What the heck is the 'W' blush application technique?

At this point in our life we’ve dabbled with many makeup techniques, some with great success and others, well, not so much. 

We tried our hand at contouring every inch of our faces, painted inverted triangles under our eyes in an attempt to mask our dark circles, and applied blush in the shape of the number three with a religious dedication. 

But now we’re taking a step back from this numerical application technique in lieu of an alphabetical replacement that promises a lifted and sculpted finish.

Introducing: The ‘W’ blush application technique.

Coined by makeup artist Mariela Bagnato, the technique is relatively straightforward and requires you to buff blush into your cheeks, temples and across your nose in the shape of the letter ‘W’.

“Sweep or blend blush near your temple, down to the middle of the cheek, up to the bridge of the nose and back down [and up] the other side,” Bagnato told Allure. 

The result? A cheekbone-enhancing swathe of blush that "helps contour your face by creating a lifting effect," she explained. 

"I love to apply this technique using cream blush because it creates a second skin finish that simulates the sun kissed effect much better," she went on to say. 

After a blush to try this trick out for yourself? We don’t know about you but we’ll take any opportunity to update our blush collection…

We recommend: 

Ciaté London Dewy Blush ($36 at MECCA); RARE BEAUTY Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($34 at Sephora); and Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Lip & Cheek Color ($45 at MECCA).

As for the blushes beauty editors keep reaching for? This is the expert edit: 8 blushes you can rely on for a fresh and radiant flush.

Main image credit: @mbeauty