At Athr Beauty, we're blush girls to our core. And truthfully, we don’t believe in any rules on the subject – wear whatever shade speaks to your soul and if you’re living in your more-is-more blush blindness era, we love that for you.
Having said, we know it can be a bit overwhelming choosing from the never-ending array of blush shades, so we’re here with a simple guide to finding the most flattering blush shade for your skin tone.
That’s where Desert Rose Lip & Cheek Oil Stain comes in—our deliciously decadent, ultra-illuminating formula, designed in four delectable shades to bring forth the glow in every skin tone. It’s a perfectly pigmented lip and cheek oil that triples as a creamy liquid blush, a high-shine lip gloss, and a dewy, hydrating all-day lip stain. Keep reading to find your perfect blush match!
“I think this is one of the best formulas I've ever tried for a lip + cheek oil stain. I was scared that it was going to be too sticky as a cheek, but I actually think it's PERFECT. The perfect formula, and the perfect colors. I do recommend first putting it on your lips, kissing your fingers, then adding to your cheeks so it's not too pigmented. Obsessed!”
Step 1: Decode Your Skin’s Undertone
Undertones are the subtle hues beneath your skin that influence how colors look on you. You’ll likely fall into one of these categories:
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Cool undertones: Your skin has hints of pink, red, or blue.
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Warm undertones: Your skin has golden, yellow, or peachy hues.
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Neutral undertones: A balanced mix of both cool and warm tones.
Not sure what you are? Here’s how to tell:
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Look at your veins: Blue or purple? Cool-toned. Green? Warm-toned. A mix of both? Neutral.
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The sun test: If you burn easily, you’re probably cool-toned. If you tan quickly, you’re warm.
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Jewelry test: Silver pops more against cool skin, while gold shine its brightest on warm tones.
Step 3: Undertone + Skin Depth = Your Perfect Shade
Now that you know your undertone, let's combine that with your skin depth to find the perfect blush color for your complexion:
Best blush for fair skin
Soft pinks, light peaches, and sheer berries flatter fair skin tones best. The key is lighter shades that will enhance but not overwhelm your coloring. If you lean on the warmer side, opt for Harmony, our light peach tone that gives dreamy peaches and cream energy. If you have fair skin with cool undertones, Wisdom, our peachy coral shade will illuminate your natural rosy tones. If you fall in the middle, either is perfect!
Best blush for light skin
A touch deeper than fair skin, light skin tones shine in soft corals, rosy pinks, and warm peaches. If you're warm-toned, try Wisdom for a peachy beachy glow that enhances your natural golden glimmer. If you're cool-toned, try Influence for a playful pop of hot pink. If you're neutral, you can easily wear both!
Best blush for medium skin
Warm corals, deeper roses, and rich peaches will likely be your favorite blush shades. Wisdom is the perfect match for warmer medium skin tones, creating a sun-dappled glow, while Influence will add a bold yet balanced flush to cooler tones. If you're neutral, take your pick!
Best blush for olive skin
Olive skin ranges from medium to dark, but shares a naturally tan, sunkissed look. Bright and beachy tones like peach, coral, and hot pink illuminate that inner radiance best. If you have a cool skin tone, opt for shade Influence, the hottest hot pink that will boldly bring forth that rose-toned luminosity. If you're more warm, you'll love Harmony for a golden-peach flush that brings out your sunlit tint. Neutral gals, your skin will love them both!
Best blush for deep skin
Bold berries, rich plums, and vibrant, saturated pinks bring stunning contrast and dimension to deeper skin tones. Focus on those deeper, brighter shades that'll pop on your skin. If you have dark skin with warm undertones, try shade Courage, a rich deep red that gives a Bordeaux-by-the fire-vibe. For cooler toned queens, opt for Influence, a richly pigmented barbiecore pink that's bold but balanced.
Step 4: Choose a Clean Blush Formula
Not all blushes are created equal. The best clean blush should be deeply hydrating, incredibly illuminating, perfectly pigmented, beautifully blendable, packed with skin-improving ingredients, and of course, free of toxic ingredients, synthetic fragrances, and pore-clogging fillers.
And bonus if it’s infused with literal crystals for outer radiance and inner balance like our much-beloved Desert Rose Lip & Cheek Stain.
“Oh my goodness! This product is absolutely amazing. First, the shade harmony of it is made for me. I love it because it’s a shade that you can wear all summer, fall, and winter and it will never be off season. The product blends so effortlessly on your cheeks and leaves me with a pop of colour on my cheeks! I also love this as a lip stain. It stays on my lips after applying all day. I have a lot of discolouration on my lips and it really helps put that colour back into my lips all day long. I highly recommend trying this product!!”
Cream Blush vs Powder Blush
Cream or Powder? It all depends on your skin type, how you like to apply, and the finish you're after. Here's how they compare:
Cream Blush
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Best for dry, normal, or combination skin, it melts into the skin for a dewy, fresh-faced finish.
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Buildable and blendable, giving a natural, lit-from-within glow.
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Works beautifully when applied with fingers, a brush, or a sponge.
Powder Blush
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Ideal for oily or combination skin, as it can help absorb excess oil and mattify.
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Tends to have a more matte or satin finish.
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Best applied with a fluffy brush for soft, diffused color.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you love a natural, skin-like finish, cream blush is the way to go. If you prefer a more structured, long-wearing look, powder blush might be your best bet. If you're on the oilier side, try layering both—start with a cream formula like our Desert Rose Lip & Cheek Stain, then set with a powder blush for all-day color.
Why You'll Love our Desert Rose Lip & Cheek Stain
It's a gloss, it's a stain, it's your favorite liquid blush. It's everything - all in one deeply nourishing, high-pigment formula that will have you dreaming of bright desert blooms and rare cactus blossoms. Infused with collagen-boosting, radiance-inducing desert oils, this antioxidant-rich formula is a delicous treat for your lips and cheeks. You'll be blushing from dawn till dusk.
“There are so many products that claim to be multiuse, but rarely do they work beautifully on both lips and cheeks - usually it's one or the other. The Desert Rose Lip + Cheek Oil Stains are such a beautiful plush texture. When diffused on the cheeks, they are left glowing and not sticky, but applied more heavily on the lips they take on a glossy appearance. Eventually that wears off and leaves behind a long lasting stain. These have been a true new favorite for me!”
The skin-nourishing ingredients
Organic Rosehip Seed: This moisture-rich oil is full of nourishing fatty acids for petal-soft, satin-smooth, and gorgeously flushed cheeks. Antioxidants lycopene and beta-carotene help improve skin texture and protect skin from aging free radicals. Vitamins A and C boost radiance, combat discoloration, and encourage healthy collagen production.
Jojoba Seed Oil: A deeply hydrating oil, jojoba attracts water to the top layer of skin, sealing in moisture. Rich in Vitamin E, it helps boost collagen and fight oxidative stress that can cause premature aging.
Organic Prickly Pear Seed Oil: Prickly Pear is high in omega 6 and 9, vitamin E, and amino acids which stimulate collagen production in the skin. Vitamin K helps brighten the skin, calm redness, and promote elasticity.
Ethically Harvested Candelilla Wax: Incredibly soothing, Candelilla Wax softens and hydrates the skin while promoting cell turnvoer thanks to its high vitamin A content.
Step 5: Where to Apply For Your Face Shape + Vibe
Blush is the shape shifting, face lifting magic wand of the beauty world. Wear it on the apples of your cheeks for a youthful, fresh-faced vibe, apply it high atop the cheekbones for a snatched and sculpted energy, or dabble it along the top of the cheeks and across the nose for that faux sunburn energy we can't get enough of.
Want to tailor your blush placement to your face shape? Here's how:
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Round face: Apply blush slightly higher on your cheekbones and blend it upward toward your temples to create a softly defined, lifted look.
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Oval face: Sweep blush onto the apples of your cheeks and blend outwards for that effortless, naturally flushed glow.
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Square face: Apply blush on the apples of your cheeks and softly blend towards your temples for balance.
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Heart-shaped face: Focus blush along your cheekbones, avoiding the very center of your face, to create a harmonious, softly sculpted look.
Step 6: Application tips
For glossy, high-shine lips & flawlessly flushed cheeks, apply onto your lips first with the doe foot applicator, then kiss your two fingers, dab onto your cheeks, and blend, blend, blend.
Apply it straight from the tube for high-gloss lips with a candy-apple shine. Or if you'd rather that blurry, lived-in look, simply blot your lips after applying for a matte all-day stain.
