BEAUTY THERAPY: My new blush crush

Want to look fresher, brighter? Then grab one of these cheeky numbers, says our Beauty Director   

Hold on to your shower caps – because I’m about to recommend a £70.50 blusher. Yes, a bit of powder rouge that costs almost three-quarters of a hundred pounds. Please bear with me though, even if for that price you think it ought to come with a make-up artist and breakfast in bed. For starters, there are some less expensive options here too, and blush is one of those products that can really change a face. It can make you look fresher, brighter, healthier, happier – even thinner if well-placed – in an instant. But also, in all fairness, Sisley L’Orchidée Corail highlighter blush (1, £70.50, sisley-paris.co.uk) is my favourite in a raft of new launches. 

Strictly speaking, it’s the latest shade to join the existing range of two and it’s a flattering coral and apricot, with specks of gold and coral sparkles (and works for any age). These are good sparkles, by the way, the kind that give just a hint of youthful light to proceedings rather than the super-saturation shimmer that many products have. The combination is a perfect balance of natural-looking warmth with a dash of subtle dazzle and I’ve garnered many a compliment while wearing it. Plus, the packaging feels pretty swanky if you appreciate things closing with a satisfying ‘snap’, akin to an old handbag clasp. My bugbear with it is that it isn’t refillable and I’m not sure that nowadays any palette can be considered real luxury if it can’t be refilled. 

Japanese brand Suqqu has a great liquid option, Shimmer Liquid Blush (2, £26, selfridges.com), available in five new shades; I love the skin pink (number one), which looks very natural, and the hot orange (number three), which blends down to warm coral. Liquid blush is good, I find, when you feel you need a bit more dewiness to your look, and modern technology means this blends so well it seems as though it’s your own skin. This stuff is pretty well pigmented – you only need the smallest amount of it, so go easy on the pump. 

For a fun gel blush look to Paul & Joe (3, £19, beautybay.com from 1 March). Its make-up always comes in such pretty, cheery packaging. This is no different and the largely water formula glides smoothly. For less colour, try putting it on before foundation or CC cream, says Pablo Rodriguez, director of artistry at Illamasqua. 

Miild Mineral Blush (4, £30, uk.klarify.me) is all about natural make-up with sustainability at its core. A Danish brand, it was founded by two make-up artists who suffered allergic skin reactions to many beauty products so decided it was easier to create their own. This is finely milled and the Cherise Splendid shade is the perfect flattering dusty rose. Everything comes in cardboard packaging – not satisfying in a traditional fancy way maybe, but it certainly hits the eco-friendly mark. Miild is also Ecocert and bears the Nordic Ecolabel approval too.