How to Apply Blush According to Your Face Shape

Proper brush placement balance and define your features.

Blush has always been a makeup staple, but with what seems like thousands of blush application videos swirling around TikTok, knowing how to put on blush so that it flatters your face is key. Unbeknownst to many, face shape takes precedence when applying blush correctly. There's a lot more to putting on blush than just the old-school trick of smiling and applying it to the apples of the cheeks.

Meet Our Expert

• Jeanine Lobell is a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of neen makeup

• Rose Siard is a makeup artist, makeup educator

• Marcia V. Williams is a makeup artist and the founder/CEO of Embellish Beauty

Knowing which blush-application technique works best for your face shape is critical to getting a flattering, youth-boosting look, whether you prefer a dusting of color or full-on glam.

"Blush can be a great tool in adjusting the appearance of your face structure and, depending on your vision, can create a uniformity in the overall aesthetic of your look," says makeup artist Rose Siard. We tapped three makeup artists for their secrets on how to put on blush according to your face shape.

The Rules of Proper Blush Placement

Placing blush where it is most flattering to your face shape can give your cheeks a defined, lifted appearance while complementing the lower lid and temples. Incorrect blush placement can sometimes work against your contouring or bronzing, so Siard says knowing how to put on blush the right way will help avoid any conflict.

Celebrity makeup artist Jeanine Lobell says that proper placement and the right cheek color can help correct or emphasize the cheekbones, their shape, and the skin. But on the other hand, she adds that incorrectly applying blush can highlight areas you want to avoid calling attention to. "For example, wearing blush too low on a long, oval face can exaggerate it, and on a square face, it can make the fact look too sharp," she says.

How to Determine Your Face Shape

Since no two faces are the same, applying blush according to your face shape is what makeup artist Marcia V. Williams says gives a customized look that emphasizes your features. "Proper brush placement will balance and shape your natural features because everyone's face structure differs," she says.

If you need to figure out what shape your face is, it's easy. With a mirror in hand, take stock of your jawline. Short and round jawlines depict round and oval faces; pointy, narrow jawlines are associated with heart- and diamond-shaped faces; and a strong jaw with sharp angles indicates a square-shaped face. Or, take a photo and outline your face with a marker. Lobell says it will be clear what shape your face is just by looking at the outline.

How to Apply Blush for Different Face Shapes

Round

Round faces tend to be more proportional from one facial feature to the next, giving way to plenty of blush real estate. When applying blush on a round face, it's essential to create added definition and more of a contouring effect without accentuating the natural roundness and fullness of the face.

1. Using a fluffy blush brush, William recommends applying blush slightly above the apples of the cheeks and angling the product up towards the temples. "This helps to elongate the face and creates the illusion of more defined cheekbones," she adds.

2. Blend the blush softly into the cheeks and then move towards the temples. Williams explains that this technique helps create a softer jawline and balance the angular features.

3. Extend a bit of blush into the hairline to keep the blush's lifting effect continuous.

Square

Square faces are naturally more angular, so proper blush placement is crucial. Remember, with a square-shaped face, the name of the game is creating the illusion of softer, more rounded features. “If the cheeks and face are overly contoured with blush, it can exaggerate the squareness of the face,” Lobell adds.

1. Pop a bit of blush onto the lower cheeks (stay away from the nose) to add a bit of roundness. Lobell recommends using a brighter cheek color and even a two-color ombré technique consisting of a soft peach color higher up and a bright pink on the apples to cut the boxiness in the face.

2. Next, focus on blending the soft-colored blush toward the temples. Use small circular motions and work from the cheek to the temples and slightly towards the eyebrows.

3. Go back to the apples of the cheeks and lightly blend out a brighter-colored blush towards the ears, creating a more seamless-looking cheek.

4. Add a bit of a natural-colored blush to the jawline area, almost like contour, which Lobell shares can help soften the squareness.

Oval

On an oval face, the cheeks are a bit wider, and the forehead is a little longer, so it's important to enhance these features by putting blush on the apples of the cheeks or the cheekbones. Lobell recommends avoiding a very contoured look, which can make the face look even longer than it is.

1. Apply blush onto the apples of the cheeks or the highest part of the cheekbones, which will add some height to the face. “I like to use a bright, happy color on the apples of the cheeks and a tiny bit on the chin to shorten the face,” says Lobell.

2. Next, blend the blush out slightly up and out towards the temples. Williams says this will help improve the natural balance of an oval-shaped face without altering its proportions.

3. Take the blush outwards at an angle and extend it slightly towards the ears to keep the color along the outside of the face so that it doesn't appear drawn out.

Heart-Shaped

When applying blush on the naturally higher cheekbones that accompany a heart-shaped face, the key is to position the makeup on the cheekbones to appear even higher and more chiseled, creating balance throughout the face. "Subtle blush draping using a soft color to create a little bit of recess works well for this face shape," Lobell says.

1. Apply blush high onto the cheekbones by the outer corner of the eyes. Lobell recommends keeping the blush high since the cheeks may appear naturally wide.

2. Next, blend the blush in a C shape, taking it from the cheeks into the temples and then towards the outer tail of the eyebrows.

3. Brush any excess product into the outer crease of the eye.

4. Finally, buff the blush into the hairline or just above the middle of the ear.

Diamond-Shaped

Like oval faces, diamond-shaped faces have strong, angular features but with more of a naturally high, chiseled cheekbone. So, to prevent the cheeks from appearing too sharp, blend the blush outward to give a healthy glow.

1. Pop blush onto the tops of the cheekbones using a stamping method to deposit the product correctly.

2. With a big, fluffy brush, blend the blush into the cheekbones and out towards the ears, which gives a softening effect.