Powder. Creme. Cheek Pencil. Bronzer. Tinted Moisturizer

There's a million ways to blush out there. Go to a local cosmetic - counter and try on a few formulas from your favorite brands, keeping your skin type - oily, normal or dry - in mind. Some tips before you buy:

Powder Blush. The great all-time favorite. Perfect for any skintype. Sheer and natural-looking. Convenient for touchups during the day. Because it's sheer, it's easy to layer using two or more colors. Many women use a beige or cocoa-brown tone to accent cheekbones and temples and slim the sides of the nose, then overlay it with a cheeky color for extra glow.

Creme Blush. A great way to blush for normal to dry skin. Creme offers more intense color than powder, so use sparingly and blend well. Especially nice for evening, under candlelight. Since creme formulas usually have the most moisturizers and/or oils, they cling better and tend to last longer on the skin. Some women use creme blush as a 'base,' then brush a light veil of matching powder blush over it for an all-day or all-night glow.

Liquid or Gel. Beautifully lasting. Many are oil-free which make them a better choice for oily skin than a creme blush. Some are water-resistant, too. Practice makes perfect. Start with a tiny amount on your fingertips or a sponge and build-up color gradually for best results.

Cheek Pencils. Great for beginners because you have lots of control. Oily skin alert: pencils are often formulated with extra moisturizers and emollients to keep them soft and blendable. Look for oil-free formulas. Stroke on and use your fingers to blend to a sheer veil of color.

Bronzers. Liquid, powder, gel or creme. Instead of a rosy glow, another option is a sun-kissed look. Bronzers are ideal for faking or enhancing the tanned, golden glow of a week in Bermuda. Like liquid blush, bronzers take a little practice.

Use as directed - sparingly - practicing until you get the hang of it. Bronzer is especially flattering to medium and deep-toned complexions. Fair-skinned types should pick only the lightest shades, even if you have a tan, then blend to the sheerest hint of color.

Tinted Moisturizers. Another option for full-face glowing. Tinted moisturizers are a good 2-in-1 choice for weekends, active sports, vacations and other times when you want just a little color-plus the added bonus of moisture protection, too. Since there's usually more moisturizer than color in these formulas, normal to oily skin should pick an oil-free formula and use sparingly to avoid a too-shiny look [an error occurred while processing this directive]

How to choose your colors -- Glow hot or stay cool?

Contrary to popular belief, whatever your skin tone, fair, medium, or deep, you can blush in almost any color - but it's the intensity of color that can make or break the look. If the color is too deep or intense, it can look garish on light skins. If it's too faint, the color can disappear on medium to deep-toned skin.

If your skin has a cool cast, your best blush will probably be on the cool-toned side.

A rich rose for example, rather than a hot pink. If your skin has warm golden or olive tones, your best blush probably falls on the warm side, too.

From Cheek to Chic: How to Apply Blush the Peter Lamas Way

Blusher is one of the hardest cosmetics to apply. It must be blended perfectly so there's no harsh edges and your best features are subtly enhanced. Choosing the right color for your skin tone is essential. The right color will give you a healthy glow. The wrong color will leave you looking drained or overdone. Caution: Know your best features. Emphasize beautiful cheekbones, a high forehead or a perfect chin by using blusher to subtly highlight them.

Look at the whole picture: Always complement or match blusher to your lipstick color as well as your clothes.

Cheekcolor should be applied after foundation (or on clean, bare skin, if your skin looks good without foundation. Be sure to apply a thin layer of pressed or loose power on bare skin first, then blusher, to keep oily areas from causing blush to get blotchy or streak.)

How to Apply Your Formula Perfectly

In General:

For a sculpted, sophisticated look: First, find your cheekbones by sucking in the cheeks. Feel along the edge of the cheekbone. This is where you'll place cheek color. Never apply color above the cheekbone area. It will interfere with the eye area and actually make skin under the eyes look puffy. Done correctly, the final effect is to make cheekbones more prominent and enhance your other features.

For a soft, diffused glow: Smile to reveal the "apples" of your cheeks - they're right in the middle of the face. Apply color horizontally, over this "apple" area and blend lightly. As always, keep blush at least one and one-half inches away from the nose and never brush color near the eyes.

Using Your Favorite Formula

Powder. Invest in a professional quality, full-bristled brush designed specifically for powder blush application. When applying powder blush, don't overload the brush with color. Excess color will only give you a harsh, overdone look. Sweep brush lightly across the powder blush pan and tap gently to get rid of any excess.

Stroke brush along the edge of the cheekbones, in an upward motion, towards temples, without going too close to the hairline. Add a touch on the chin and another, across the brow, brushing in a horizontal direction, to balance the whole face.

Creme. Using your fingers, place 3 small dots on cheekbones and blend towards the temples until color is even. Blend another dot on chin to balance color.

Liquid or Gel. Squeeze or stroke a dot of color on fingertip. Blend on cheekbones, working towards the temples. Reapply if needed to intensify color. Add a dot on chin and blend, to balance.

Crayon. Gently make 2-3 light pencil strokes on the cheekbones and blend towards temples. Add a little on the chin and blend, for balance.

Do's and Don'ts:

DO - Apply blush in layers, building color up gradually.

DO - Invest in a large blush brush designed specifically for blushing.

DO - Wash powder blush brushes frequently with soap and water. Air-dry to keep them fresh.

DO - Wash your hands before and after you blend in crème, liquid or gel blusher to prevent transferring bacteria to your skin - and staining fingers and clothes.

DO - Look at your face from all angles after blushing to make sure every edge is completely blended.

DON'T - Blend blusher inwards towards the nose or downwards below your cheekbone area. Always blend in an upward motion, out towards the edges of your face.

DON'T - Overload your brush or apply too much color in the beginning. You'll only have to remove most of it to achieve the natural look you're after.

DON'T - Rub your skin hard when you blend. Blend gently with the pads of the fingers or a soft makeup sponge.

DON'T - Clash with your other colors. Select a blush color that co-ordinates with your lip color and your outfit.

Shape and Blush -- Custom Face Sculpting with Blush

Your blush color can correct the contours of your face subtly, for the illusion of a more classic, oval shape and a flawless bone structure. The secret is in where you place your colors to bring out some features and minimize less desirable ones.

Ideally, your cheek color should start at a point no lower than the bottom of the nose and no farther in than the center of the face. If you place it too close to the eye it can make eyes look puffy. Blush color should be brushed in a slight angle upward toward the top of the ears and be well-blended until edges disappear totally. Never let color extend to the hairline. The goal is to look glowy - not overdone.

Now that you know the basic rules, let's bend them to work with your needs.

For a long, narrow face: For more width, keep the color low - no higher than the lower ledge of cheekbone - and keep the angle horizontal-level with the mid-point (not the top) of the ear. Apply color only on the outer third of the cheeks (cheekcolor in the middle of the face will emphasize length).

For Sky-High Cheekbones. Brush a beige contour color lightly, just under cheekbone towards the temples and blend lightly, to create a "hollow" in the cheek area. Then, add your favorite cheekcolor on the ledge of the cheekbone and angle it towards hairline, as discussed above. Blend the edges of both colors carefully. Together, they will accentuate the height of the cheekbone dramatically.

For beautiful highlights, add a dot of white eyeshadow powder right on top of the cheekbone, above your blush. Place it right where light normally hits the bone the strongest, to accent the arch.

Erase a Double Chin. Dip your brush in a natural beigy-toned blush and sweep once or twice, under the chin. This minimizes any excess under the jawline. Warning: blend meticulously!

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