Blusher and bronzer will do different things to your face. I often find that women think they need to choose between them, or are using the wrong one to create the effect that they are after. Here is a post to explain the differences between the two.
To blush..
Blusher is brilliant for brightening the face. It will add instant radiance and youth to a tired skin. Cream blushers are perfect if you want a quick and easy make-up, you don’t even need to apply a base. Just apply with your fingers onto a moisturised skin. Apply to the apples of your cheeks for a healthy glow but blend up and out, being careful not to take it too low or too close to your nose as it can end up pulling your face down and in.
Applying blusher can really lift the complexion. I like to apply it higher along the cheekbones to lift and brighten the eyes, it can work wonders at taking attention away from dark circles.
Pinks are great for all skins but will work wonders with older or more sallow complexions, adding a youthful freshness; think about the colour you would flush naturally. Corals are a nice alternative to pink especially in the summer, they are great on a tanned skin and will bring out blue eyes. Of course other skin tones and eye colours can still wear them and look great. Deeper skins look great in rich tones – an orange can be a great choice and enhance the skin more than a peach. Rich warm berry tones can look amazing, as can vivid pinks for a pop of colour.
Whether using cream or powder textures, make sure that you blend really well so the blusher becomes ‘part’ of the skin rather than just sitting on it.
To bronze..
Bronzer is perfect for adding a warm glow to the face. With a big brush, apply this where you would normally catch the sun – temples, forehead, cheekbones and across the nose. It can give you a healthy colour but won’t brighten as much as a blusher will. Be wary of bronzers with too much orange as they can look unnatural on the skin – keep them for the blush
Bronzer can also be used as a contour, apply it under the cheekbones to help carve them out. Again don’t choose ones with orange or red ones otherwise the contour will just look wrong. Also avoid shimmer as this will attract light and distort the contour.
Necks can often be a bit lighter than our face so bronzer can be great to add some colour there, apply to your chest and tops of shoulders too if needed.
So which one?
I don’t think it is about choosing one or the other; blushers and bronzers work amazingly well together. On shoots I’ll use them both, I like to apply blusher first to brighten and bring out the cheekbones. Then I’ll use bronzer to add colour and bring structure to the face by intensifying the colour under the cheekbones and where ever else it is needed. I’ll then go back over with the blusher to make the skin pop; I’ll sometimes also apply a little blusher to the temples and chin etc to bring the look together.
Are you a fan of both? Which ones are your favourites?
Image by Thea Baddiley, makeup by me
