Makeup is a fantastic tool for creativity and expression, but it does come with some downsides. In particular, heavy cream foundations can often prove terrible for skin, clogging pores to create heavier wrinkles and a more exhausted, oily appearance.
Whether you’re trying to give your skin a well-deserved break or just shortening your daily makeup routine, ditching the foundation for a time is definitely worth a try.
Even without the use of foundation, you can still use blush to add color and brightness to your complexion. When wearing blush without foundation, however, be aware that the formula may not stick to your skin as well and could interfere with your natural rosiness.
Blush has a long history in our makeup industry, both with and without the use of foundation. Read on to learn more about blush, how to wear it without foundation, and ways to make that color last all day!
History of Blush
For as long as humans have been wearing any form of makeup, they’ve been wearing blush.
Made to imitate the natural glow of rosy skin, blush has long been a sign of fertility and health. By painting the apples of their cheeks with a shade of pink or red, men and women alike hoped to indicate that they were well-fed, well-rested, and had the potential to make a fantastic partner.
To the best of our knowledge, blush finds its roots in ancient Egypt, where men and women mixed a natural red pigment with fat to create a creamy stain for their cheeks and lips. The trend quickly grew and spread all over the world.
Soon, blush began popping up in daily routines world-wide. The Romans created their own form of blush using red vermilion, and the Greeks began utilizing crushed mulberries to enjoy the pop of color.
During the Middle Ages, cosmetics took a dark turn as people began turning away from color, preferring a blank, plaid appearance as well. Ruddy cheeks were taken as a sign that someone had worked hard, and therefore weren’t wealthy enough to lay around indoors.
Pale cheeks were so desirable during this time that if someone were not pale naturally, they would go so far as to bleed themselves to remove any redness from their cheeks. Talk about commitment!
Luckily, however, this pale, sickly complexion didn’t stay in fashion for too long. With the rise of Queen Elizabeth I in England, with her red hair and heavy rouge, blush came back into style, and it’s been here to stay!
Through the eighties, bright colors were incredibly popular, and women frequently didn’t leave the house before a heavy application of hot pink blush. Today, colors trend more towards brownish and bronze shades rather than the brilliant pink of the eighties and nineties.
Wearing Blush without Foundation
Just because your hoping to give your skin a break from heavy foundations doesn’t mean that you should have to forego makeup altogether. With the use of blush, you should still be able to feel “put together” even without a face full of makeup!
A few things to be aware of when wearing blush without foundation:
- Blush is meant to imitate the ruddiness of healthy skin. If your skin already has pink undertones, you should be wary of using blush on your bare skin.
- On its own, powdered blush may not stick to your skin in the same way that it does when you provide a foundation as a base. You’ll likely need to utilize moisturizer or primer in its place.
To make your blush last longer than a few hours, you’ll want to take a few precautions.
Tips for Making your Blush Last
Just because you’re hoping to skip foundation doesn’t mean that you don’t have to prepare your face before applying other makeup. Before using blush, be sure to fully wash and cleanse your skin. In doing so, you start from a clean canvas.
After cleansing your skin, moisturize. Use a moisturizer that contains added SPF for additional protection against UV rays. From here, you may even consider using a primer to smooth your complextion prior to adding blush. By dusting your blush over clean, moisturized skin, you give it a creamier base to stick to, increasing the chances that your blush will last the rest of the day.
This being said, you might be better off skipping powdered blush altogether!
Cream and liquid blush function more like paint, meaning that it is more likely to stick to your skin on its own strength. Apply this blush using your fingertips, sweeping the product across the skin of your cheeks where rosiness already occurs.
To keep the look in place, follow up your routine with a quick setting spray.
Creative Ways to Wear your Blush
Though blush is most typically used across the cheekbones, that isn’t the only way you can use this product. With a little creativity, you can use blush to enhance color all across your face, creating a fabulous, natural look.
Try using your fingers to sweep a layer of blush across your eyelids. In doing so, you can easily add a pop of natural color without the time-consuming nature of the most complicated eye shadow patterns!
Be aware, this trick works best with green, hazel, or deep brown eyes. When paired with blue eyes or very fair skin, it can have the opposite effect, leaving your eyes looking puffy or swollen rather than softly highlighted.
Cream blush can make for a fantastic lipstick, creating a color-bridge between your cheekbones and your lips to create a gorgeous symmetry. This look can be especially powerful with brighter, more intense blushes.
If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you’ve likely noticed the trend of girls wearing a dot of blush over noses. The look makes sense!
By using blush to imitate the redness induced by a little sun exposure, you enhance your natural beauty through a sun-kissed look. Invest in blush with a little shimmer to enjoy an additional highlighting effect as well.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be an artist or commit to hours of makeup tutorials to enjoy it’s effects. With only a little blush, you might find yourself able to quickly put together a look strangers might otherwise think took hours of effort!
Taking care of yourself and your appearance can be its own unique form of self expression. Don’t miss out on the opportunity just because you’re turned away by the thought of heavy foundation.