The Trendiest (& Happiest) Makeup Trend Of Summer 2021

As the world slowly reopens, people are starting to wear makeup again. In general, the consumer reports tell us that makeup sales are up, but there's one particular product that seems to be trendier than ever, especially for summer: blush.

According to celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic (you know him as Kim Kardashian's go-to for glam), blush is a direct reflection of post-COVID energy. "After over a year of lockdown, we're more attracted to bright, daylight, happiness — basically anything that's not dark and inside," he explains. "When it comes to makeup, people want to look sun-kissed and healthy, and you can create that effect using a bit of blush."

However, achieving a seemingly natural flush is one of the harder makeup skills to master. First, you have to find your blush shade and then decide if you want a cream or a powder, which leads to the application dilemma — does the blush go over the highlighter or the bronzer?

Luckily, according to Dedivanovic, the process of finding your perfect blush is actually pretty intuitive. "It's all about preference," he explains. "When you're looking at a row of blushes, you don't need to get into the nitty-gritty of cool versus warm undertones. Find the colors that you gravitate towards. For me, I like earthy tones, so I usually grab muted shades that give a natural look. Or, if you're someone who really likes color and vibrancy, maybe you're playing into the TikTok trends, you're probably going to go for a really bright color, like a pink or raspberry."

As for the texture question, Dedivanovic echoes that it's personal preference — and when it doubt, cocktail a cream and powder together. "Some people love the way that a cream applies to their skin, especially if they tend to be drier," he explains. "Other people like a powder, how easy and quick it is to brush on. I'm the kind of person that likes both; I like to apply very thin and natural layers, cream then powder. The powder locks in and sets the cream so you don't have to worry about touchups throughout the day, or that the color is going to move, slide, or disappear."

The most important tip of all: smile. "I like to use the smile as a guide for where to apply any kind of complexion product, be it bronzer, blush, or highlighter," Dedivanovic recommends for application. "I use the smile as a guide because the face is automatically lifted when you smile. You want to play up that lift so that when you un-smile your blush is still upward. Blend upward and outward. I like a little on the nose and then even a little bit on the forehead. It's not about being precious and perfect, but making it look natural and effortless."