Blush vs. bronzer: which should you be wearing?

You’re getting ready in the morning. You’ve applied your foundation and now you’re looking to add some colour to your complexion. But what do you reach for – your blush or your bronzer?
Tricky situation, right? You almost feel like it’s your own (very, very mild) version of Sophie’s Choice*, where only one will win the glory of enhancing your complexion. It’s also confusing trying to figure out which one you should use, and where.
So here’s a super-quick guide to work out the colour your cheeks should be sporting.
IF YOU WANT TO LOOK SUN-KISSED:
Go for the bronzer. The brown pigments will give your skin that I’ve-just-spent-a-week-in-the-Caribbean glow and if you choose one with some shimmer in it, it will give your skin an instant hit of radiance.
How to use bronzer
Apply your bronzer under your cheekbones, around your jawline, by your hairline and on your nose and chin. Lightly dust some on your neck, chest and décolletage for good measure.
Try: Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Brick
IF YOU WANT TO CONTOUR:
Reach for the bronzer, but make sure the powder is free from any shimmer or glitter. The natural hue will help bring out your angles while adding warmth to your face.
How to contour
Apply the powder in the hollows of your cheeks – starting at your temples by the top of your ears and blending the colour down to the corner of your lips. You can also apply the colour on either side of the bridge of your nose and at your temples.
Try: benefit Hoola
IF YOU WANT YOUR SKIN TO LOOK 'AWAKE':
Hello, blush! Pink and peach blushes will help give your skin a wonderfully natural flush that almost looks like you’ve run up and down the stairs a few times (without, you know, actually having to do it).
The key to an effective blush application is to keep the colour light and not too pigmented, otherwise you’ll lose that whole ‘natural finish’ thing.
How to use blush
If your face is round or oval, apply your blush on your cheekbones up towards your ears as this will help lengthen your face and add definition. For longer faces, apply your blush on the apples of your cheeks and extend the colour horizontally towards your ears. There are other techniques if your face is square or heart-shaped, and you can read them here.
Try: MeMeMe Blush Me Blush Box in Rouge
If you want an overall natural finish:
Use both. No one actually said you have to use one or the other – we all just seem to weirdly think that’s the case.
How to use bronzer and blush
If you’re going to use both, follow the steps above. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with how much you apply and make sure you blend the colour in properly.
Try: Natio Sheer Delight Blush & Bronze Palette
*A novel where a woman has to choose between her two children.
Do you ever get confused about which to wear? Are you more likely to use blush or bronzer?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
Review them now to earn points that you can swap for free beauty products in RewardsRoom.
189 Member Comments
I like to wear blush and bronzer, I change up my beauty look to suit the occasion. Sometimes I like a sun kissed look other times I like a little blush on my cheeks.
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I like to wear both, especially blusher
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Love using both blush and bronzer :)
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The hoola contour stick is amaze balls!
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I use blush every day to give me a bit of colour.
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I most often use both, love a good natural finish
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I am so excited for bronzer! Sure blush is nice, but I would rather look like a sun goddess than an embarrassed geisha
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Bronzer definitely, I always tend to overdo my blush
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i love bronzer so much!! good read
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I really need to brush up on my bronzing ;-) Bronzer all the way
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I need to improve my bronzing skill...
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I like bronzers that apply lightly its easier to apply when they don't look like you drew a brick on your face.
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I wear blusher every day but bronzer I am very careful about applying otherwise I look terriblt
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Another good article! I am both a bronzer and blush girl, glad I found this as I have no idea how to apply properly!!
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I was so confused when I was first given a bronzer to try. Had no idea what to do with it. Then I figured it was like blush, but I could use it on other areas on my face for a sun kissed look.
So now I use both if I feel like it, or just blush if I don't want to use bronzer, or just bronzer if I want that...bronzed look. I love that bronzer is versatile.
I was given a Natio blush and bronzer (has the two) but it wasn't the palette. Both the blush and bronzer suit my skin tone beautifully.
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I use bronzer most days, as I love the look it has for me!
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I think you can have best of both worlds, my highlighting shimmer brick has 6 shades from white to peach to pink to bronze and I find this gives me a natural look with the best of both blush and bronzer when I swirl my brush over the whole palette then apply
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I rarely use bronzer, preferring the healthy glow & radiance that blush gives
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Or you could go for the multi-taskers where it's a blush and a bronzer in one! Gotta love Benefit!
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I was a bronzer user for the longest time until I started using blush this year and now I use BOTH in my current routine! Though sometimes I would choose one depending on what I'm feeling or if I'm in a rush.
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Will stick to blush. I have a maturing skin, that is fair and sensitive. Bronzer would maybe be too much.
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I need blush otherwise my face looks like a pancake but bronzer is too much on me.
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