highlight. Rounding it off to emphasize the apples of your cheeks makes for a beautiful glow.

A pink blush is great for fair to medium skin-tones, while a peachier blush looks better on darker and warmer skin-tones.

If you like to use a small paddle powder brush, simply pat the product onto cheeks specifically where you want the blush to go.

Brush powder blush over a cream blush for a longer lasting application.

Cream blushes are great to give the face a healthy glow and can be blended onto the cheeks with clean fingers. For a long-lasting application, use a cream blush as a base and brush a powder blush over the top.

Product Suggestions:

• Pink Blush – NARS Deep Throat Blush, $62 from Mecca Cosmetica
• Peach Blush – MAC Blush in Melba, $40 from Myer or David Jones.

Highlighting

Using a small fluffy brush, sweep the lighter-than-your-skin-tone powder across the top of your cheek-bones above your blush area, on the bridge of your nose, across the tip of your chin, on the crescent of your lip, below your brow arch; and if you don’t have oily skin, across the middle of your forehead.

Use a small fluffy brush to apply the highlighter across the top of your cheekbones.

Artificial light makes facial features “pop”. Be careful not to choose white, chalky highlighters because they actually work against this, and avoid highlighters with overly chunky glitter – you don’t want to look like a disco ball.

Some may prefer to use liquid highlighters, which are also very popular. Simply dab the highlight on the same places and blend with fingertips for a flawless application.

With liquid highlighters, dab and blend with fingertips for a flawless application.

Product Suggestions

• Powder – Shiseido Luminizing Satin Face Color in WT905, NARS Blush in Albatross
• Liquid – Skin79 Diamond Collection Luminous Pearl Beblesh Balm.

And there you have it, a guide to blush, bronzing and highlighting. Say goodbye to dull complexion and hello to a new sculpted and healthy glow!

Credits: model Jamie Tong and photos by Joel Lee.