As the British sunshine makes a welcome return, so does our appetite for glowing, spring-ready makeup. Luckily, we don’t need to look far for inspiration, as the Princess of Wales has just served up a youthful makeover, complete with a ‘lifted’ blush trick.
Yesterday, Kate was all smiles as she attended the Irish Guards parade for St Patrick’s Day (and we can’t help but wonder if her shamrock bouquet had anything to do with the glorious sunshine).
Luck aside, she embraced her signature smokey eye for the occasion, but she made a subtle makeup tweak with a spring-fresh approach to blush. Rather than focusing on the apples of her cheeks, her blush was swept high along the cheekbone, creating a clever facelifting effect.
‘The blush lifting trick is incredible’, says celebrity makeup artist Mira Parmar. ‘It sculpts the face without using any contour. When done right, it’ll draw people’s eyes upwards and make your face appear more youthful.’
Better yet, Mira says it’s a technique that even makeup novices can nail. As she explains, ‘you just need to take your blush higher up in a sweeping motion, towards your cheekbone where you’d usually apply highlighter.’
It’s an especially lovely technique to incorporate as we move into spring, because as Mira says, ‘spring and summer calls for lots of blush’. She recommends investing in formulas that feel light and deliver a skin-like finish.
‘Cream and liquid blushes are great for the warmer months,’ she says. ‘Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is a favourite from my kit. People can often be intimidated by liquid blushes, but you just need to remember that a little goes a long way. Just tap a small amount on and blend out with your brush.’
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
For a cream option, Mira notes that Merit’s Flush Balms are brilliant, even for beginners. ‘They’re so easy to use. Stockholm is one of my favourite colours, it’s a neutral pink and works across a load of skin tones.’
That said, if you love powder blushes, fear not — there are plenty of fantastic formulas out there that still deliver that natural, sun-kissed finish. Mira notes the YSL Make Me Blush in Restless Rosé as a current favourite. For a budget buy, she recommends Revolution’s Blush Icon palette, which costs less than a tenner. ‘It includes a cream blush, a darker matte and a shimmer all in one palette,’ she says.
Whichever blush calls your name, the technique remains the same. Sweep it up high for an instant lift. Easy.
