When it comes to your makeup, finding the perfect colour of blush, bronzer (or both) is a game changer! After foundation application we lose dimension, in gaining the camouflaging benefits of foundation we lose our natural highlights, shadows and flushes of colour throughout our skin. Adding pops of colour and shading through blush and bronzer is what makes us look bright and healthy. But which is the best to use and how to select the right hue for you?
When to choose a blush for makeup application?
Blush is used to warm the skin and add a pop of colour. This can be in complementary or contrasting tones to take your final makeup look from au natural to glam goddess. If you are wanting to achieve a minimal makeup, just kissed by the sun look, apply blush over a BB cream or primer, we love tapping a cream blush into the apples of the cheeks and a little on the bridge of the nose for a dewy and hydrated effect. For a bolder look sweep blush from the apples of cheeks up towards temples, layering a powdered blush can provide a highly pigmented result for more intense colour payoff.
How to choose a blush shade.
Once you know the type of look you are wanting to achieve you need to select the perfect blush colour. If you are wanting a subtle flush of colour, just a pinch of pink on your apples, select a shade that has a similar undertone to your natural skin. A cool skin tone will want to choose pink undertone blushes and a warm skin tone will feel at home in a yellow undertone blush.
This does not mean cool skin tones cannot select warm blush shades, quite the opposite! Selecting a blush undertone opposite to your skin tone will give you a bold contrasting look - think monochrome, super blush or an evening glam vibe.
To be even more confusing, many blush tones share undertones across cool to neutral or warm to neutral. Here's a quick guide on the undertones of DB blush products.
Cool tone blush: Quick Fix Blush - Tickled, Quick Fix Blush - Rosy, Make 'em Blush - Pink Glow, Make 'em Blush - Rose Glow, Brilliant Skin Duo Blush - Rosy Glow.
Neutral tone blush: Quick Fix Blush Rosy, Quick Fix Blush - Beachy, Make 'em Blush - Nude Glow, Brilliant Skin Duo Blush - Rosy Glow, Brilliant Skin Duo Blush - After Glow.
Warm tone blush: Quick Fix Blush - Beachy, Quick Fix Blush - Peachy, Make 'em Blush - Peach Glow, Brilliant Skin Duo Blush - After Glow.
When to choose a bronzer for makeup application?
Bronzer is used to add definition and warmth to your face, it is all about a tanned sunkissed glow - sans the sun. There are different shades, shimmers and mattes that you can arm yourself with to target highlights and lowlights cast by the sun or to contour and accentuate features.
A matte bronzer can be used to contour and introduce shadows to add dimension to your face over foundation. Apply to the areas of your face that are not hit by the sun or are directly under a highlight area - think jawline and under the cheekbone.
A shimmering bronzer - oo sparkle sparkle, is used in highlight areas to add warmth and shine to the areas that the sun hits - the apples of your cheeks, bridge of nose, and if you’re trying to warm your entire look a sweep along the hairline. Remember, highlighting rule number one, shimmering bronzer is not a highlighter.
Shimmer bronzers: Get Glowing in Miami Heat
Matte bronzers: Get Glowing in Barcelona Bronze and Tahiti Tan, Brilliant Skin Duo in Bronze Glow and Warm Glow, Quick Fix Bronzer in Sunny.
How to choose a bronzer shade?
Like with blush, bronzers too are best chosen to match the undertone of your skin. Once you’ve matched your tone it is best to select a shade 1 to 2 shades deeper than your natural skin, depending on how warm you want your look to be. This can vary from summer to winter or additional layers can be added to deepen the pigment in the warmer months.
Cool tone bronzers: Brilliant Skin Duo - Warm Glow, Get Glowing Bronzer - Barcelona Bronze.
Neutral tone bronzers: Get Glowing Bronzer - Tahitian Tan, Quick Fix Bronzer - Sunny.
Warm tone bronzers: Brilliant Skin Duo Bronzer - Bronze Glow, Get Glowing Bronzer - Tahitian Tan, Get Glowing Bronzer - Miami Heat, Quick Fix Bronzer - Sunny.
Creating a look with both blush and bronzer:
To up your makeup game and great a full face look combining blush and bronzer will give you definition and a pop of colour. Using the same rules in colour selection and application start with your matte shades of bronzer, warm with a shimmer bronzer and lastly, add colour with your blush. As always, make sure your look is Certified Vegan and Cruelty Free by shopping DB Cosmetics!
Need more tips to perfect your everyday makeup?
Selecting the best Primer for your skin type will help you master your minimal makeup look, then finish with our guide to creating the perfect eyebrows.
