Only a few swipes of blush are required to instantly make your face appear brighter and more awake. Of course, using the wrong shade can have the opposite effect. So, how do you know which blush color will look best on you? Everything is determined by your skin tone and undertone.
When it comes to must-have beauty products, blush is a strong contender. Why? It gives you a colorful, shimmery glow, applies easily, and looks great whether you're wearing a full face of makeup or just the basics.
Knowing Your Skin Tone and Undertone
It's simple to determine your skin tone because it refers to the shade you see when you look at the surface of your skin.
It will usually fall into one of the following categories:
Fair
Medium
Olive
Dark
Working out your undertone can be more difficult...
Unlike your skin tone, which can change depending on the season, age, and a variety of other factors, your skin undertone will never change.
The undertone of your skin will be either cool, warm, or neutral. Here are some pointers to help you figure it out:
Warm – has yellow or gold undertones. Veins will be green, and you will notice that gold jewelry looks better on you.
Cool – has blue, red, or pink undertones. Veins will be blue or purple, and you will notice that silver jewelry looks better on you.
Neutral – a mix of warm and cool tones, with an undertone that is very similar to the skin tone itself.
Tones of Light Skin
Blush is often avoided by those with very fair skin tones. Why?
Because very fair skin is prone to redness and can appear slightly translucent. This leads people to believe that applying blush on top of this will only highlight the redness.
However, this is all dependent on the color you select...
Choosing a peach blush will enhance your natural flush in a positive way. Make sure the peach you choose has a warm tone rather than a cool tone, as this will work better with your skin tone.
A pale pink blush will also look good on those with light skin tones. This color will most likely be similar to the color of your cheeks when you blush naturally, so a pale pink will give you a subtle but natural-looking result.
Skin Tone: Medium
While there are numerous individual shades that could be classified as medium skin tone, there are a few universal blush colors that work well for this spectrum.
To begin, you could choose pinks and peaches that compliment fair skin tones, but you will need to layer these on more to ensure that the color is pigmented enough on your skin.
Tones of Olive Skin
Olive skin tones are quite distinct, and it can be difficult to find a blush shade that truly flatters your skin.
Peach tones are usually flattering on olive skin tones. They warm the skin just enough to give the appearance of a beautiful natural flush from within. Just make sure to choose a warm peach rather than a cold one.
Rose, like peach, is a neutral that compliments olive tones. It helps to balance out your natural tones, resulting in a smooth finish.
Tones of Dark Skin
A blush must be a bold and pigmented shade in order to work on dark skin tones.
For those who are new to using blush, this can be a bit overwhelming, but if you don't go for something highly pigmented, your final look will only appear ruddy and faded. If a blush appears to be bright and bold in its packaging, it is likely that this is a shade that will work for you.
Anything in red, orange, or brown will complement your skin tone. No matter what your undertones are, a raisin or a brick shade will warm up your face beautifully.
There's nothing stopping you from putting together a show-stopping look now that you know how to find the perfect blush for your skin tone. Whether you have fair, medium, olive, or dark skin, this guide is one to bookmark for the next time you're looking for a new blush.