Westman Atelier

The Best Blush Products For Healthy-Looking Skin In Seconds

If there’s one makeup product that can inject life into your skin in seconds, it’s blusher. Finding the best blush for your skin tone and type is easier than you might think, and while it has taken a backseat in many of our makeup bags over the years, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to look radiant and healthy.

In fact, there is science to back that up. We naturally flush when we’re excited or aroused, and it was our friends in the Georgian period who first noticed that applying some faux “rouge” was a rather nifty way to suggest robust health. Studies have since shown that a little flush on the cheeks indeed indicates our wellbeing to others.

“Blush is like an accessory,” says makeup artist Gucci Westman, whose Baby Stick Blush is an excellent melt-into-skin formula. “My advice is to match it to your mood and the statement you want to make that day – how much colour do you want to see?”

There isn’t one single place to wear it. While many of us buff a cream or powder formula onto the apples of our cheeks, that’s just the classic method. Others prefer to wear higher on the cheeks for a lifting effect, and some even apply on the bridge of the nose to recreate a sun-kissed feel (especially good in the summer months). The modern way is to consider how your skin naturally flushes – whether around the temples or below your apples – and applying to those areas, buffing and blending in for a seamless, natural finish.

Be it a bold coral, soft pink or warm peach, a bit of colour can make you look healthier and brighter with minimal effort. Here, Vogue rounds up some of the very best blush products on the market, from classics like Glossier’s Cloud Paint to new and exciting formulas like the Nars Air Matte Blush. From powders to creams, shop the very best blushers below.

Best Blush For Olive Skin: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick Blush – No21

A formula that quickly melts into skin, this Chanel blush stick is an excellent one to keep in your handbag at all times and creates a healthy, dewy finish.

£35, available at Boots.com.

Best Blush For Fair Skin: Glossier Cloud Paint

A creamy, blendable cheek colour that instantly melts into the skin, Glossier’s Cloud Paint is inspired by New York sunsets. The Dusk shade is universally flattering and works particularly well on paler skins.

£15, available at Glossier.com.

Best Drugstore Blush: E.L.F. Primer Infused Blush Always Rosy

Infused with primer, this blush won’t budge and it offers great colour pay-off, particularly for the price.

£6, available at Boots.com.

Best Blush Stick: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick

A swoosh-on-and-go cream stick, this blush works beautifully on all skin tones. Made by Gucci Westman, who has worked on countless supermodels’ faces over the years, it’s formulated with gentle ingredients and Ayurvedic oils to keep skin clear and healthy.

£44, available at Cultbeauty.co.uk.

Best Cream Blush: Nars Air Matte Blush

Super easy to blend, this new Nars blush is soft-focus make-up in a pot and makes a natural flush a breeze. It might even rival the brand’s iconic Orgasm blush…

£25, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Best Blush For Oily Skin: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Blush

Within this oily-skin-friendly blush are blurring pigments which help soften the appearance of pores and blemishes, while brightening your complexion. 

£24, available at Cultbeauty.co.uk.

Best Matte Blush: MAC Powder Blush

For a truly phenomenal shade range, look to MAC’s much-loved Powder Blush, which has hues for every skin tone. For a classic pink, try Pink Swoon.

£19.50, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Best Blush For Dry Skin: Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm

Those with dry skin should look out for creamy blushers, like this one, which is oil-free but contains ingredients like squalane to hydrate.

£21, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Best Blush For Medium Skin: Charlotte Tilbury Cheek To Chic Blusher

Charlotte Tilbury’s Cheek To Chic blush compact features two shades, with the outer one designed to be swirled over the cheeks and the core shade there to provide a pop of colour at the apples. Love is the Drug is a Vogue office favourite.

£30, available at Charlottetilbury.com.

Best Powder Blush: Vieve Sunset Blush

If you know influencer and make-up artist Jamie Genevieve, you’ll know of her ability to create the most flawless beauty looks around – and this blusher is just one of the products from her brand, Vieve, that she uses often. Imparting a soft, matte finish, it delivers brilliant colour that can be built up or blended in depending on your preference. 

£23, available at Cultbeauty.co.uk.

Best Blush For Dark Skin: Dior Couture Long-Wear Powder Blush – 999

Darker skin tones will love this pigmented Dior blush, which imparts a beautiful flush while staying put all day. 

£36, available at Boots.com.

Best Blush For A Dewy Finish: Chantecaille Cheek Gelée

With its unique, gel-like texture, Chantecaille’s Cheek Gelée in Happy blends easily into the apples of the cheeks for a seamless wash of healthy-looking colour.

£40, available at Spacenk.com.

Best Long-Lasting Blush: Benetint

A lip and cheek stain famous for its staying power, Benetint is also a brilliant blusher for those who like a rosy flush. It’s cult for a reason.

£25.50, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Best Blush For Holiday Skin: Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo

This blush duo is the perfect partnership. Both shades offer a light-reflective finish for a little shimmer and shine come nightfall – and are especially good set against healthy, holiday skin. Mix them together, wear alone or apply as eyeshadow.

£62, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Best Blush Palette: Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Trio

One palette with three blush shades? Yes please. Use each colour alone or layer them up for a hue totally bespoke to you and a blush that will look totally natural.

£30, available at Cultbeauty.co.uk.

VOGUE article

5 Easy Steps To The Prettiest English Rose Make-Up Look

Wind-flushed cheeks; flawless skin; and just-bitten lips: all hallmarks of the “English Rose”, the term used to describe a delicate kind of beauty long regarded as classically English. The likes of Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet, Ella Balinska, Emma Watson and now, newcomer Emma Corrin – who appears on British Vogue’s October cover as her The Crown character Princess Diana (another famous English Rose) – all share a certain innocent appeal.

“The quintessential English Rose look comprises berry-stained plump lips, ruddy, flushed cheeks and a dewy, invisibly-perfect complexion,” says make-up artist Neil Young. “The complexion should feel real and translucent, so as to reveal all the natural undertones of the skin.” Here, Young shares exactly how to achieve the look for yourself with the assistance of some cleverly applied make-up.

Keep skin fresh

To create a luminous and dewy effect, Young loves a tinted moisturiser or lightweight foundation that will allow the skin’s natural undertones to shine through. “This allows you to further enhance what’s already there with your subsequent products,” he says. Try IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation for a radiant second skin finish; Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation, which does exactly what it says on the tin; or Smashbox’s Halo Healthy Glow All-In-One Tinted Moisturiser, another lightweight wonder.

Find your colour

To create a harmonious balance of colour on the face, Young recommends using a multi-use lip and cheek product. “Creams and gels lend themselves to this look as they melt into the skin, creating a believable pink undertone to the lip and cheek – think royal flush and berry-bitten lips. Deeper complexions should opt for darker red and fuchsia tones,” he says. Look to Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge creams – there’s a shade for everyone – or Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Blush Sticks for an ultra-natural, dewy finish.

Use your fingers

To create that natural, just-been-outside flush, use your fingers to apply your blush. “It pushes the cream formula into the apples of the cheeks, which makes it look like the colour is radiating through the skin, rather than floating on top like a powder blusher,” explains Young. “If your complexion is combination to oily, then a powder blush [like Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting Blush] with light-reflecting particles will achieve the same effect.”

Where to apply

The aim is to make your flush look totally natural, as if it hasn’t been applied, so mimic where you would naturally redden: “Apply to the apples of the cheeks and pull down towards the jawline for a flushed appearance,” advises Young. “If you’re using a powder, sweep across the apples of cheeks and pull the brush down towards the jawline to create a ruddy effect.”

A light touch on the lips

For a lip colour that looks natural but won’t budge, try a lip stain. YSL’s new Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Water Glossy Lip Stain leaves lips looking plump and reddened and, crucially, stays put; Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Lip Stains are another great option. You can also apply them to cheeks for a lit-from-within blush.

VOGUE article

How To Get Gorgeous Summer Skin In 6 Easy Steps

Coaxing out our best summer skin as temperatures rise isn’t always easy. We all have fantasies of buttery bronze, dewy (but not too dewy!) skin at this time of year, but in reality find ourselves closer to the flushed red or oily mark, and with all of our determinedly applied make-up long gone by lunchtime. 

Whether it’s a Sophia Loren-esque olive, a J Lo glow, or a rich Rihanna bronze you’re after, this is your foolproof guide to nailing summer skin – courtesy of Chanel’s global creative make-up and colour designer, Lucia Pica, who says: “Summer skin is all about being more glowy and bronzy and sun-kissed – all of the stuff I love!” 

Here, your six step guide to effortless summer make-up.

Prep the skin

Pre make-up, look to lightweight hydrating serums and lotions to ensure skin is primed and ready to go for the subsequent base formula. After cleaning skin (Shiseido’s Waso Smart Water cleans, hydrates and primes), apply U Beauty’s Resurfacing Compound, a one-stop shop for all skin’s needs thanks to its cocktail of antioxidants, vitamins C and E, and a rather pleasing tightening effect that allows make-up to go on seamlessly afterwards. For those who like something ultra hydrating, Guerlain’s Super Aqua Emulsion Light is a must-try, and brilliant for all skin types. Always finish with an SPF.

Glow up

If you’re lacking a natural bronze glow, facial tanning has never been easier. James Read’s new Click & Glow Tan Drops deliver self-tan to the skin via a gel formula that’s designed to be added into your SPF or moisturiser – it also contains hyaluronic acid, soothing aloe vera and vitamin C to boot. Meanwhile, Isle of Paradise’s Hyglo Self-Tan Serum is also packed with hyaluronic acid and gradually tans skin, leaving it looking healthy and plump. And finally, Sisley’s Self Tanning Hydrating Facial Skincare is a lightweight, non-comedogenic cream that leaves skin both supple and protected against the environment.

First base

“For me, summer (and even winter) skin is about transparency,” says Pica. “That’s why Chanel’s L’Eau de Teint is my foundation. It’s excellent because it’s got this way of making everything really uniform and homogenous, but you still see your skin through it.” Beautiful, fresh-looking skin shouldn’t look like it has anything on it, Pica says, and formulas should just be used to cover what needs to be covered, rather than the entire face. Look to disguise any redness, uneven skin tone or blemishes, but leave your natural skin texture to shine through wherever possible. L’Eau de Teint is excellent and offers a fresh, dewy glow for all skin tones, blurring imperfections and staying put for hours. Plus, its watery, serum-like formula means it feels comfortable on even the oiliest of skin types. Pica also recommends using concealer on the areas that might need extra coverage – try Stila’s Pixel Perfect Concealer.

Bronze and blush

Advocating the use of lots of different textures to mimic real skin, Pica’s next tip is to deploy bronzer and blush where it’s needed. Take your cues from Bella Hadid’s recent Instagram post – in which her bronzer is expertly applied in a ‘W’ shape over the cheekbones and nose – and use either powder or cream formulas, buffing them seamlessly into skin. Chanel’s Soleil Tan Bronze Universel is a Vogue beauty team favourite thanks to its natural finish, while Anastasia Beverly Hills Powder Bronzer offers a good range of shades for all skin tones. Once bronzed, it’s time for blush. “When you’re bronzed, you still have that element of red skin coming through,” says Pica. “Yes, you get a little bit tanned and your skin starts to get darker, but you still have that redness from the first sun, and I love that redness.” To imitate that fresh-from-the-beach flush, she likes to apply a creamy blush either high on the cheekbones and lightly over the bridge of the nose, or on the apples of cheeks. Try Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Blush Stick or Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge For Lips & Cheeks.

Add light

For an extra hit of glow, avoid powdery highlighters in favour of liquid ones, which are better placed to melt into skin seamlessly. “I would blend it in like a foundation to create a nice veil of glow,” says Pica, who recommends Chanel’s new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Highlighting Fluid for the job. “Again, everything has to become part of the skin for me – you don’t want anything that feels like it’s sitting on top, it doesn’t give you that natural effect of the summer glow. It’s a bit too fake looking. You have to look like you’ve just been in the sun, and magically, you’re shining.” Another brilliant liquid option is Marc Jacobs’ Glow Away Dewy Coconut Face Luminizer.

Freckles are a go

To really up the ante on the sun-kissed look, look no further than a smattering of (faux) freckles across the nose and cheeks – as per Emily Ratajkowski who is partial to dotting some on herself. “I love that fresh, ingenue type of skin, and I think freckles are a good way to make any make-up look fresh and modern,” says Pica. Freck’s XL Faux Freckle Cosmetics are excellent – just dot on haphazardly and leave to dry. Other alternatives are Colourpop’s Freckle Pen & Lime Crime Freckle Pen.

VOGUE article

8 Makeup Artists on How to Make Their Favourite Products Multi-Purpose

Welcome to Artist Spotlight #12 series on my blog.

Daniel Martin

Makeup artist Daniel Martin is a fan of using liquid lipstick not only for the lips, but also as a cheek stain. His favorite product for this hack? Honest Beauty’s Liquid Lipstick in Goddess.

“I love using this liquid lipstick on the face, as well as lips, to add a hint of a continuous flush on the apples of the cheek to bronzed skin,” he shares. “Jessica Alba taught me this trick!”

Kate Lee

Makeup expert Kate Lee swears by using facial oil as a moisturizer, hair treatment, and body scent. Her go-to is Chanel’s Huile de Jasmin Revitalizing Facial Oil.

“During this time of uncertainty, my focus is mainly on the wellness of mind and spirit,” says Lee. “I find that I am more nurturing and minimal in my daily routine and I am taking a break from makeup. I have found that now, more than ever, my olfactory senses really influence my mood. I use Chanel Huile de Jasmin on my face and décolletage daily and using what’s left on my hands, I run it through my hair.”

“The hair holds scent very well and to be gently followed by the scent of Jasmin feels very nurturing,” she continues. “In place of wearing perfume, I’ve been mixing a few drops of Huile de Jasmin into my favorite clean, fragrance-free body lotion by Nécessaire.”

Nikki DeRoest

obbi Brown artist-in-residence Nikki DeRoest likes to apply contour stick to not only add dimesion to cheekbones, but also to the eyes, forehead, and jawline. Her weapon of choice is Westman Atelier’s Face Trace Contour Stick.

“I like to use this stick first in the obvious spot, where it’s intended for use: in the hollows of my cheeks,” she shares. “I start at my ear and swipe inwards, stopping halfway on my cheek. This product is so easy to use and can easily be blended out with fingers or any type of semi-firm brush. While I’m at it, and quickly multi-tasking with my makeup, I also love to swipe a bit just above the crease of my eye on my outer brow bone, on the hollow of my temples and the other edges of my forehead, and of course, along my jawline and under my chin. It glides so easily, and just by using that one product, I feel like I am able to give my skin such great, yet subtle, dimension.”

Emily Cheng

As a makeup artist to stars like Laura Harrier, Yara Shadidi, and Ella Mai, Emily Cheng has more than a few tricks up her sleeve. But using mascara for both the eyelashes and as an eyeliner is one of her best kept secrets. She uses Too Faced Better Than Sex to make the eyes pop.

“When I was in Paris a few months ago, my personal liquid liner had run out and I was in a rush, so I used my Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara with an angled brush and it worked perfectly,” she reveals. “The consistency was like a gel liner, and I felt like it stayed on even longer than my usual waterproof liquid liner.”

Deja Smith

Emmy Award-nominated makeup artist Deja Smith uses paw paw cream as a lip balm, hand salve, and as a highlighter. Her go-to choice is Lucas’ Paw Paw Ointment.

“I use this little tube for everything, from keeping my lips moisturized to soothing my sandpaper dry hands after disinfecting the house and washing them,” she explains. “It’s even the best no makeup, makeup highlighter for Zoom calls with that special someone. I dab a little on my lips and use the residual to add a luminescent pop to the arch of my brow and cheekbones. This ointment is effective and my quarantine must-have.”

Sarah Tanno

Lady Gaga’s go-to makeup artist Sarah Tanno loves using Haus Laboratories Glam Attack in Angel Baby on the lips, as an eyeshadow, as well as a highlighter.

“This is a liquid shimmer powder. It goes on as a liquid and dries as a powder,” Tanno says. “I used the applicator to apply all over my eyelids. I tapped a small amount on the apples of my cheeks and blended it up to high points of my cheeks for a healthy-looking highlight. Lastly, I added a touch to the center of my lips to add a pop of shimmer. One product equals a full makeup look in under five minutes!”

Daniel Chinchilla

KVD Vegan Beauty’s Cat Eye Ambassador Daniel Chinchilla uses the same liquid eyeliner for the eyes and to create faux freckles: KVD Vegan Beauty Tattoo Eyeliner in Mad Max Brown.

“Tattoo Liner can give you a flawless cat eye, but also, freckles! Because of Tattoo Liner’s super fine brush tip, it’s super easy to give yourself the sharpest cat eye you’ve ever had,” he shares. “And while you’re at it, gently press the tip of the Tattoo Liner onto your cheeks and nose for some super subtle freckles. One of the best things is that it is waterproof and you won’t have to worry about any smudging.”

Christy Coleman

Makeup artist and chief artistic officer at Beautycounter Christy Coleman says you can use your bar soap as a body or hand wash, as well as a brow gel. She recommends Beautycounter’s Citrus Mimosa Body Bar.

“The soap helps to thicken the brow and make them stay in place,” she says. “First, fill your brow in with a pencil, then using the spoolie side of an eyebrow brush or pencil, go back over them with soap.”

InStyle article