Back to Basics #8: How to Apply Powder Blusher

Next up in Back to Basics: blusher!

A hard one to get right, all too often application can lead to that most unflattering of things: Bosco Cheeks. In order to avoid said effect, Leonard Daly's back with some more super-sweet and easy-to-follow tips. Lets get to it!

Step 1: For Eva's fair skin, Leonard settled on a peach-toned powder blusher from Smashbox, which he applied with a large, fluffy Shiseido brush. Swirl the brush lightly through the pan of product and tap off the excess well. This step is important as it's what will help eliminate Bosco Cheeks from the outset - overloading your brush is mishap #1.

Leonard's Tip: "a blush that has yellow undertones, for example a peach, is best for red cheeks."

Step 2: "When you're doing your blusher do a big cheesy grin," Leonard instructs. Primarily, you should be placing the product on the fleshy part of your cheek - you'll have often heard this called the apples of the cheeks. Use a light hand - remember it's much easier to add a little more than it is to tone it back down. "You can bring it up further your cheekbone if you like," he says, but warns, "blusher should never be obvious. It should look like you've just run up a flight of stairs and you're flushed."

And the finished result. The powder is lightly concentrated on the apples of Eva's cheeks - the plump part - and graded up into her hairline.

Credits:

Makeup artist: Leonard Daly, www.leonarddaly.com
Model: Eva Lawes
Photographs: Kirstie McDermott