Advertisement Tess says that in all honesty, her internal monologue while going through the motions ran along the lines of, Why would I ever want to do this But after taking a step back, she was into it.

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Close Alert Close Sign In Newsletter Search Search Style Beauty Entertainment Wellness Culture Video Women of the Year Back to Basics These Before-and-After Photos Show What a Difference Blush Can Make Theres something about back-to-school time that calls for a refresh.

Thats why this week, were throwing it back to the basics: putting easy makeup hacks to the test and a shining spotlight on the simple products thatll make a big difference.

By Rachel Nussbau m Photography by Michelle Sulco v August 31, 2018 Facebook Twitter Email Michelle Sulcov Facebook Twitter Email This isnt something we say often, but blush is almost too basic to be fun.

Take a beaten-up brush thats seen better days, grab an inoffensive shade of pink, and swipe it across the apples of your cheeks.

If that sounds familiar, well, the sorry truth is that weve all been shafting blush.

Because if you know what youre doing on the approach, it turns out there are few things that make a bigger difference to your face.

Its like the magic of contour, without the potential for someone asking if you have dirt on your cheek.

So how do you use blush in a way that it actually makes a difference Thuy Pham, head of artists education at Dior Beauty, explains that she has a few rules of thumb.

If you want a more natural flush, opt for a blush thats on the same side of the cool-warm spectrum as your skin tone (so if you have warm undertones, a warm blush wont draw much attention).

If youre looking to add a little more life to your face, head to the opposite side of the spectrum as your skin tone, since itll bring contrastverve energy pepto your look.

Pham suggests stocking three blush colors in your makeup bag, including a pink, a brown, and a coral (so, not five shades of the same mauve-y rose.

Noted). Pink is foolproof and works across the board, while brown is an easy, grounding choice that adds balance when dark lipstick or heavy lashes are in play.

And coral, surprisingly, earns Phams praise as the most universally flattering shade, since it melds the benefits of pink and brown into a brightening flush of color.

As for where to stick these colors on your face, heres a true shocker: Theres more to life than blush on the apples of your cheeks, contrary to the advice of every aughts-issued magazine ever (ICYMI, the apple of your cheek is the part that grandmothers pinch when you smile).

Its all about your angles, Pham says, so keep the basics below in mind.

Pham treats blush like an art form, but since she cant do our makeup every morning, we had her give four Glamour staffers blush advice.

Michelle Sulcov Khaliha Hawkins Administrative Assistant Pham chose the warm, peachy-coral of Diors Rouge Blush in Actrice for Khaliha, who wanted a natural-looking shade.

In life before this day, Khaliha says her blush technique was to dust it across her apples and up toward her temples, but Pham recommended that she try placing it below her high cheekbones.

In the same place where contour powder would go to make those hollows recede, blush brings attention to Khalihas cheekbones by grabbing attention instead, softening and enhancing her bone structure without exaggerating her angles.

Khaliha says that Pham brought up an interesting point; she usually plays up her cheekbones with a contour and relegates blush to just adding a little color.

Armed with this knowledge, she says shell be whipping out this trick when she goes too hard on her contour sticks (like always).

Shop the look: Dior Rouge Blush in Actrice, 44, neimanmarcus.com Michelle Sulcov Tess Kornfeld Editorial Assistant Tess was down to try a look with more color, so Pham walked her through a modern spin on blush draping (also known as what makes the women on GLOW look so good ).

Heres a fun metaphor: To create structure on longer faces, a bra and underwear method draws peoples eyes up and to your own, thanks to a duo that works in harmony.

Following Phams advice, Tess took a brown blush on a large, fluffy brush and created a wide expanse underneath her apples and cheekbones, then topped it with pink blush at the very top of her cheeks, right up near her under eyes.

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