What Is Blush Tailoring? A Look Into the Universal Blush Technique

If you are anti-blush, chances are high it’s because you’ve never found a shade that actually gives you a natural-looking flush. Some pinks may feel way too punchy, or maybe you’re not fully convinced bright red will translate in the same way that it did on Margot Robbie during Wuthering Heights. But any blush hater has—possibly—met their match in the form of a new color-matching technique: blush tailoring.

Coined by Rose Siard, makeup educator and founder of Rose and Ben Beauty, blush tailoring helps you find that perfect shade of pink for your skin tone. Though technically not a new form of blush application (many makeup artists have been doing a version of this for years), it’s a method that continues to grow in popularity. Siard’s video helps to demystify the technique for those of us who are doing makeup at home in just a few minutes.

What is blush tailoring?

Blush tailoring, as Siard defines it, is when you take your favorite blush and mix it with a small amount of your foundation or concealer. It’s a way of “tailoring” your complexion products for the perfect fit. “You’re basically adding your own skin tone and undertone into the blush, which creates a shade that feels more customized to you,” she says. “It helps blush look like it belongs on your face instead of just sitting on top of it.”

“It’s a great technique to embrace,” adds celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. “Especially in a time of ‘blush blindness.’ This is a chicer way to approach blush; it’s hint [of color] and very flattering since your own skin tone is mixed right in, making it feel more natural.”

“It gives them control,” says Siard. “Instead of buying a new blush every time something feels a little off, you can adjust what you already own. It also makes makeup feel more personal; you’re not just applying a product exactly as it comes. You’re playing, customizing, and creating something that works with your face. That’s the fun part.”

Again, this technique isn’t new. But Siard says she coined this term as a way to put some sort of language around a popular technique that made sense to her and her community. “I was thinking about it the same way you would tailor clothing,” she says. “You’re taking something you already like and adjusting it so it fits you better.”

How do you do it?

Nailing blush tailoring is quite simple—though it’s only possible to do with cream or liquid products (and both should be of the same format). Siard says to start by selecting a blush and putting more than you’d typically apply into your hand. Then add a very small amount of your foundation or concealer of choice and mix them together on the palm of your hand or a palette. She advises starting with more blush than base product, “because you still want it to read as blush,” she says.

Once you’ve mixed a shade that feels right for you, blend in the color the same way you normally would. (She likes to press it into the skin with a brush so you’re not swiping the product around or lifting what’s underneath). “The whole point is to create a blush shade that feels connected to your actual complexion,” she says.

Bhatty says that liquid formulations the easiest to work with, but that a cream blush isn’t entirely out of the question. She just recommends using a cream foundation or concealer if you’re using a cream blush and a liquid foundation or concealer if you’re using a liquid blush. “Keeping the mediums the same is the key to it not becoming patchy after you mix,” she says. “Liquid to liquid is my favorite, but it’s makeup so have fun.”