The Best Blush Shades for Your Skin Tone

Our Favorite Blushes for Fair Skin Tones

A soft pink, peach or light coral will enhance your porcelain skin in just the right way. Consider a creamy blush texture that yields a natural finish without being overpowering. "Cream blushes mimic the skin's finish and settle into the skin in the most realistic way," says Ciucci. 

When applying, the key is a light application. "Tap the color onto your cheeks with your fingers or buff it in with a duo-fiber brush," Ciucci adds. Too much product or the use of saturated hues will create a harsh finish. If you prefer that type of look, go for it. Otherwise, work to select the right intensity of blush for a natural, flushed-cheek finish.

Some of our favorite blushes for fair skin tones include the Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush in Rose Flush and the Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek in Perk.

Our Favorite Blushes for Medium Skin Tones

A rich pink, and even certain shades of mauve, will leave you with a dramatic edge — especially when you apply blush on all the right spots. To find the right landing space for your chosen hue, smile and see where your cheekbones naturally pop. Apply a bit of blush up and down that half-moon space and even into the corner of the eye area for perfectly placed warmth.  

Tip: If you have an olive skin tone, avoid cooler tones like plum as they can make your complexion look sallow, Ciucci explains.

Try the L’Oréal Radiant Satin Blush in Berry or the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Blush in Pink Outside the Box.

Our Favorite Blushes for Deep Skin Tones

Deep shades of red, orange and brown are the ideal blush colors for dark skin. "The trick is to choose a shade that looks crazy bright in the packaging," Ciucci says. These colors, unlike light powder pinks, will leave you looking radiant instead of washed out. Try a fuchsia (think dark radiant orchid) if your skin tone tends to be warmer or a bold tangerine if it is cooler. Sweep blush onto your skin in a circular motion at the apples and then continue it outwards towards the tops of the ears for a gorgeous pop of color. 

We recommend the ColourPop Super Shock Blush in Over Dramatic or the Lancôme Blush Subtil in Keep Calm & Blush.