Between moving and me just not that familiar with bronzers, I apologize for not updating this series last week. However, this week we have something really fun - blushes! 

Blush came into my life way after I started applying makeup. I don't know what I was thinking before then. I look back at the photos and cringe, not at the slightly grungy eye makeup, or the maximum coverage foundation, but at the fact that I was completely and irrationally washed out. At best, the only color that I had on my face was the dark green eyeliner I would smudge out on my lower lash lines. That was it. I guess I was trying to relive the punk, goth moment in my late teens. Definitely not my best look. In enter blush, a slight sweep and you're immediately transferred from zombie to human. 

Back in the day, people had to pinch their cheeks every so often to bring color to their face. I guess that's where the phrase "beauty is pain" came from. But thanks to the low-pain-threshold ancestors that just didn't want to self-torture to look flushed, blushes were born. Most blushes come in powder form, but cream and liquids are becoming more and more popular these days. Cream and liquids give you a more natural "from within" kinda glow when compared to powders. They can usually also be used as lip products as well. But girls that tend to be on the combination/oilier side may find that these formulas will not last on you. Powder blushes, on the other hand, are great for nearly everyone. They come in a bajillion colors and in every price range.

As with almost every other makeup product out there, there is variety and different finishes when it comes to blushes. Satin finishes are probably the most common as it adds some dimension and glow while not being too over the top. Matte blushes are great for adding the color without the sheen, you can then top this off with a highlighter if you want to add more dimension. And then there are the shimmery blushes. Looking ridiculously shiny and glittery in the pan, don't worry, most of the glitter isn't visible as chunks when applied. It actually gives a really pretty highlighting effect that'll let you not have to use the extra step of highlighting. 

In most tutorials, people tell you to place blush on the apples of your cheeks (aka the fleshy part of your cheeks). While that's okay for some, being slightly hamster-faced myself, I like to place blush higher along my cheekbones, drawing attention away from the rounded cheeks and slightly sculpting some cheekbones in the process. 

There are a bajillion of different blush shades and I could tell you which one to use for what skin tone. But honestly, there are a bajillion posts out there telling you that and personally, I just pick what color I like. There are a few "cheats", if you may, that I like to do on lazy days: for example choosing a slightly coppery-peachy blush like NYX Terra Cotta as it's almost a bronzer/blush in one. And then on other days, blushes more on the shimmery side, like theBlam Hot Mama! I like to use and then skip highlighter. There's no rule when it comes to applying blush, just be weary of applying too much and end up looking like you're about to run away with the circus! 

What are your favorite blushes? 

Previously: Skincare | Concealer | Foundation

Next week on #theSOproject: Mascara 

Pictured: Tarte 12-Hour Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface | NYX cream blush in Rose Petal | NYX Terra Cotta | theBalm Hot Mama!