Where to Apply Blush for a High, Lifted Flush

Where to Apply Blush for a High, Lifted Flush

Where to apply blush matters as much as the shade you pick. Here is how I place liquids, sticks and powders so the color sits high and lifted, with picks for each method.

In the 1970s, the makeup artist Way Bandy, who worked on faces like Cher and Diana Ross, introduced what he called draping, or color glow. He followed the natural drape of the face and swept blush in a C shape from the temple down to the cheekbone, often with a heavy hand. The bold stripe has softened since, but the idea that blush placement can shape a face is still the best thing to know.

The short answer to where to apply blush today: higher than the apples for most people. Where to put blush for the most lift is the top of the cheekbone. Start there and blend up toward your temple. Liquids are the easiest way to learn this because you can dot and adjust. Rare Beauty Soft Pinch in Worth is a true rose that needs only one or two dots per cheek, patted in with fingertips. MILK MAKEUP Cooling Water Jelly Tint in Phreeze is a pH-adaptive pink that dries fast, so work one cheek at a time. Fenty Beauty Shake N' Play in Wild'berry Whip is a rose mauve that builds from one dot to two or more. Laura Geller Serum Blush in Practical Pink is a rosy pink with a cooling feel. Saie Dew Blush in Flirty is a watermelon shade, and its usage tips include dabbing higher toward the temples for a lifted glow. Patrick Ta Liquid Transition in Shy At First is a pink made to bridge the under-eyes and cheeks. Victoria Beckham Beauty Blush Water Tint in Flushed and Lancome Skin Idole Juicy Liquid Blush round out the row.

A quick test: smile, find the apples, then place your dot a little above and blend outward.

Magazine page collage for Where to Apply Blush for a High, Lifted Flush, featuring Rare Beauty, Dior, NARS, Patrick Ta and Milk Makeup
Where to Apply Blush

Liquid blushes for the dot and blend method

Sticks to tap along the cheekbone

Sticks are the most forgiving tool for finding where to put blush, since you can see exactly where the color lands. Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks in Poppet is a poppy pink, and Gucci Westman's own tip is to work in small ovals, blending up and outward from the middle of the cheekbone. NARS The Multiple Soft Blur Stick in Behave is a soft pink that works on cheeks, eyes and lips, so you can repeat the color for a matched look. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop in Sweet Pink has a built-in brush, and Mario says to smile, find the apples and apply to the higher part toward the hairline. Marc Jacobs Beauty Joystick in Hot Flush is a vibrant pink with medium coverage. Bobbi Brown Skin Enhancer in Cheeky Pink is a bright pastel pink with hyaluronic acid spheres. LYS Beauty Higher Standard in Bubbly is a soft pink stick with one-swipe color. Iris&Romeo Multi-balm in Rosy Glow is a cool pink that works on lips and cheeks, and Lancome Teint Idole Creamy Blush Stick is another stick to try.

Pairing tip: draw a short line along the cheekbone rather than a circle, then tap it outward with your ring finger.

What I would skip: dragging a stick down toward the corner of your mouth. It pulls the face downward, and blush placement is all about lift.

Cream sticks to tap along the cheekbone

Powders and a brush to lift it up

Powders reward a light hand, and a good brush does much of the work. Dior Rosy Glow in 001 Pink is a subtle pink with pH-activating technology for a custom result. Patrick Ta Major Headlines in She's Blushing is a dusty rose cream and powder duo, so you can layer them on the same high spot. The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Blush Brush is an angled brush made for liquids and creams, and it diffuses them into a soft finish. Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Powder in Mellow Mauve is a delicate pink that layers well over cream. ILIA Soft Focus in Breathless is a neutral pink that is talc-free and noncomedogenic. Tower 28 GetSet Blur + Set in Malibu Cooler is a cool baby pink matte that acts as a setting powder too. Gucci Luminous Matte in Radiant Pink is a neutral pink with a buildable formula. Clinique Blushing Blush is the classic powder to keep in your kit.

How to wear it: tap the brush on the back of your hand, then sweep from the cheekbone up toward the temple in one pass and stop.

What I would skip: swirling a loaded brush straight onto the apples. Powder deposits most of its color at the first point of contact, so land the brush on the highest spot instead.

Powders and a brush to diffuse it upward

Fitting placement to your face

Use your face shape as a loose guide, not a rule. If your face is round, keep the color on the cheekbone and sweep it up toward the temple to add some lift. If it is long, a shorter, more horizontal sweep across the cheeks keeps things balanced. If it is heart-shaped, keep the color soft and slightly lower on the cheek. For a square jaw, a rounder touch at the center of the cheek softens the angles. Whichever you choose, start with a small amount and build it slowly. Blush placement is easiest to judge in daylight, so check yourself near a window before you leave the house.