This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
As part of many epic makeup looks, blush is an essential and powerful tool to add color and warmth to your skin at any age.
Like many things in life that come with natural aging, we might find ourselves having to adapt our go-to makeup tips and looks to better fit and suit more mature skin.
We checked in with celebrity makeup artist Margina Dennis to learn more about three common blush mistakes and how to fix them for glowy, radiant, more youthful-esque makeup and skin.
Mistake #1— Using Powder Blush
Many of us have traditionally used powder blush for years, but on mature skin, Dennis explains that this kind of product can emphasize texture and wrinkles, whereas one that is cream-based can deliver a more natural, smoother effect. "Many people make the mistake of using powder blush instead of cream which can look more natural and radiant," she says.
2. Using The Wrong Color For Your Skin Tone
When looking for the right color to match your skin and undertones, Dennis says that rose, terracotta, and coral tones can give the most "natural flush to the skin." Finding one that works for you is (like with concealer, lipstick, etc,) a process of trial and error, but finding your exact skin tone and undertones can be done in a store with swatches on your hand.
3. Applying It In The Wrong Areas
While blush has the power to give you an instant facelift, it can also make your skin look more sunken, hollow, and droopy if applied in the wrong areas, Dennis says. "Blush should not be placed any lower than the end of the nose, so that it gives an uplifting effect," she advises. With that said, Dennis shares that she is a fan of "underpainting," a technique that involves applying blush where your skin naturally has always reddened to mimic a true flush of radiant warmth. "I'm also a big fan of underpainting," she says, "underpainting is where you add a natural flush in areas of the skin like you had like a child."
In order to highlight your best assets with blush, Dennis and other artists often recommend adding it along your cheekbones and apples of your cheeks in an upward motion, aiming to draw the eyes up rather than down. In doing this, your skin can have a lifted and livelier look, which many desire when looking for the right blush in any great anti-aging makeup routine.
