Put down the contour kit, and go easy on the illuminator; there is a new beauty trend sweeping the Instagrams of it-girls everywhere and it involves sculpting your face with blush. With the arrival of spring, there’s really no better time than right now to embrace a rosy flush, so say hello to the latest beauty trend you need to know about, draping.
It’s a spinoff of contouring (that was soon replaced by strobing) and involves the strategic application of blush to highlight your fave facial features. Think of it as a way to bring out the natural ‘drape’ of the face with a fresh flush of colour and a bold cheek.
You’ll need a couple of hero products and a little know-how to achieve the look, which is where we come in. Here is our ultimate guide to get your drape on.
STEP 1 – Start With A Deep Shade Of Blush
Glide a blush brush, such as this soft and fluffy Airbrush Soft Focus Blush Brush from Manicare over a deep berry or tawny shade of blush. We love Revlon Powder Blush in Wine Not and NARS Blush in Seduction. Sweep this dark shade just underneath your cheekbones, across your temples and underneath your chin. Have super dry skin? Try blending a cream blush like Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush with your fingers to subtly define and drape your face.
STEP 2 – Drape The ‘Highs’ Of Your Cheekbones And Facial Features With A Lighter Shade Of Blush
Make your complexion radiate the healthiest of spring glows by applying a light pink or nude blush to the apples of your cheeks, the tip of your nose and beneath your brow bone. If you’re looking for a dewy glow, try HOURGLASS Illume Colour Trio (we love mixing the pink hue with the champagne highlighter).For a fail proof, suits-every-skin-tone blush, try Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Kink & Kisses.
(Side note, it was actually the Marc Jacobs Beauty team who ‘officially’ revived the whole draping movement with the release of his spring summer makeup collection earlier this year)
The number one thing to keep in mind here is to blend to perfection (and of course, less is always more!). Whilst we love us a little Bianca Jagger circa Studio 54, we don’t need to channel her chiselled cheekbones in 2016.
STEP 3 – Avoid Cakey-Blush-Face
We’re not sure if cakey-blush-face is a thing, but we do know that this technique is all about keeping things looking natural (we’ve bid farewell to OTT contouring techniques). So, keep your rosy glow looking fresh and flushed throughout the day by ensuring your skin is hydrated at all times.
Once you’ve finished draping, spritz your face with a rosewater mist, and keep it on hand throughout the day to revive your perfectly draped facial features. Our faves? Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist and Chantecaille Pure Rosewater.
And there you have it, a defined and sculpted yet natural complexion that’s oh-so-pretty for spring thanks to your new favourite product, blush.
If you're heading overseas and want to avoid the dreaded dry skin, check this out.
Image credit: Magdalena MM on Stocksy