Spring 2017 Beauty Trend Report: The New Ways to Wear Blush

Date March 1, 2017

Whether it was to mimic heat wave flashes, create rosy sun-kissed cheeks, or apply it with abandon using an 80’s era technique, blush got big play at the spring shows. Warming up the apples of the cheeks is a simple way to add life to the face but at shows like Alexis Mabille and Blumarine, makeup artists injected some modernism into it by using oils and glosses. This gave the blush a transparency and the appearance of skin that was in great condition.

But it wasn’t just the texture that got tweaked; placement was also played with. At Mansur Gavriel, James Boehmer used a pinky peach and applied it on the face, the bridge of the nose, close to the eyes and on the lids. “It sounds like a weird thing to say, but if you’ve ever looked at yourself in the mirror right after you’ve cried, you have this redness around your eyes that’s really pretty.” Then there was the blush draping seen at Kenzo and Chanel. The technique, pioneered by makeup artist Way Bandy in the 80s, involves extending the product from the cheek up into the temples and even onto the lid. The key to this application: lots and lots of blending. When you think you’ve blended, blend again.