For the past few years, contour, eyeliner, and even lip looks have been having their proverbial moment in the sun. You couldn’t scroll through a feed or flip the pages of a magazine without someone telling you how to bring out your cheekbones, make your eyes look bigger, or create the perfect pout. But as minimalist makeup — or at least more natural and less Instagram-inspired — continues to dominate the beauty world, people are looking for more ways to look more fresh-faced.
And because of this turn towards reality, blush is getting some much-needed love. While highlight and contour aren’t going anywhere any time soon, we’re seeing that new ways of applying blush are becoming increasingly popular. And that means that whether you’re all about trends or simply looking for fun fresh takes on makeup staples, it’s not a bad idea to learn about what has the beauty world all hot and bothered with blush.
Draping — An Updated Approach to Contour
Contrary to what social media would have you believe, contouring is an old beauty hack. While makeup newbies will credit it back to the mid-2010s, anyone with a real background in beauty will know that the real OG and inspiration behind mainstreaming contouring tricks was Kevyn Aucoin, a makeup artist whose brushes graced the original supermodels of the 80s and 90s.
But before the iconic Kevyn Aucoin was wowing with contour, draping already existed thanks to makeup looks from the 1970s. Celebrity makeup artist Way Bandy launched the technique and called it “color glow.” The look was forgotten for a while but did make a comeback around the same time as traditional contouring in 2016.
What Draping Isn’t
Draping relies on blush rather than traditional contour products (think complexion products like foundations, setting powders, and concealers) to help create shape and define your features. The goal is to be significantly more subtle about making those cheekbones pop versus the bolder contour of the mid-2010s. So, you can still create a structured face, but with less product and yes obvious contour lines.
Get the Look
Exactly where you place your blush when draping is going to depend on your face shape. In truth, this is the same for traditional contour. While social media would have you believe that everyone can apply contour in the same manner, this is far from true — and can even create a weird effect on some face shapes when contour is placed incorrectly. But the main goal is that you’re not just applying blush to the apples of your cheeks. Instead, you’re following the natural contours of your cheekbones.
For an every day lifted look you’ll want to place your blush upwards as you work along your cheekbones and even up towards your temples. But again — keep it natural and use a light hand so you look more fresh-faced and less like you stepped out of the 1980s.
Meanwhile for more fashion-forward events — or if you simply prefer a bolder look — you’ll want to apply color more liberally or in a shade a bit darker than you would normally use. This is especially true if you want to stay true to the original color glow technique of the 1970s. And if you want to have fun with this look, consider creating an ombre blush by picking two contrasting shades and placing them one above the other along your cheekbone. Just be sure to blend so that there aren’t any harsh lines.
Sunburnt Blush — Taking Fresh Faced to a New Level
If draping or “color glow” still feels a bit too obvious for you, there’s always the sunburnt blush trend that you can try. This one didn’t originate on TikTok but the popular video platform is taking all the credit for breathing new life into it.
Similar to draping. Sunburnt blush is a fun way to play up your features and can also create a sunkissed without having to spend time in the sun. The whole point of this look is to use blush not just on your cheeks, but on your nose as well. The look gets its name because when you spend time in the sun, you can get a bit rosy.
What Sunburnt Blush Isn’t
This is not a contouring hack. Unlike draping, you’re not trying to gently carve out features. Instead, the focus is on creating a glow that brings life and warmth to your face. Likewise, this is one where the adage “less is more” seriously applies. You want to look more sun-kissed and less like a Raggedy Anne doll with harsh pops of color on your face.
Get the Look
Unlike draping, this is a technique that’s probably easier for everyone — including makeup newbies. You’re going to start with your favorite blush and simply apply it as you normally would to your cheeks. For the best results, pick a hue that mimics a natural flush for your skin tone.
And the nice thing is that this is a look that works for any skin tone. You don’t have to be fair to rock the sunburnt blush look. Just remember that you’re also going to swipe the blush over the bridge of your nose as you move from one cheek to the next for a natural effect. If you like, you can opt for a dewy blush to infuse a bit of shine.