As someone who has always favoured natural-looking makeup, it’s fun to check in on the beauty trends windsock and see which way it’s blowing.
One from last year is Boyfriend Blush, dotted under the cheekbones and out towards the ears to mimic the after-effects of a particularly strenuous workout or getting legless at the pub. Some say radiant, I say ruddy.
Then there’s Blush Blindness, seemingly inspired by Eighties rockstars where the M.O. is to go completely overboard, curving layers of blush - sometimes in different hues - from the apple of the cheeks to the outer eye. Channel Grace Jones at her height or hayfever in full flow, and you won’t go far wrong.
My favourite way to apply the stuff is on the apple of each cheek fading towards the temples and connecting with a few light dabs on the bridge of the nose, a faint ‘W’ daubed across the middle of my face. Colour in the apples injects a healthy-looking flush on the skin, and a little on the nose gives my Indian complexion a wholesome, back-from-holiday glow.
For decades, the blush you could always find in my handbag was Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge. It’s a creamy, buildable blush that spreads easily, housed in a palm-sized compact with a little mirror under the lid to aid your efforts. It comes in nine colours; Powder Pink was my favourite for cheeks, but for dual use across lips and eyelids, the darker Rose or Chocolate Cherry worked better on my skin - I’d just use a little less and take time to blend in the colour thoroughly.
Reader, I thought I’d be buried with my Pot Rouge, but a new contender has turned my head and won my affection: MERIT’s Flush Balm (£26).
It comes in 13 colours, split into: The Pops for a bright burst; The Neutrals if you want subtle, warming colour; and The Classic Pinks, all designed to suit an array of skin tones from the palest skin to chocolate brown.
Colour inclusivity isn’t the only reason I love it, although it’s nice to have a wider choice to play with. The small pot with a domed lid is packed with a super creamy formula that’s full of vitamin E to imbue your face with both a light wash of colour and a super hydrating sheen for glowy skin. Skip the highlighter: it’ll be overkill.
The Flush Balm should be stamped directly onto the skin, and if you’re somewhere warm or have oily/combination skin like me, it’ll take seconds for it to melt in. You’ll need only a few swipes of your fingertips to blend in whatever’s left. It’s buildable but won’t leave you feeling caked and lasts hours, although I find adding a good setting spray over it in the morning keeps it looking peachy all day.
This blush is also perfect if you often find yourself applying makeup on the go, petite enough to stuff into handbags and pockets without weighing either down or needing an accompanying brush to dot it on. Since its discovery, my pre-door pat-down goes: wallet, keys, phone, Flush Balm. I have turned back to retrieve it on the very rare occasions I’ve forgotten it at home, not least for its sheer versatility. Choose the right shade - for me, that’s Postmodern - and it can double as a lipstick and eyeshadow too. She’s a multitasker.
So, any downsides? Stamping it directly onto the skin does mean it will pick up your foundation over time, but a light swipe with a face wipe every so often gets rid of unwanted residue. It’s better than picking up the colour directly with your fingers and letting possible bacteria fester in the pot. Nothing beautiful about that.
The one thing I’d love to see is a mirror attached somewhere on this pot blush. The only reflective surface is the gold-coloured base, which is a poor reflector as it warps distortions; it’s like applying blush in a teeny House of Mirrors.
Fix this Merit, and you’ll be coming up roses.
Merit Flush Balm
A severe lack of vitamin D makes anyone look washed out. Rebuff well-meaning (but annoying) looks of concern with Merit's Flush Balm.
The small pot, perfect for slipping into a crossbody, contains a creamy, easy-blend formula that floods cheeks with lively colour and as a bonus, it can be daubed across lips and eyelids too. Postmodern, a deep pink brown, gives sailing on a Caribbean yacht all Christmas, adding a sunkissed flush to my Indian skin tone.
Lighter and darker complexions may find more joy in the 12 other hues, helpfully split into three sections: The Pops, The Neutrals and The Classic Pinks.
Buy now £26.00, Merit
