Blush

When you walk into a beauty bar, there are numerous choices when it comes to blush. But basically it boils down to this: Should you go with a powder or cream-based formulation? Although both have their merits, celebrity makeup artist Jake Bailey reveals the biggest differences between the two. Read more to get his tips on achieving a rosy glow.

Spring's juicy lipstick shades of gold-red, season-perfect maraschino cherry, and coral-red look fresh and bright on everyone. Orange-inflected reds just look happy and new, and they're extremely easy to wear. So to find out how to get your perfect match and see shades for every skin tone, just keep reading.

Models' high, sculpted cheekbones aren't 100 percent genetic. In fact, a lot of that dramatic definition comes from the work of talented makeup artists who have a nuanced understanding of contouring. But you don't have to be a Fashion Week veteran to use a little subtle shading to make the most of your apples. Actually, all you need are two similar blush colors of slightly varying depth. The trick here is to use the lighter blush on top of your cheekbones and the darker blush underneath. Because the shades aren't too different, it creates the illusion of more shadow beneath your cheekbones, and therefore more definition. Just make sure you blend well so it doesn't look streaky.

Source: Flickr User potato kungfu

Scarlett O'Hara famously pinched her cheeks in Gone With the Wind to give them a healthy flush, but if you're looking for something a bit more long-lasting (not to mention less painful), blush is the way to go. In recent weeks, Kate McCarthy, Glo Minerals's national makeup artist, has been sharing tips on getting blush right. From choosing the formula to employing more advanced techniques, graduate with flying colors from Blush 101 below:

• Warm or cool? Bold or subdued? Choose the right blush color for you.
• Selecting the proper formula doesn't have to be tricky: your cream or powder questions answered.
• Create the most flattering effects by applying blush according to your face shape.
• Act like a pro and put blush on your lips and eyes.
• It's settled: no, Virginia, you do not have to match your lip color to your cheeks.

Have you ever heard that you should match your lip color to your cheek color? While the look does work and most certainly has its place, Kate McCarthy, Glo Minerals' national makeup artist, advises that it's time to break the old-school rule. "If you're looking at fashion shows right now, they're going all out — really bold cheeks, really bold lips, and really bold eyes," she says. "None of it seems to match, but it still looks good."

And when it comes to choosing a lipstick, gloss, or liner, go with this general principle to guide you: base your selection off your natural lip color. "For example, my lips are more on the pink side," McCarthy explains. "They're a stronger pink, so I tend to stay in the pink family and the peach family." But if you have lips that skew more red in color, you're a lucky one, because you can pull off a great red or orange. And for fleshier skin tones, opt for mauves or anything that has a brown undertone.

Besides mascara, concealer, and lip gloss, almost every makeup artist around counts blush as a must-have beauty item — particularly as included as part of a time-saving, five-minute routine. Not only does the multitasking product enhance and brighten, but it can also be used other than on the cheeks. "I also actually like to use blush on the eyes and on the lips, to kind of step outside the box with it," explains Glo Minerals' national makeup artist, Kate McCarthy.

To do this technique on the eyes, choose an eye brush of your choice, and softly sweep over the lids. For the lips, just load some up on your finger, tap on the lips, and add some gloss on top. Not only do these techniques lend a cohesive look to your style, they're time- and cost-effective, too.

Glo Minerals' national makeup artist, Kate McCarthy, has already shared tips on how to choose the best blush color and how to apply it based on your face shape. But when it comes to formulation, which texture should you choose? Find out how to get it right when you read more.

It turns out that choosing a blush color isn't so hard after all, and when it comes to applying this face-enhancing makeup product, a similar principle rings true. Once you know a few tricks and application techniques, you can say goodbye to blotchy mishaps and streaky effects. Find out how to sweep on blush properly (and how not to) when you read more.