Beyond those basic placement mistakes, where you apply your blush depends largely on your face shape. "For ladies with an oval face shape, apply blush to the apples of the cheeks in upward swipes," celebrity makeup artist Min Min Ma explains (via Byrdie). "For round faces, wear the blush along the cheekbones to create a natural looking contour. For heart-shaped faces, apply blush right under the apples of the cheeks. And for square-shaped faces, focus the blush right on the apples of the cheeks."
Be sure not to use too much blush either way. Ma goes on, "Wearing blush brightens and 'wakes up' the face, but over-applying has the opposite effect ... I recommend applying your blush in natural daylight. This way you can see just how a little dab of color here and there can go a long way."
A few more tips to keep in mind: if you're going out for the day and you want your blush to last, you're going to want to use a primer, especially if your skin tends to be oily. Avoid using powder blush on wet foundation, and use your finger to apply cream blush and to blend powder. Now that you know how to avoid these common blush missteps, you'll be ready to go out, rosy-cheeked and glowing.
