Blush It Up This Winter!

It is officially winter, and the holiday season is a great time to experiment with fun new colors in blushes to bring more life to your pretty face. Personally, I prefer powder blushes for the fall and winter and go for a more dewy finish with cream blushes towards summer. I’ve picked out the top four blushes that I reach for most during the wintertime. All these blushes are cool toned and range from $30 to as low as $3. 

Try avoiding harsh dark blushes on the apples of your cheeks, this will only weigh your face down and make you look older. You want to try to go with a natural flush and use a light shades like Cargo’s Blu-Ray Blush/Highlighter in “Pink” to brighten up the face. Don’t be fooled by the color in the pan, it actually comes out a bit darker on skin. This blush has a bit of shimmer but is not overpowering and reflects softly, giving the appearance of naturally glowing and youthful skin. I applied this blush with my Elf completion brush to the apples of my cheeks, taking it up to my cheekbones for a nice wash of color and subtle highlight.

Another light pink shade is from a mineral brand online called Sweet Face Minerals called “Sweet Cheeks”. This is basically the slightly warmer, loose powder version of the Cargo blush in “Pink”. You can get this in its original 20 gram jar from their online store, but the one I have is the 5 gram jar from their starter kit, which by the way would make an awesome holiday gift. Like the Cargo blush, I like to apply this to the apples of my cheeks and blend it up to my cheekbones and a little touch to the nose. This neutral light pink blush goes on flawlessly and gives it that perfect wintertime flush. Light blushes go great with a dark winter lip shades like reds and plums. Don’t go overboard and avoid going heavy on both cheeks and lips.

E.L.F. Fuchsia Fusion is a raspberry toned pink with sparkle, not shimmer, but chunky sparkle. Not to fear though, the sparkle won’t show up on your face which is great. I like to apply this near my cheek bones and in the hollows of my cheeks like a bronzer since it’s a darker shade. For a 3 dollar blush, the color payoff is great, similar to that of “Angelika” blush by Nars. With great pigmentation, price, and Nars-like packaging, this is hands down the best buy of the season.

M.A.C. sheertone blush in Breath of Plum has been my go-to blush this fall and will carry into this winter. The formula is so smooth and finely mild. Although it looks darker in the pan, it goes on much lighter and has buildable color. I go lighter on the apples of my cheeks and blend out to my cheekbones where I build up the color. This plum shade is not too light or too dark and gives the perfect soft and sophisticated plum winter look.

Look forward to every day to try out something new this winter and don’t be shy to experiment with new shades and looks. With Christmas and New Year parties on the way, don’t forget to blush it up this holiday season!

- Minza Khan

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