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People assume that we have a built-in blush just because we have flushed cheeks from rosacea. If you’re dealing with rosacea, you know that that’s not the case. Facial redness from sensitivity and irritation is not the same as naturally rosy cheeks. Not to mention, our redness is not evenly distributed on the face. So yes, wearing a blush when you have rosacea is far from easy. But it’s absolutely doable! Take it from me. I’ve been dealing with rosacea for almost a decade now and I love wearing makeup. It took me a while to find the perfect blush and rosacea-friendly colors for my rosacea cheeks but I did it.
So keep reading to find out how to wear blush with rosacea, how to choose your blush colors, and application tips.
1. Color-Correct Redness
Applying blush directly on bare skin can result in an uneven skin tone. It can even make your skin look more flushed than it is.
For that reason, color-correct redness and neutralize your complexion first. You can use a green-tinted primer or concealer to cancel out redness.
You can also simply use your foundation or concealer to cover up facial redness. If you’re not comfortable with wearing a full-coverage foundation, you can try Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment. It’s a green-tinted primer that’s infused with SPF.
I sometimes use it all over my face instead of a foundation. Other times, I use it on the center of my face to tone down the redness.
Similarly, consider using a tinted moisturizer or a BB cream as your base product. Once you have an even-looking base, you can move on to the application.
2. Be Gentle When Applying Your Blush
In general, fluffy brushes or dense, stippling brushes are used to apply blush. If you’re using a brush to apply your blush, remember to be gentle on the skin.
Because a brush can aggravate redness and irritation as you harshly swipe it across your cheeks. So use a gentle hand and slowly build the pigments.
3. Use a Makeup Sponge
Instead of a makeup brush, consider using a makeup sponge or beauty blender to apply blush on rosacea skin. A sponge is much softer and gentler on the skin than makeup brushes.
Whether you’re using a powder blush or a cream blush, dab the sponge into the product and gently press it into the skin.
4. Set Your Blush
Some powder blushes can fade during the day due to wind. Cream blushes can melt into the skin and move. When that happens, the underlying redness can start to be noticeable, giving you uneven skin. Here’s a quick blush tip you can try to avoid that.
After you do your base makeup, use a setting spray to keep it in place. And when applying your blush, first spray your setting spray onto your sponge or brush. Then dab the sponge/brush into your blush and then start applying. This will keep your blush in place all day.
5. Go For Powder Blushes
There are powder, cream, and liquid blushes. Each has its own advantages and drawbacks. But in general, powder blushes are the safest option for people with rosacea.
They usually don’t contain common irritants such as fragrance. They’re easier to apply and they don’t require you to press or rub the product in, which may aggravate redness.
6. Be Selective with Cream/Liquid Blushes
Cream and liquid blushes can give you a more natural look. Much like face cream, they can contain emollients and preservatives to maintain that cream/liquid texture. Also, you need to blend your cream or liquid blush into the skin.
For that reason, they carry more potential for irritation. So when it comes to cream and liquid blushes, be very selective with your blush and make sure it’s gentle, free of irritants, and easy to apply.
7. Choose Peach Colors
The best blush shades for people with rosacea and facial redness are peach and coral shades. Other blush colors you can experiment with are taupe, plums, and muted mauve.
Additionally, I can say from my personal experience that cool-toned blush colors that double as bronzer look amazing on rosacea skin.
I can swear by MAC’s Powder Blush in the shade Melba. It’s a very soft coral peach and has a matte finish.
8. Avoid Pink and Red Colors
Bright pinks and reds may be too similar to the underlying redness on your skin and can look unnatural on rosacea skin.
As rosacea is more common among people with lighter skin tones, bright red and pink shades will basically imitate your natural redness and make it look worse.
9. Go For Matte-Finish Blushes
You might think that the finish of your blush has nothing to do with how good it’s going to look on rosacea skin. After all, makeup all comes down to personal preference and you can do whatever you want with it. However, there are some key points to consider here. And this is something I’ve had to find out myself.
If your rosacea is acting up, meaning that you’re going through a flare-up phase where your skin is really red and you’re having rosacea bumps all over, the finish of your blush can make things worse.
Shimmery blushes or dewy blushes can make the underlying skin texture more noticeable. The bright finish can draw attention to bumps and acne from rosacea.
Matte finish blushes come in handy when this is the case. Matte blushes make the skin look smoother and can draw attention away from rosacea bumps.
10. Consider Bronzers
If you absolutely can’t make blush work for your rosacea skin, consider swapping your blush for a bronzer. There’s no need to obsess over blush if it makes you uncomfortable.
A cool-toned bronzer can help you define your face and add warmth to your cheeks without amplifying redness. Just avoid bronzers that are too orange.
On days when I don’t want to use a blush, I grab Nars Laguna Bronzer to warm up my skin.
11. Make Your Rosacea Work For You
If you’re still finding it difficult to make a blush work for your skin or if you want to skip it altogether, make your natural flush work for you.
First of all, good skincare goes a long way. For those no-makeup makeup days, properly hydrate and moisturize your skin after you thoroughly cleanse it.
And then use a very gentle base product with no/minimal coverage. I can recommend Erborian CC Water Gel. It gives no coverage but it tones down redness just a little bit and gives you a very luminous base. It also calms the skin.
After your skincare routine, apply the CC Water Gel on your skin. You’ll see that the redness on your cheeks still shows but it looks more natural.
So this is how you can wear blush with rosacea. As you can see, you can still wear blush even if you’re dealing with redness and rosacea. It’s just about prepping your base and going for the right colors that soften redness and amplify your natural beauty.
