Q: What colour blush is best for someone with a very red complexion?

A: There is no question that one of my favourite beauty brands is Canadian-born-and-bred M.A.C Cosmetics. With celebrity endorsements by the likes of Pamela Anderson, Linda Evangelista and Catherine Deneuve, this makeup giant is one of the best.

I consulted with one of M.A.C’s senior makeup artists, Melissa Gibson, to help me answer this question.

According to Melissa, “Counteract some of the redness in the skin with a foundation. This helps even out the skin tone. If you use sheer enough products you can sometimes get away with little or no blush, especially if there is just a small amount of redness through the cheek area. If that doesn’t work, I would go for a blush that has a brown or beige undertone to it. That particular type of colour tends to change slightly with the skin tone to a soft rose tone. It matches the skin and doesn’t look like you are trying to mask anything. Work with what you have! Another great product to use is a bronzer in place of a blush. This product can deliver a sheer amount of colour to the face and help tone down the redness, turning it into a beautiful tanned effect! Hope this helps.”

Q: What shades of blush work best on darker skin?

A: When I find experts, I find the best, and nobody knows makeup like my buddy Dale Peers! She’s president of the Canadian Cosmetics Careers Association, and program coordinator at Seneca College for the Cosmetics Techniques and Management Diploma program. She said the first thing you need to do before wearing blush is determine if your skin tone is warm or cool. You can figure this out by looking at the jewellery that complements you the most. If wear mostly silver, you have a cool complexion. If you’re a gold girl, you have a warm complexion. Easy, huh? Next, you’ll want to pick up a blush that has a similar depth to your skin tone. Dale says rich shades are more apparent on darker skin, so don’t be afraid to grab the dark fuchsia or purple blushes! If you have a lighter skin tone, go for something light like a rich peach. But make sure not to pick a colour too pale because it will wash you out.

Tips on gel and stick blush on the next page …

Q: How do you use gel blush, or blush that comes in stick form? Where is the best place to apply it to add dimension to the face?

A: One of my go-to girls for fabulous makeup tips is Grace Lee, a senior makeup artist with M.A.C cosmetics. Here she offers the latest techniques to get that coveted rosy look.

“Gel blushes usually dry quickly so you have to work fast,” she says. “It’s best to use your fingers and blend into the cheeks. With stick blushes, you can use your fingers or a brush. An easy way to know where you are applying the blush is to smile and apply blush to the round apples of your smile. The trick is not to go too far below the apple and don’t streak the product or it won’t look natural. You can apply directly from the stick and then blend out with your fingers or a brush. Or your other option is to work off the stick and then apply to the cheeks with your fingers.

“Gel blushes can look really translucent and sheer, so they give a natural, flushed look. But sometimes it’s hard to work with. You have to know how much to apply and it dries quickly — so work fast.

“Stick blush is easy to carry around and you can easily use it and blend.
Having a stick formulation is great because of the convenience factor –- you can easily use it on your eyes and lips, too! But you can’t get the same variety and choice of colours that you would find in powder blushes, and if too much is applied it can tend to look greasy, so be wary of how much you apply.”

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Beauty tips: How to apply concealer
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