Serenity beauty

Have you ever wanted to know how the professionals get their subtle glow?

Blusher is supposed to look natural, and recreate a youthful flush. If you get the look spot on, you should look as if you're not actually wearing anything!

Mineral make up is really popular at the moment, due to the fact that it's natural, doesn't clog your pores, and can give you flawless results with real staying power - perfect for blusher and base, which have an annoying tendency to rub off as the day goes on"

For colour-perfect results, try using mineral make up from the Jane Iredale range. You can protect your skin from damaging UVA/UVB rays, get rid of irritating ingredients that can be as bad for the planet as they are your skin, and look fantastic at the same time!

First you need to find a base that suits your skin tone - if you're using a mineral powder, err on the side of 'less is more' and buff powder base into your skin in a light circular motion, beginning at your T-zone. Jane Iredale Amazing Base is perfect as a skin primer - the lack of artificial ingredients means that it's suitable for even the most sensitive skins. Liquid based mineral foundations can be used in the same way as any other liquid foundation. Amazing Base powder and Jane Iredale's Liquid Minerals come in a huge range of shades

Leonilla, beautician and director of Serenity Beauty has a top tip for blusher... "Wait until you've added everything else before you start applying your blusher - then you can see the complete look - and that means you can avoid overdoing the colour!"

When you come to apply the colour, remember to be sparing with your application, and build up your colour slowly -because mineral based colours can be extremely concentrated. The Aunt Sally look was terrible on Wurzel Gummidge in the 1970's yet some women still insist on adding just a little too much - and the results are less than subtle.

Paola Recabarren is makeup artist to many a celebrity, including the luminously pretty Keira Knightley. She says:

"A natural coloured blush is designed to enhance your cheekbone area (the apples) and can be swept up to your temple. Use a deeper shade of blusher or foundation as a shader - roll your finger under your cheekbone to find exactly where it is located and shade on or below to contour (depending on how you want to shape your cheekbones).

"For a radiant glow, sweep blusher onto the apples or balls of your cheeks (the round swelling of cheek that you get when you smile) - think about where you see the colour when you glow from blushing naturally, and sweep it softly upward toward your ear.

"Have a good look in the mirror, and get to know your face, feel your bone structure if your cheekbones are not obvious, so that you can work out the best place to enhance your features."

Jane Iredale's Pure Pressed Blush is a multi-talented makeup that doesn't have to be restricted to the cheeks - you can use the intense colour powders on eyes and lips too. The Jane Iredale range is divided into warm and cool colour palettes so that you can be sure of choosing a colour to suit your complexion perfectly.

If you're more of a cream blush girl, try the creamy In Touch blush stick, which even smells delicious!

Expert tips for applying blusher:

• Keep application soft - blusher should never be an obvious stripe.
• Build up colour slowly - start with less and add more if needed.
• After applying your contour to shape your cheekbone, focus your blusher colour on the apples of the cheek; blend upward and outward - sweeping the blusher up to meet between your temple and the top of your ear.
• Finish by highlighting the top of your cheekbones with a light shimmer to accent shape. This subtle emphasis will really give you the illusion of higher cheekbones / more shape to your face shape, and the appearance of a sheer healthy glow.

Did you know...

Mischa Barton's makeup artist Nick Barose blends a sheer liquid foundation on top of a cream blush to mimic a natural blush, "as if blood is rushing to your cheeks".