COSMOPOLITAN · 251
Paint it thin
The creaminess of a stick
blush can throw a spanner
in the works when it comes
to base make-up. Hughes
favours the sandwich method, saying:
“I build everything in skinny layers.”
Start with a thin layer of base
make-up, followed by a creamy blush
and then, depending on intensity,
“knocking back” the colour by
blending in a little more base.2
Nail your placement
For an ultra-realistic look,
take a cue from your own
face during skincare prep.
“Wherever the cheeks
stay pinkest in that massage phase
is where you should put blush,” says
Hughes. Her go-to is a boomerang
shape, from your cheeks up to your
temples and down to the jawbone.3
Skin pigmentation
is your friend
Worried cream blush
may enhance acne scars
or rosacea? Hughes says
consider skipping blush all together
and letting your skin’s natural flush
peek through. Just skim a little CC
cream, tinted moisturiser or concealer
over the area using a fluffy brush to
tone it down and control the shape.4
Choose your weapon
Though it’s tempting
to finger-paint with
creamy formulas, beware
of blotchiness. “If your
blush looks patchy, switch to a densely
bristled, fluffy brush,” advises Hughes.
“The oil in your fingertips breaks
down a blush more quickly, whereas
a brush doesn’t usually mess with it”.HOW TO BOSS
CREAM BLUSH
Let Katie Jane Hughes, make-up artist
and high priestess of glow, school youMAIN PHOTOGRAPH ONDREA BARBE/TRUNK ARCHIVE. TEAM PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH BRICK. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JOLANDA COETZER, USING URBAN DECAY, ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS AND SACHAJUAN; JENNI DAVIS, USING MAC AND KENRA, BOTH AT LHA REPRESENTS. STILL LIFES LUCKY IF SHARPMilk Makeup Glow
Oil Lip + Cheek, £12
I believe the perfect
blush should give
theflush of
a troublemaking
littlesister in some
period drama who
hasan illicit crush
n Colin Firth.
ightly translucent,
s takes a while
build, but
severe – a couple
yers and this
erylittle hero
ly delivers.rt’sBees All
lowLip & Cheek
k,£12.99
being passively
atedby my
e-up as much
e next person.
thisstick’s inner
e ofmoisturising
onut oil, though well
ntioned, creates an
rtunate streakiness.
ndmyself blending it
theback of my hand
reit even reached my
kbone,which ruined the
f thewhole “stick” thing.