How to Apply Cream Blush: Makeup Tips and Tricks

Do you want to learn how to apply cream blush? I use cream blush nearly every single day as I love the natural looking finish that it gives. It took me a while to learn how to use it but, I've broken my routine down into a step by step guide so that you can easily replicate it for yourselves. 

Pick a cream blush that you like

This might sound obvious but there are actually many different cream blushes and they all have different textures and finishes. If you don't like one cream blush then don't give up all hope, it is likely that there is another one that you might like. My "high end" favourites are Stila's Convertible Colours and Illamasqua's Cream Blushes, and my drugstore favourites are MaxFactor's Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink and NYC's Blushable Cream Stick in Soho Pink. The Stila and MaxFactor ones have a slightly sticky consistency which makes them quite long lasting, Illamasqua's are very creamy which makes them easy to blend and NYC's blush is thicker making it a more tricky to work with (but longer lasting).

Wash your hands 

You're going to be using your fingers to apply your cream blush. Any "stuff" on your hands will transfer into the cream blushes and will, over time and repeated use, make them unhygienic to use. Being as hygienic as possible will limit this problem.

Dab your finger in your cream blush and then

tap the cream blush from your finger onto the back of your hand 

You want to transfer some of the blush onto the back of your hand and maybe blend it out a little bit - think of your hand as your artist's palette.

Smile to identify the "apple" of your cheeks

When you smile you can more easily see your cheekbones and the fleshy "apple" of your cheeks - the round part that gets more pronounced as your smile. You want to apply cream blush from the middle of this area, blend it upwards at slight angle (working from the middle of the cheek towards your ear). But only apply blush between the area that is directly below your pupil to the area directly below the end of your eyebrow (see image below). I apply my cream blush after applying my foundation and my contour, but before applying highlighter.

Dab a clean finger or stippling brush onto the product on your hand and tap it onto your cheeks.  Use a repeated tapping motion with your finger or brush to gently work the blush into your skin

Make two/three dots on your cheek (in the area indicated in the picture above). Then use a tapping motion to roughly blend the cream blush out, with either your finger or a clean stippling brush. It doesn't have to be completely neat and tidy, you just want the blush to be in the right area and to be roughly blended into your skin.

Use a clean buffing brush/foundation sponge to finish blending your blush, this will help achieve a very natural looking finish without moving your foundation

I use my Real Techniques Buffing brush to gently continue blending the blush - especially focusing on the edges so that the colour looks seamless. Once I'm done, I am usually happy with the finished look. If I'm not I'll either keep blending or if I want a more dramatic looking colour I repeat the whole process adding a little bit of extra blush. It's almost always better to start with too little than too much!

Candy - who blogs over at Owl Girl - really encouraged me to write this post which gave me the courage I needed to share my routine. I really hope you find it useful!