Celebrity Makeup Artists Love This Sculpting Blush Technique

When it comes to makeup trends, blush is in a lane of its own. From sunset and sunburnt to boyfriend, babydoll and ombré, we’ve seen it all—and the appetite for more hasn’t slowed. If there’s one thing this year has made clear, it’s that blush isn’t meant to be subtle.

Enter blush draping, a technique that uses color placement to create a flushed yet softly sculpted effect. “It’s just like contouring,” says celebrity makeup artist Christian Briceno, but instead of a brown bronzer, you’re using color. The result sits somewhere between Rihanna’s iconic 2017 Met Gala blush-blind moment and today’s more wearable takes.

Ahead, two celebrity makeup artists break down the trend, from its early roots to the modern version taking over right now.

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What Is Blush Draping?

Blush draping is a technique used to shape and lift the face through intentional blush placement, much like bronzer-based contouring—but softer. “Like contouring, blush draping can enhance your facial features, but it appears more seamless and natural,” says celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg. While bold blush placement isn’t new, today’s approach focuses on creating a lifted, skin-forward finish rather than a heavy flush.

According to Briceno, the technique traces back to American makeup artist Way Bandy, who used bold sweeps of blush along the cheekbones and toward the temples in the 1970s to sculpt with color. The look—seen on icons like Cher—was dramatic and doubled as contour. Today’s version is more precise and intentional. With lift as the goal, blush is “pulled higher and wider across the cheekbone,” Briceno explains, adding that it can even be swept toward the temples or softly blended into the eye area.

What Formulas Work Best?

If you’re a blush fanatic, you probably already own a range of formulas—and for draping, you have options. “Cream and liquid blushes definitely work best because they blend easily and look very skin-like,” says Greenberg. “But a powder can work too, as long as it’s buildable.”

The right formula depends on the finish you’re after. “Liquid blush creates a bolder, more editorial drape, while cream-to-powder formulas look softly blurred with a diffused matte finish,” says Briceno.

For a more intense flush, he recommends ultra-fine powders. “They give you the cleanest gradient from cheekbone to temple and blur imperfections in textured and oily skin,” he says. Finish matters here, too. As Briceno explains, dewy or ultra-shimmery blushes don’t always translate well with this technique. “Extra-creamy or glittery formulas don’t do well over big areas. They tend to slide, crease and turn your sculpt into a hot spot instead of a softly lifted flush,” he says.

How to Get the Look

Before applying blush, decide where you want the most impact. “Think of it as mapping,” says Briceno. “Placement should be determined by where you want the most strength; however, you don’t want to create any harsh lines.” For blush draping, that usually means starting at the highest point of the cheekbone, just under the outer corner of the eye. From there, sweep the color up and out toward the temple in a C-shape, slightly onto the temple and hairline.

Placement makes a difference. As Greenberg notes, placing blush too low on the cheeks can work against the look. “This will drag the face down rather than the snatched look,” she says.

Face shape should guide placement, too. “If you have a round face, try placing the color slightly higher and angling it less toward the center of the face,” says Briceno. Bringing blush higher into the brow and eye area can flatter more defined cheekbones, while longer face shapes often benefit from adding a touch of color to the apples for balance.

Products to Try

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“Cream blushes tend to look the most natural and seamless,” says Greenberg. The stick format makes it easy to apply to specific areas, which is ideal for blush draping. It blends effortlessly into the skin, delivering solid color payoff and a glow that reads natural—not shimmery.

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“A few dots of this blush sheared out will give you a smooth wash of color that won’t slip once it dries,” says Briceno. Even better, it comes in a wide range of shades, including a strong lineup of matte options.

 

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This blush-highlighter hybrid deposits a soft pop of color with a subtle glow in one step. For blush draping, apply it to the high points of the cheeks, then blend upward. “Extending the color across the bridge of the nose will add cohesion and create a natural finish,” says Greenberg.

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According to Briceno, blush duos are ideal for creating a more dimensional flush. The key is layering. “Lay down the powder in the full draping shape, then tap the cream just at the highest points,” he says. “Be sure to diffuse any lines as you apply and blend the edges until you can’t tell where one ends and the other begins.”