MAKE UP FOR PALE SKIN: BLUSH & BRONZE

It's time for the second instalment of my pale skin series, where I show you the best products I've found for my pastey complexion. If you missed the first post I did on make up bases for pale skin then you can catch up with that one here. I talk through my favourite foundations, concealers and setting powders, but today's topic is blushes and bronzers! For me, when it comes to adding colour to the skin, whether that be with a contouring product, something to add a healthy bronzed glow or a pop of blush to the cheeks, it has to be subtle. If I'm too heavy handed with colour then I literally have to wipe my cheeks clean and start again, otherwise I resemble one of those scary porcelain dolls with the bright rosy cheeks (not the good kind!). Everything I'm going to mention varies in pigmentation, but all are really buildable when applied lightly, and give a really natural finish when used sparingly.

Bronzer was something I would only tend to use when I'd applied a bit of fake tan, but since taking these photos I've actually fallen in love with a liquid bronzer I've recently discovered. Enter The Body Shop 'Honey Bronze' Bronzing Gel for Face! It's basically a bronzer in a runny gel formula that's designed to add a subtle sweep of colour to the face. I think it's meant to be applied all over, but I've been buffing mine in to skin as a contour at my cheek bones using a stippling brush. It gives a lovely dewy finish and blends in really nicely. Before this came in to my life I'd been using a light dusting of the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzing Compact Powder in Light Shimmer. I like this one as it's a lovely light shade for paler skin tones, and the shimmer is really subtle. I suffer from quite visible pores in certain areas of my face so have to be careful with shimmery products, but this is just right. Another couple to mention that I didn't photograph (oops) are the Sleek Contour Kit in Light and Benefit's Hoola Bronzer. These are two really great matte alternatives if you really don't want to add any shimmer, especially when it comes to contouring, and although they do look a little scary in the pan, they blend out really nicely and a little goes a long way!

For me, blushers are the most important part of my make up routine as they give my complexion a bit of life! I tend to go for rose shades (English rose and all that!) most of all, but I'm also partial to a coral or a baby pink! I have way too many blushes to feature, so I've whittled it down to my absolute favourites. The one I reach for most is my NARS blush in Orgasm. There's something about this pinky coral that makes my skin look so much nicer and brighter. It does have a fair bit of shimmer which may be a little too much for some, but I can just about handle it. All the others I've chosen to feature have a matte finish. I'd recommend Illamasqua's Nymph - a bright candy pink, Benefit's Dandelion and Natural Collection's Peach Melba - both peachy shades , all of which have a great colour pay off. Nymph is obviously a lot brighter, so use this one with caution as it is VERY pigmented, but once blended out it gives a lovely pop of colour on the apples of the cheeks. Dandelion and Peach Melba are very similar (I'd probably go as far to say as dupes) and give a really natural rose flush, perfect for every day. Finally, and best of all in my opinion, is the Fine One One cream blush from Benefit. This comes in stick form and almost resembles a roll up deodorant, but once you get past the bizarre packaging, it's my all time favourite blush. I won't harp on about it too much as I've written a whole blog post on this beauty here, but it's basically a pink blush, coral blush and highlighter all in one, which gives the most amazing dewy glow to the cheeks and works perfectly on pale skin.

So there we have it! That's my run down of the best blushes and bronzers I've found for pale skin tones. Obviously there will be a lot more than these but these are the ones I've come across so far. If there's any others that you'd recommend then let me know! 

Next time I'll be back with a run down of my favourite eye products, featuring eyeshadows and a few eyeliner, mascara and brow recommendations for good measure!