The unexpected blush trick 3 makeup artists swear by

When a makeup artist spends their days working backstage on some of the biggest runway shows, training under and working alongside beauty industry legends, and spending hours experimenting with products, they’re bound to have a few really good tricks up their sleeve. 

So, naturally, we ask them to divulge their biggest secrets for your benefit. And when three big names all reveal (independently) the same technique for creating a naturally flushed finish, you know you’ve come across a trick that needs to at least be tried once.

Ready?

Using your lipstick on your cheeks to create a subtle flush. 

While this blush application method will absolutely work to give your cheeks a gorgeous rosy glow, the pros are all about this clever little hack. 

“I feel like we spend our lives looking for blusher and lipstick that matches, and if you have a lipstick that you love, why not use it on your cheeks as well? That’s how cream blush is created,” says Amy Conway, Bobbi Brown International Pro Makeup Artist. 

International Lead Makeup Stylist for NARS, Uzo, is totally on board with this insider trick, too, suggesting that for the best finish, you simply dab a little bit of your lipstick onto the tip of your finger and gently blend it just on the apples of your cheeks, because “you’re not trying to structure your cheek with it, but you’re trying to mimic a natural flush, so keep it just on the apples of your cheeks.”

Grant Power, Giorgio Armani Makeup Artist and National Trainer and Educator, has another nifty trick for enhancing that flush you’ve created with your lip product. “The colour needs to blended in super-well, and then use a highlighter above it to enhance the colour of cheeks,” he says. Clever. 

As for the shades of lipsticks that will work as blushes, Uzo recommends NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna, as the rosy colour looks great on all skin tones on both lip and cheeks, while Power suggests the Giorgio Armani Lip Maestro Drama (yes, a liquid semi-matte lipstick. Seems odd, but gel in the formula ensures smooth blending and a radiant finish) in pinks and nudes for all skin tones, and just the slightest touch of red for those with tanned and darker skin tones. 

And Conway has a warning for those who want to experiment with a shimmer lipstick as their blush: “When your lipstick does have a bit more shimmer in it, you have to work a little bit more at it, and it could be quite tricky. So I wouldn’t say it’s the easiest thing, but if you’re pretty savvy it works really well.”

Looking for the perfect blush to suit your skin tone? We've got you covered here

Main image credit: Getty