Yes, You Can Use Blush to Sculpt Your Face

The right blush placement can define, lift, and enhance your features. Makeup artist Kim Roy Opog shares his tips.

Beyond using contour, blushes can also help shape the face, while adding a healthy flush to your skin. Take a look at Jennifer Lopez, whose look often uses a bronze-toned blush to highlight her bone structure. Rihanna, on the other hand, likes to apply berry blush high on the apples of her cheeks, working it into her temples. Meanwhile, Gigi Hadid uses a technique known as “coffee cheeks,” where her makeup artists use warm terracotta, tawny, and muted clay-toned blushes in the hollows of her cheeks.

According to makeup artist Kim Roy Opog, layering your blushes rather than using a single shade can work wonders. “This just gives a more dimensional and skin-like effect,” he says. Below, Opog shares his tips and favorite blush products for sculpting your face.

Different blush placements can change your look

For rounder faces, Opog likes to apply blush vertically along the sides of the cheeks to create a sculpting effect. For angular faces, he suggests applying it horizontally above the hollows of the cheeks to soften their features. However, applying it on the apples of the cheeks, he says, always works for everyone.

However, he reminds us not to get caught up in these rules, but rather to also keep in mind that placement depends on the aesthetic or look that you’re going for.

For a lifted blush effect, try a midtone blush

The midtone blush has been trending for years, and Opog is a fan of the technique. “It’s basically layering a lighter shade and a deeper shade of blush, creating a gradient effect,” he says. “Works well on everyone.”

Always work with your skin tone and texture

According to Opog, picking out a shade depends on your skin tone. Except for one shade: “What I do find flattering on everyone are the peach-toned blushes.” Like blush placement, shades also depend on the effect you’re looking for.

Skin texture also matters. For textured skin, Opog recommends a cream-to-powder formula applied with a damp sponge. “This creates a seamless and blurred look without drying the skin,” he says. At the moment, his favorite cream-to-powder blush is the Glow Play Cushiony Blush by MAC Cosmetics, which has a bouncy, creamy texture but sets into a lightweight, powder-like finish. As for his local favorite, he keeps a matte Colourette Colourbounce blush in his retouch kit.

Do not layer liquid or cream blushes on top of powder

One of the more common mistakes Filipinos make, says Opog, is layering their liquid or cream blushes on top of powder. “Doing so makes their blushes not blend well and their base is disrupted,” he adds. Instead, he suggests applying liquid or cream blush before powder, and using powder blushes for touch-ups throughout the day.

The blush formula can affect the sculpting effect

According to Opog, liquids and creams work well with deeper blush tones, while powders are good for lighter ones. One of his current cream blushes is the Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Stick, which has a glowy finish that reflects light. For liquid blushes, he recommends the Dala Dewphoria Duo Liquid Blush, which he likes for its luminosity and thinness. As for powder blushes, his favorites are from Tarte, Pat McGrath Labs, and Romand (Rom&nd).