Beauty and Blush

They say that true beauty comes from within. Given this premise, I could say that out of all the make-up items, I think blush best represents beauty because the natural blush is simply an outward reflection of what is inside. It’s that coveted healthy inner glow that shows. However, for those of us who have morena skin and live in a tropical country, the natural blush is not always visible. You could either pinch your cheeks or go the easy way by swiping a bit of color on your cheeks to mimic naturally flushed cheeks. One could actually get away with the no make-up make-up look with a well-placed almost natural looking blush that makes you look vibrant and glowing. On the other hand, applying blush with a heavy hand in the wrong place and choosing the wrong color can make one look tacky, unnatural and clownish. Definitely not the look we’re going for.

In choosing the right color, try to get something that complements your skin tone and not work against it. Women often make the mistake of choosing something too Barbie pink that tends to look ashy on darker skin or something too red for lighter skin which makes you look like you’re part of the circus. I could attempt to explain the color theory here with the color wheel but for now we will stick to the basics. Generally, the pinkish tones work well with lighter skin while the peachy terracotta colors work well with morena skin and the more reddish burgandy ones pop on darker skin. Remember, the key is to look effortlessly beautiful by selecting something like the color of your cheeks after a light morning jog.

Aside from color, there are also different formulas to choose from: cream, mousse, cheek tints and stains, and the most popular of them all, powder. Basically, creams and tints look most natural and are best bets for normal to dry skin while powder works well with combination to oily skin. Like with other make-up items, look for those that are pigmented so that a little goes a long way saving you money in the long run. A neat beauty trick of most make-up artists to make the color last a long time is to combine the wet with the dry formula. You can use a cream blush or stain and set it with the powder blush of the same color family. It also makes the color pop without necessarily screaming for attention if used and placed correctly.

Speaking of where to place blush, I still am surprised to see some people do it the 80’s old school style. They suck in their cheeks first and put blush in the hollows of the cheek. I call it old school because it just looks really old when you use blush to contour your cheeks as it draws the face down. Blush is supposed to make you look vibrant and youthful not old and haggard. To achieve the youthful glow, you should put blush on the apples of your cheek blending it upwards towards your temple.

Below is my favorite way to put on blush:

1. Before setting my foundation with powder, I first dab cheek tint a little above the apples of my cheek blending and patting the color lightly with my ring finger. Remember, it is always easier to add more color than erase it if you put on too much.

2. Next, I set my foundation with loose powder then add a layer of color with my powder blush where I placed my cheek tint.


3. Blend, blend, blend so that no lines or streaks of color are obvious. Blend, blend, blend…. And did I just say blend? Finish up with some highlights on the cheekbone.

There you have it, the natural barely there healthy blush that looks best with a smile. Hasta luego chicas !

ROYAL BLUSH

*My daughter Amanda playing with my makeup brush during one of my gigs

Every woman wants to look their royal best. As little girls, we used to dream of becoming a princess or to look like Barbie when we grow up. We were delighted to watch our moms apply make-up and secretly tried them out when they were not looking. Growing up we get to learn more about make-up in fashion magazines with your girly girl friends. Experiments on make-up would be limited to compact face powder, some lip balm, an eyelash curler and a touch of clear mascara (if you had the allowance to spare) as wearing a little more obvious trace of cosmetics such as blush was not exactly welcome in schools. Although not all high school girls would be obsessed about being able to wear make-up, the desire to look and feel good and accepted has always been there in their hearts. Simple proof would be the fuss over a stubborn zit that mysteriously appears out of nowhere on prom night.

Fast forward to college and graduating to be part of the workforce where we were supposed to put on a little more make-up to look presentable, some women never graduate from the face powder-lip balm routine. On the other end, some would go overboard and slap on purple eyeshadow, dark eyeliner and mascara, a bright lipstick, and heavy blush on top of foundation that’s too light for their natural color and end up looking like a circus clown in broad daylight. Every woman wants to look good but most women are confused and either try all that there is out there to look pretty or never venture to try anything at all because it seems too complicated. Who could blame them? With the boom of the beauty industry with the countless spas, health clubs, makeup brands and counters and salons that have mushroomed all over the city it could really be overwhelming for both the experienced and the late-bloomers in this field.   

Royal Blush is here to serve as a guide to beauty enthusiasts, both to the clueless newbie or a seasoned and certified beauty addict, by giving you your regular dose of honest to goodness beauty product reviews, tips and tricks to stay pretty, practical and easy to follow tutorials, beauty trend alerts, and the editor’s exciting adventures as a make-up artist. More than your regular beauty blog, she also wishes to inspire you to take a closer at the mirror and see the God-given beauty inside you by sharing some beauty tips of real women whom she considers to be true beauty icons (though maybe not in the “ Hollywood” sense of the word) to help us cultivate our beauty that never fades, the beauty that comes from within.