Blush

The wrong blush shade and texture can take you into lady-of-the-night territory. The right blush, however, can give you a lit-from-within flush, brightening your complexion in about 10 seconds flat. Such is the case with Giorgio Armani's Sheer Blush ($44). As the name implies, this blush imparts the subtlest amount of color to the skin. And because of its soft, lightweight texture, there's nary an obvious streak or too-shimmery finish to be found. In fact, likely nobody will know you're even wearing makeup. It's a high-end purchase, no doubt. But for its ability to give you a fresh-faced, natural-looking glow with minimal effort, it's hard to put a price on that.

Sometimes it's hard to trust "one size fits all," but with these makeup shades, it's true. The plethora of color choices in the makeup aisle can be overwhelming to anyone. Just keep reading to find out the top no-fail colors for eyes, lips, and cheeks.

Looking warm and glowy in Summer is a whole lot easier than it is in Fall. That doesn't mean you have to adopt a dull or pasty complexion this season, though. Brighten up and find out how to create a radiant finish sans shimmer, when you continue reading.

Nina Dobrev stepped out on The Perks of Being a Wallflower red carpet over the weekend looking like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn. And that's exactly the muse celebrity makeup artist Kindra Mann (who has also worked with Mindy Kaling and Lea Michele) was inspired by when creating Nina's color palette for the film's Toronto Film Festival premiere. Rosy cheeks and lips were the cornerstone for Nina's look, which included Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Amused ($25), a bright pink, on the cheeks and the brand's Glamazon 12-Hour Lipstick in Bold ($26), a rich coral on the lips. A touch of plum-rose gloss on top kept the retro style looking up-to-date.

We may be in the dog days of Summer, but Fall makeup is on the horizon. While that typically means darker colors and matte textures, Josie Maran's Argan Color Stick ($22), found as part of QVC's Pure & Simple 4-piece Argan Skincare Ritual ($66, originally $75) is the perfect product to take you into the cooler season ahead.

Dewy but not shiny, this creamy stick allows you to swipe on highly pigmented color with ease. You'll love how sheer and natural-looking it is as a blush, but that it can be layered to create more intense effects. It doesn't pool or clump, either. So you'll get that lit-from-within glow sans the greasiness. Besides, it smells like a dream, hydrates the complexion, and can even be dabbed onto the lips. How's that for a transition?

The benefits of using a highlighter are seemingly endless. While you can apply highlighters all over your face to strategically brighten, it turns out that highlighters paired with blushes make for quite the dynamic combination. The key is to blend, blend, and then blend some more.

Transform powder blush: To create a cream blush in an instant, shave a bit of pressed powder blush with a highlighter, like Benefit's High Beam. Mix together and apply on the cheeks for a subtly shimmery complexion. This combination is available in three new cheek and lip kits ($28 each).

Make a cheek tint glow: For a lit-from-within effect, apply highlighter in a large dot on the apple of your cheek. Add a cheek tint in the middle and blend, adding more color as desired.

You can never go wrong with a Grecian goddess glow, and Korres Magic Light Powder Trio ($28) allows you to get just that effect. Use the darkest, bronze-toned shade in the hollow of your cheeks to create definition. Apply the medium, blush-toned shade to add color to the apples of your cheeks, as well as your chin, forehead, and nose. Then finish by sweeping the lightest powder under the brows for an instant lift. But the best way to use this product is to mix all the powders together. Either way, it'll look like you've been lounging in the magic light of the Mediterranean for days.