This new makeup trend is taking fashionistas by storm. Contouring, strobing and ton touring have made way for draping, where blusher is used to sculpt facial contours and improve skin tone. It's actually not new, but more of a revival: blushers and draping first hit the news during the 80's, when silver screen goddesses such as Elizabeth Taylor, Brooke Shields and Cher tested the water. The idea is to show off our best features by working around our bone structure. Its resurgence is thanks to Marc Jacobs, who adapted this classic technique and added a modern twist to make the final result as natural-looking as possible.
No need to stock up on war paint - a blusher suited to your skin tone will do just fine: rosey tones for fair skinned blondes, orange/beige for brunettes and olive skin and brighter tones for black skin. You'll need a soft, flat, long haired blusher brush so that you can lightly apply your blusher without leaving streaks or lines.
- Sculpt: to show off your facial contours, begin with a more intense, darker shade of blusher. Start by applying it just under your cheekbones, to the bottom of your face and just below your hairline. This will soften and plump up your features. Follow with a lighter shade on the top of your cheekbones Blend in both tones for a natural look. Lift:
apply your blusher to the top of your cheeks and work along (not above!) your cheekbones. Continue by applying it to your chin, with a dab on each side to define your jawline. You can go one step further by applying a touch to your temples.
- Blend: the final step is to apply your blusher to the top and sides of your face, for an even-toned finish. Work your blusher across the top of your eyebrows, towards your temples. Continue along the bridge of your nose and add a dab to the tip of your chin. Finish off with your neck, blending your blusher down towards your cleavage. And there you are, 'draped' and ready to go!