Blusher, cream rouge, face paint, rosy tint, are all the same thing. Makeup used to give us a pop of colour, enhance and shape our face and sometimes added just to make us look more awake. and has been around for many years, in fact thousands.
It has been said that they think the ancient Egyptians were the first to use blush as a cosmetic aid. Mixing red ochre and water togther to create a rosy glow. Both men and woman would apply the paste to enhance there looks and a show of status.
The Greeks used crushed mulberries, while the Romans used red vermillion.
The middle ages saw blush fall out of favour, ladies of the night were
perceived to have red cheeks. The connotations of flushed cheeks were
so unpopular that leeches were even used to remove blood from the face,
whilst egg whites were used to lighten the skin… That is, until
Elizabeth I brought it back into fashion. Elizabeth ruled from 1558
until her death in 1603. Whilst her beauty still focused on pale skin,
it also featured the colour red - from her red hair, red lips to her
dramatic blushed cheeks.
Women in the renainssance period were known to use pinching techniques, slapping their cheeks, or biting their lips and cheeks to create a natural blush, lets be honest i think most of us have used this technique once or twice!
1863, a french company called Bourjois created the first powder blush (yes the very same Bourjois that we can find in stores today).
From Bourjois- 'WOMEN HAVE HAD A CRUSH ON THIS BLUSH SINCE 1863'. Here's why our iconic Little Round Pot is so addictive. Made using Bourjois’ exclusive baked technology developed in 1863, Little Round Pot’s incredibly transparent, light and silky formula is made using powder, water and shimmering mother-of-pearl. We’ve refined our formula to la perfection over 150 years to ensure it dusts skin with soft, transparent colour and blends impeccably.'
21st Century Blush, we prefer to stick to applying it to the apples of ours cheeks, some on the bridge of your nose and a sweep across the eyes to brig it all togther. NARS best selling blush is Orgasm, which shows us sensuality still sells!
Cream blushers have really come in to there own this year (2024). Dont get me wrong they have been around for a very long time but this year I have seen a lot of ladies swapping out the powders for the cream alternatives.
It is an easy product to use on clean skin to give yourself just a touch of colour.
It's easier to blend multiple cream blush colours together to create a
custom shade than it is with powder It can also be used on the lips to bring the look togther. As a bridal artist, I have found beauty in applying a cream blush, followed by a little powder to blur out the edges and lift the central area. Hourglass and Rare beauty are 2 of my go too's at the moment for creating depth and enhancing the face.
So why is blusher often reffered to as a touch of rouge? Rouge, comes from the french word Red. Rouge is a cosmetic used to color the cheeks or lips, and can be applied as a powder, cream, or liquid.
As we age, we should slightly alter the placement of our blusher to suit our faces that have started to show the lives we have lived! Please get in touch if you would like some advice on what colour to use, where to apply etc. I offer 1-2-1 makeup lessons and group lessons. which is always a great way to get your girlfriends togther.
