Lifestyle Mirror

The term “rouge” oft conjures up images of housewives in the 1950s with creamy shades of vibrant pinks and fire engine reds painted onto the apples of their cheeks. To take a modern spin on the retro classic, use cream blush, a popular choice for the warmer months because of the product’s staying power (creams tend to absorb into the skin, while powders rest on the skin's surface). The beauty of the cream blush is in its layering power: A gentle dab from finger to cheek and you'll look pleasantly flushed while a more generous amount of cream-to-cheek action will give you a bolder shade. And, of course, you can always work a cream under a powder blush for a mix of textures and pigment intensities. My personal application preference, however, is to apply a cream blush with a brush. Christina Zilber, founder and creative director of Jouer Cosmetics, taught me that by dabbing a blush brush directly into the cream formula and then sweeping over the cheek area, it applies more evenly, resulting in an airbrushed effect. —Sarah Howard