From Cameron Diaz to Cindy Crawford to Britney Spears there is hardly any celebrity, singer or super model in the world who has not benefited from Chase Aston’s magical make-up skills.  Chase,  an International Make up Artist and   spokesperson, The Body Shop Make-Up, is a major force in the make up industry and he is continually creating new directions formulations and shade ideas.

Why is blusher so important? Why do we always have to make sure that it is in our make-up bag?
Blusher is a make-up must have! Use it to revive a dull, washed-out complexion and to create a fresh, rosy glow. Use a shimmering, golden hue to add warmth. It can be used to add structure to the face, helping to balance your features. By layering, you can also shape, shade and contour the complexion, adding definition and strength to otherwise weak features.

What is the best way to apply a Cream Blusher, a Mousse Blusher, a Powder Blusher or Liquid/Gel Blusher?
Powder Blusher
A Powder Blusher makes a bolder statement, because coverage tends to be medium to heavy. It is also the best formulation to shape shade and contour the cheeks. The best way to apply a Powder Blusher is to use a dome-shaped blusher brush (not a bronzing brush). Sweep the brush in a circle over the blusher, smile and then using short delicate strokes, sweep the blush onto the apple of the cheeks and up towards the temple, blending to a seamless wash of colour.

Liquid / Gel Blusher and Stains
These blushers/stains are usually duo use, which means that you can use them on both the lips and cheeks, alone or layered with alternative shades and products. Textures can vary from a sheer liquid to a creamy gel, imparting a long-lasting, natural matte stain. They can be used on all skin types, but are perfect for oilier and combination complexions, because the colour stays once applied, with no slipping or sliding. With liquid and gel blushers, they ‘stain’ your cheeks almost immediately. Apply blots of colour to the centre of the cheeks (apples) then using either your finger or a small firm blusher brush, blend in large circular motions all over and just beyond the apple of the cheeks. Once cheeks are stained, you can layer mousse, cream, powder blusher and bronzers all over, to shape, shade, contour and highlight.

What colours tend to suit different skin tones – pale skin tones, medium skin tones, olive skin tones, dark skin? How can we shop for the right shade of blusher?
Pale skin
Choose shades that mirror your natural blush. Pale peaches and pinks will flatter pale skin tones beautifully. Add a sheer wash of honey-toned bronzer to warm up for the evening.

Medium skin
Medium pinks, golden peach, and mauve-toned berry hues will always compliment a medium skin tone. Layer a shimmering soft, golden bronze blush, for a sun-kissed glow.

Olive skin
Olive skin tones suit brighter, pop shades; shades that will stand out from an olive complexion – brick brows, deep roses, plums and light berry tones, sheer bronzes with a hint of shimmer look fresh and pretty, as they make you appear as if you have a golden tan.

Dark skin
For darker skin tones, your blusher needs to stand out on the complexion. Avoid wearing pale pastel hues and textures as these will appear chalky and grey on your complexion. Use deep red tones, rich roses, brick reds, rusts, burgundies, rich mauves and succulent berry hues. Wear alone or layer over a deep golden bronze blusher to add warmth and a sun-kissed glow.

If you’ve applied too much blusher how can you tone it down without having to wipe all your make-up off?
Take a powder puff and wrap a clean tissue around it. Using The face mist or a fine mist water spray, lightly spritz onto the tissue, then press firmly over the cheek colour (do not drag or rub over cheeks). This will gently lift any excess colour, ensuring that you do not mess up your foundation or powder. Then take a clean blusher brush, dip into a little clear/translucent powder and blend over cheek colour.

Why does a nice blusher bridge the gap between spring skin and summer skin?
Trends come and go, but blusher will always be here to stay. Whether you like to wear your blusher as a sheer wash of colour, or to shape, shade and contour, or just as a high-lighter, a nice blusher is always the one constant that you can use 24/7, 365 days of the year. You can wear sheer blusher hues for all seasons, you can layer the same shade with a hint of sheer honey toned bronzer for a hint of a spring tint, you can layer with a shimmering golden hue for the summer, or complement with a shimmering highlighter for the autumn, and then adapt for the grey winter light, creating a fresh glow. Spring skin is fresh and flirty, whilst summer complexions are sun-kissed and glowing. Blend blusher shades in this season’s must-have hues together with just a hint of honey-toned shimmer or compliment with a lightening, brightening highlighter. This will give all complexions that “must-have” radiance and glow, so that you can transition your spring cheeks to summer. Early spring, complexions are bare and recovering from the harsh winter months. Use cream blushers and sheer highlighters to compliment the complexion and add much needed moisture, adapting and layering with cheek stains and powder blushers, bronzers and highlighters to create a fabulous summer glow.

What blusher colours can we expect to be popular for Spring/Summer 2010?
Soft neutral tones, elegant nudes and barely there pinks, complemented with a hint of highlighter to keep the cheeks fresh, polished, and radiant, with just a hint of subtle contouring. Always remember to blend, blend, blend! Pearly pinks (shimmering pale and golden pink hues), nearly nudes (beige and caramel), golden hues (sheer golden highlighters), corals (orangy-pinks) and radiant, honey-toned hues are all this Spring’s must-have cheek hues.