Kids, We Have Company...

Every so often I like to mix things up and will look for someone to do a guest post on my blog... In the past we've had Holly of Yummy Mummy Beauty Blog and Bicky of Tastes Like Glitter and this time around we have Rebecca of Le Salon De Beaute. I leave all creative content to the guest blogger and let them choose a topic/product to talk about as I feel it gives them the freedom to do something they might not usually do on their own blog.

Anyway, I'm going to hand it over to Rebecca who has put together a FOTD post and has the low down on blushers for you lucky lot!

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Cheeks are often something that are forgotten or given only a cursory thought to when most girls do their makeup. Whether it's day to day makeup or a special occasion, cheeks are often our forgotten friend. If you do them properly they can make you look five years younger. Commit a crime against your cheekbones and you'll end up looking far more senior than your years.

Now, I'm not talking about bronzer or contouring here. These are completely different subjects as far as I'm concerned. I'm not a bronzer wearer myself. I like it when it's done well on other people but I embrace my pale skin and love it when my freckles fade out leaving me as porcelain as possible. Even when I'm working on a client I treat contouring and bronzing as completely separate steps to the cheek colour.

I guess where I want to start is by explaining that our cheeks are not stripes. This is a great look for a stylised editorial shoot but not for everyday wear by most of us. A great application of cheek colour looks like a sheer flush across the apples and faded without discernible edges towards the hairline. My other top tip is layering. That goes for all makeup but none more so than cheeks. Sheer layers will create a natural, youthful glow.

On a daily basis I wear a mineral powder foundation so I start my cheeks before I put my foundation on. If you're a regular, liquid foundation wearer, these steps would be done after foundation and before powder. So, I begin with a cheek stain. I use the 2True cheek stain from Superdrug. It's cheap and has a great colour. A few dots on the apple of each cheek will blend away to nothingness leaving a natural flush. I then take a lighter crème blush, blend it across the apples and fade it out across the broader cheek. This could be in a bright pink, subtle rose or a vibrant coral. Whatever colour I've chosen I then take a deeper or brighter shade and that goes right on the pillow of the cheek as a pop. My favourite are the Stila Convertible Colours. I have every one of them in my kit and use them on most every job. That's when I put on my powder foundation or powder over my liquid foundation. 

You could leave it there for every day. If I had to choose between a crème or a powder blush I'd go for crème every time. It will make you look younger and it's great for all year round. Powder can look too made up in the summer as well as leave you looking a little older than you need to.

If you have the time and want a truly long lasting and locked in colour, you could take matching powder blushes to the crème versions you used and do the same layering of pale and pop colours. Now, this might sound complicated and time consuming but it really only takes a few minutes. You'll find if you give your cheeks a little more attention you won't need as much eye or lip makeup in order to look fresh and awake in the mornings. It will save you time!!!

If you don't believe me, this is a picture from my weekend makeup when I wore all the layers of tint, crème and powder. I love the sheer glow of colour it creates and it lasts all day no matter how much you're running around or how hot it gets.

Kisses,
Rebecca xxx