Where should my blush actually go?

• By Sarai Elora, of Bonita Artistry

Blush can be one of the simplest steps in your makeup routine, but where you place it can completely change the finished look.

Scroll through social media and you’ll see plenty of rules: apply it high to lift your face, keep it away from the centre, follow your face shape, or sweep it across your nose for that sun-kissed finish.

But as professional makeup artists, we see blush differently. There isn’t one “correct” place to put it.

Placement changes the effect

Blush doesn’t just add colour. Where you place it changes where the eye is drawn and how your features appear.

If you love a lifted, sculpted look, try placing blush higher along the cheekbones and blending towards the temples. Keeping the colour away from the centre of the face can create more definition.

For something soft, fresh and youthful, bring your blush onto the apples of your cheeks, then softly diffuse the edges, so the colour melts naturally into your skin.

If you love that sun-kissed, just-been-outside feeling, sweep a little blush across the cheeks and lightly over the bridge of the nose. The result feels less sculpted and more relaxed, warm and playful.

For something more expressive, take your blush higher towards the temples or experiment with stronger colour. Makeup doesn’t always need to look natural to look beautiful.

Your face shape is a guide, not a rule

You’ll often see tutorials telling you exactly where blush “should” sit depending on whether your face is round, oval, square or heart shaped.

Understanding your facial structure can help you predict what different placements might do.

Higher placement can create the appearance of lift, while colour concentrated through the apples brings more attention to the centre of the face.

But that doesn’t mean you need to use makeup to make your face appear slimmer, longer or more “balanced”.

Instead, ask yourself: What do I want my makeup to feel like today?

Soft? Sculpted? Romantic? Fresh? Bold?

Let that answer guide your placement.

Build and experiment

One of our favourite professional tricks is to build blush gradually. Pick up a small amount, tap off any excess, and begin with a light layer. You can always add more.

For cream or liquid formulas, try working the product into your brush first rather than placing a large amount directly onto your cheek. This gives you more control and creates a seamless, skin-like finish.

Then experiment. Place your blush slightly higher one day. Another time, bring it further onto the apples. Or try sweeping it across your nose or towards your temples.

Because the best blush placement isn’t necessarily the one that makes your face look slimmer, younger, or more lifted.

It’s the one that creates the version of you that you want to see in the mirror that day.

Makeup should give you tools to express yourself, not another set of rules to follow.

For more professional beauty education, makeup tips and personalised makeup lessons, follow @bonitartistry or explore bonitartistry.co.nz/makeup-packages for our Makeup Your Way lessons.