I Never Knew Which Blush Shades Actually Complemented My Skin Tone Until I Tried These 10

The right blush is to makeup what a good perfume is to an outfit: Your look is never quite complete without it. In fact, studies show that this sentiment has rung true since around 3000 BCE, when men and women in Ancient Egypt crafted their own flushy cosmetics out of red ochre. Poignant piles of blush became highly fashionable in 17th- and 18th-century France, especially when plopped onto the pallid skin of high society. But forgive me if, in 2025, I don’t want my fair skin to resemble Marie Antoinette’s when I sweep on my favorite shade.

I can’t tell you how many celeb-backed formulas, buzzy blush sticks, and dewy liquid iterations have gone viral on TikTok—each creator promising that this is the best shade they’ve ever tried—only for the celebrated hue to look a little… off on my porcelain skin. “It really depends on your undertone and the finish that resonates with you,” says celebrity makeup artist MarQuis Ward. Whether warm, cool, neutral, or olive-leaning, identifying your skin tone is the first place to start. But if you just want to pick out something quick, Ward recommends “soft, muted shades” that “bring life to the face without making the cheek color too bright.”