Blush [3] is undoubtedly my favourite makeup product. Not only are the colours generally more wearable than some other cosmetics, but once you've found your go-to blush shade [4], you can wear it on your eyes and lips as well.
There are quite a few blush hacks that have made their rounds recently, but one I saw on Instagram claimed to be the solution to finding your perfect shade especially piqued my interest. Makeup artist Nam Vo [5] — who's best known for her "dewy dumpling" tips — created this hack as a way to get the easiest "baby doll" blushed cheeks. It only requires two products: concealer and red lipstick, and when blended, you get the perfect shade of pink blush for your skin tone. I had to give it a try.
To start, I chose my two products: the Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer [6] ($28) and the Ctzn Cosmetics Code Red Lipstick in Rooi [7] ($28).
Going in with the lipstick first, I swiped some of the product onto my check in a diagonal line, just as Vo did. Then, I applied the concealer in an opposing diagonal line on top. I then took my E.l.f. Buffing Foundation Brush [8] ($7) and blended the two together.
At first I was concerned that the concealer was a bit too emollient, but as I continued to blend, I started to see the most beautiful pink colour on my cheek. The more I blended, the softer the colour became and when I was finished, I achieved that very delicate, baby-doll cheek, just as Vo said I would.
The cheek colour dried down as any normal concealer would, but because this was essentially a cream blush, it wasn't as flat on the face as a matte, powder blush might. With my normal glowy skin prep, I can see this hack also being perfect to achieve that extremely "glass skin" look.
Red lipstick and concealer are two products that I always have either in my purse or my makeup bag, so if I am ever in a pinch, this is a handy tip to keep in mind. (I may even incorporate it into my daily makeup routine — it's that good.) The most impressive part of this hack is that it is actually universal, because using a concealer in your shade makes the trick work across skin tones.
I can't rave about this hack enough. It will immediately become one of my go-to tricks for an easy, delicate, soft pink blush and I highly recommend giving it a try for yourself.