The right blush can be an actual miracle worker when it comes to flattering and lifting your makeup – it can make your skin look clearer, your eyes look brighter, the works! However, with a million blush shades and formulas on the market, it can sometimes be tricky to find The One, and picking the wrong colour can lead to beauty no-nos like looking muddy, ashy or clown-like. Never fear ladies! Read our handy guide to some of the best blush colours for your skin tone and get ready to blush…
Fair skin
Despite what you might think, porcelain to ivory skins CAN get away with a range of blush shades, including brights – the key is to choose a sheer formula and build up if necessary. When in doubt, though, pick peach. It’s one of the most universally flattering shades for both warm and cool-toned skintones, and looks especially gorgeous if your skin has a yellow undertone (not sure how to tell if you have yellow undertones? Check out the veins in your forearm – if your skin has a yellow cast they’ll look more green than blue). For paler skins, just be sure to go for softer shades rather than neon brights.
Another option for fair skin is good old baby pink. If you’re having visions of porcelain dolls, don’t worry – we’re talking about a subtle, frolicking-in-the-snow flush. Try matching your blush to the inside of your lip for the most natural effect. Pale pink is also one of the easiest shades to work with if your skin has cool undertones or is proper Morticia Addams pale.
KIKO Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush
This velvety cream blush from KIKO has just the right blend of pink and apricot tones to really lift pale skins, and the sheer texture means you can build the colour up steadily to avoid the dreaded 'doll cheek'.
Medium skin
Pink also works for medium skin tones, but we’re warming things up a little with a rosy raspberry shade – it’s delicate and pretty without being too pale (baby pinks have too much white in for medium skin tones). If you want to go a little more vibrant but are scared of looking like you just graduated from clown college, then try a sheer gel or cream texture for easy buildable colour.
Juicy coral shades with warm orange tones also look fabulous on yellow-based medium complexions, as they enhance your natural colouring. We particularly love these tones for spring and summer, as they pair brilliantly with bronzer for when you start to catch the sun. Finish with a pop of champagne highlighter and you’ll have the golden goddess look down pat.
Bourjois Aqua Blush
The CocoriCorail shade in Bourjois' Aqua Blush line has all those flattering orange tones that will really warm up medium skin tones, all in a sheer, long-wearing liquid formula.
Olive skin
Olive skin tones have a slight greenish cast to them (hence the name!), so you’ll want to pick warm blushes to counteract them and lift your complexion. Again, peach is a real winner here – choose true peach rather than more tangerine shades for a healthy, natural-looking glow. If you’re a lighter shade of olive, then pink-peaches are a great option to flatter your skin.
Although you might not think of it as a blush, bronzer can be a real winner on olive skin, as it looks natural and sophisticated without piling on the pigment. Choose an earthy or copper-toned blush rather than more orangey shades and you’ll look radiant rather than ruddy. Powder formulations are definitely our fave when it comes to bronzer as it gives you more control of where you’re placing colour, and you’ll want to tread lightly with added sparkle or shimmer. We say keep the bronze matte or satin, and simply add a golden highlighter for glow.
High Definition Bronzer
Don't be put off by the shade being described as 'Light/Medium' - if you're using this fab bronzer as a cheek colour rather than a contour, it suits olive skin down to the ground thanks to the earthy tones.
Dark skin
Dark complexions can carry off a huge range of colour, from sexy plum to bright orange! As a rule, the deeper the skin tone the warmer the hue of the blush – if you pick something too pale or cool then you’re in danger of your blush looking ashy.
For a natural everyday look, deep terracotta and brick red shades look fantastic on darker skin tones. They’ll boost your natural colour and add definition without being a distracting wash of colour, which also makes them great if you’re focusing on standout eye makeup. For ebony skin tones, choose a more berry-toned shade of red.
For a girly glow, hot pinks look incredible on deep skintones. They may look intimidating in the pan, but you’ll want a good amount of pigment if you want your blush to show on darker complexions. Choose a creamy formula to give yourself a natural highlight, or add a warm-toned shimmer highlighter for extra glow.
Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush
For a pop of pretty colour, hot raspberry shades like this one from KIKO are a dream on a darker complexions. The velvety texture makes it easy to build up colour, too.
