Blushing, Yet?

A certain FOD (and by that I mean "Friend of Domesticity") recently blogged about how she has been skipping blush from her makeup regimen. Now, I'm not one to gasp and scold my friend for doing that; I myself like to skip blush once in a while, especially in the summer when things get sweltery and the sun makes my skin get toasty. I also know that the friend in question has no need for blush on her own, considering that she also gets as tan as I am and has better bone structure than I do.

That said, there will be times when you will need blush, especially when the natural ambient lighting makes your skin look like hell and you don't want to walk around looking like a real-life analog of Emily Strange. So, for the sake of my blush-phobic, skin-conscious friend, this article is all about blush for blush-phobes.

Please note, however: Since I'm writing for my friend, I'll try to concentrate on blushes for women with oily skin that gets tanned pretty easily. Also, some of these blushes will require a separate brush, since certain cream/stain formulae can be hard to apply; for that you will have to get an extra-fluffy brush of your own. Finally, I will TRY to write this entry without once mentioning a certain peachy-pink shade with an embarrassing name from an otherwise fabulous company.

HIGH END:

- BeneFit's Georgia and Dallas. ($28 each) Luminizer, shmuminizer - we're talking about the definitive blush-for-blushphobes here, with skin-warming hues and suitably fluffy built-in brushes.

- Bare Escentuals bareMinerals All Over Face Color. ($18-20) Longtime Domesticity readers would know that I swear up and down on the fabulousness of the Warmth shade, which looks like ground-up lava in the pot but goes on sheer enough to give off the "hey, looks like somebody went to the beach" glow. That doesn't mean that this entry starts and ends with Warmth, however; Sephora and the Bare Escentuals website carry a wide range of All-Over Face Color shades in varying hues of pink, peach, and bronze.

- Anything from MAC. Have I not mentioned enough about the new Mineralize blushes ($21) from the Sonic Chic collection already? The Nuance shade in particular - which was used during my Nordstrom makeover - was subtle enough to stand up to smoky eyes while still keeping my skin healthy-looking. The other MAC blushes are nothing to sneeze at, either: Fleur Power and Margin (powder blushes, $18) are staples among makeup artists. and Eversun (Beauty Powder Blush, $18) is also a perennial blogger favorite.


DRUGSTORE: (all products are priced between $8 and $14, and could go cheaper on sale)

- L'Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Blush. Sure, L'Oreal also makes mineral blush, but the True Match line has a professional-tested formula and non-garish shades that go great with one's complexion. The neutral shades in particular (like Apricot Kiss, above) are good for an occasional pop of color.

-Maybelline Mineral Power Naturally Luminous Blush. If you must buy one mineral blush from the drugstore, why not go with the one that won kudos from O Magazine and warranted the highest score from the girls at DeLush? Having seen these in person, I will tell you that they look really dark in the jar - and the shade selection, while narrow, is vibrant enough to give the other mineral brands a good run for their money.

- Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Blush. Physician's Formula already makes some of the best bronzers around (and bronzer, BTW, is a great alternative for blushphobes) so it would stand that they would also turn out a nice blush on their own as well. Again, limited colors, but the multi-color palette is just way too pretty to pass up!