After reading the title, you may now have ice cream on your mind…sorry! No ice cream involved here, we are talking about cheekbones! Say hello to the Neapolitan blush technique, an easy (and deliciously cute) way to give your face a healthy glow while making your cheeks look more sculpted.

Gone are the days of the overly contoured face. I find that women are looking for quick and easy ways to enhance their look while keeping things a bit more natural. It could also be that I am in my mid forties and many of my clients are in their 30s, 40s & 50s. The overdone look can be intimidating and honestly not always flattering!

The Neapolitan Blush Technique

Just as it sounds, you will apply your blush like Neapolitan ice cream. Darker to medium, followed by light.

First Step

Your first step will be to choose a shade of blush with a brown undertone. The depth will vary based on your skin tone.

Using a cheek contour brush, start by applying just under your cheekbones, while blending into your hairline. You can layer the blush until you have the desired “lift” to your cheekbones.

You may notice on my picture above, you can’t visibly see a dark line. It flawlessly blends into the next color. I love how natural it looks.

Second Step

Now you can move onto blush. You can choose the tone depending on what you are wearing on your eyes or lips, or you may even want to pick out a color that complements you wardrobe.

Not sure what colors to choose? Check out my blog post: How to Pick The Best Blush For Your Skin Tone

Using a blush brush, start by applying your desired blush on the apples of your cheeks and sweep and blend just above your contour color.

Be sure to check out my article: How to Apply Blush For Your Face Shape. Applying blush is more than just a swipe and a swirl. Blush can be incredibly flattering to your bone structure if you use it more strategically.

Third Step

My favorite step…highlighter! Ok, so here is the scoop on highlighter. If you are middle aged like me, there are highlighters that work better for us. We want to have a “youthful glow” and some advice: try not to overdo it. I know, I know, I happen to like sparkle and glitter, and there’s definitely a time and a place for that. Yes, I said it!

For this step you will start to blend your chosen highlighter and blend just above your blush color. Remember, you don’t want there to be a gap in between any of the colors, but you also don’t want to totally blend them together to make one color either. Think of Neapolitan ice cream!

If you are unsure of what brush to use, you may find my blog post: Blush Brush Basics helpful.

My Neapolitan Blush Tutorial

If you are anything like me, it helps actually seeing it done. Well, I just went live for my beauties on my Facebook page: Leigh Raeder-All Things Beauty, and you can catch the replay. I hope it helps!

One Palette That Has it All

I am in LOVE with the NEW Euphoria Blush Palette. It’s the palette I used in my tutorial and it just happens to have everything you need to achieve the Neapolitan blush technique!

I also use it on my eyes too…;)

I hope YOU try the Neapolitan blush technique!