Why You Need This New Blush In Your Makeup Bag

Holme Beauty Founder Hilary Holmes

Tell us… why blush?

“I am pretty open about what products I think are ‘ride or die’ in one’s makeup bag and have the most impact on their face. So I don’t think it will come as a surprise to any of our customers that we have launched a blush. For as long as I have been in the industry, Australians have been obsessed with a bronzed look. However, for the everyday person (and that’s always who I am thinking about when I am creating products), when they are applying makeup for work or really any occasion, blush has a huge impact. Much more so than bronzer.

Blush really adds to the vibrancy of your face and is a big part of the way your makeup can tie your styling together. It works beautifully where it’s a cute flush of colour for a fresh, youthful look or you sweep it up high on the cheekbones for the ultimate sexy vibe. Makeup not only translates how someone wants to feel incredibly easy, but it also can add back what some faces lose over time, whether it’s a certain shape or different colours appearing naturally in the skin.”

The six shades of Holme Beauty Embodiment Blush

How you feel = how to wear it

“I like to get my clients to think about what they are wearing and how they want to feel when they come to choose which blush shade to wear and how to wear it. If they are wearing, say, something floral, then going for a tone that imitates a natural flush and making sure there’s a pop of colour right on the apple of the cheek will support that look. However, if they want to feel sexy and lifted, then taking a deeper blush higher onto their cheekbones, all the way up to their temple, will really pull the face up and give the overall look the sleekest of feels.”

Every single shade can work for you

“When it comes to choosing colours, I think as a makeup artist I kind of break the rules. Because I love to educate the everyday makeup user, I have found that they don’t always know things like what their undertones are. Or someone may be pink-toned naturally, and then with fake tan they go golden, or even vice versa, as adding tan can create pink or red shades in some skin tones. So I created these blushes to be used on all skin tones and to be chosen based on what will work best with the outfit (and your mood!). For example, if you’re wearing a pink dress, I wouldn’t advocate wearing a peach blush; I like makeup to tie the whole thing together. My recommendations for colour are always based on what tones are referenced in your styling, and how that can be represented in your makeup.”

Holme Beauty Brush Number Four
[Ed. note: my new favourite blush brush – it hugs every curve just right]

Get to know your own face

“A huge part of our Masterclass Program is to underscore that makeup application shouldn’t be based on trends, but instead based on what feels right for you, and what compliments your face shape. Out of all the makeup products, blush is one of the major ones where your face shape can determine the best place to use it. If you are narrow in the face, it is important to add some love back into the heart of the face where fat may be lacking (either naturally or due to the ageing process). Adding a flushed tone of blush on the apples of the cheek is a great way to do that. For wider faced beauties who may be chasing more of an angular look, using a bronzed or darker shade of blush on the high parts of the cheek bone will help to narrow the face.”

April Hélène-Horton

Clementine Ford

Texture matters

“I chose to go with liquid blush for the look, the longevity and the cost per wear. Creams and liquids really can’t compete with those three factors.

Cream blushes require you to use a lot of product to get the pigment to show up, which isn’t a super economical option, and they are also unstable. Their creamy formulas means they apply thickly and sit on top of the skin rather than sinking in, and so any heat coming off the face, or if you’re wearing sunglasses or kissing on the cheeks etc, will cause quick breakdowns. People opt for powders because they think they will last longer, but in reality they can look dry and ageing, really highlight any textural issues in the skin, and often do still fade over the day. Our blushes hold their pigment, look amazing and fresh and last all day long – it’s a win win! You can apply these however you like and they will stay. I very much felt that it was time for a liquid blush to come to the market that didn’t need special tips and strategies to ensure it lasts. These do all the work for you.”

Gemma Watts

Phoebe Simmonds

So which one do I choose?

“Since launching, everyone has been commenting on how hard it is to choose just one shade… but that was the point! We wanted to hit all different shades in the collection, so that there’d be multiple options for all skin colours and tones. I also purposely created shades which could be paired together – for instance, a deeper one can be used higher up, to sculpt the cheek, and then one of the lighter, fresher tones can be used on the apples. My hope is that the shades inspire all of our clients to play with colour more, as all six shades are so soft and beautiful on the skin.

The collection was named after six incredible women I am lucky to call my friends. They have all been incredibly supportive of the brand since we launched, and I am constantly inspired by each of them. Initially I just wanted to name the blushes after them, but before I knew it we were doing a whole campaign and I had six faces of the launch! It couldn’t have been more perfect, especially because of the messaging behind the collection, which I named the Embodiment blushes. In my 15 years as a makeup artist, I have seen time and again how women want to not only look amazing, but really feel it. My goal for these blushes is to support that greater message of how important it is for women to embody how they want to feel. (I highly encourage everyone to do some further research on embodiment and how it can impact our lives – it’s something I have been personally working on a lot and found it has profound effects.)”

Mia Klitsas Marcocci

Jamila Rizvi

And the question on everyone’s lips… what’s next?

“You can expect lots more work in the education space, via our online and in-person Masterclass Program“, says Hilary. Beauticate’s Founder Sigourney attended one of the programs in Sydney recently, and shared “as a beauty journalist of over 20 years, I was blown away by how much I learnt as Hilary’s class. I felt like I finally knew my face and eye shape, learned the secret to matching makeup colours to my outfit and discovered incredible techniques to really highlight your facial features. Hilary presents it all in a warm, non-threatening and truly fun way. I can’t recommend it highly enough and think it should be compulsory for all women – like a modern makeup finishing school! The Holme Beauty Masterclasses actually give you confidence to go forth and be the embodiment of your beauty.”

As to what else is in the pipeline for the brand? Hilary spills the beans: “I’ll just call it now… you can expect a whole range! I don’t think people know that yet, but I absolutely intend to put out a full range of products, and for each product to makes sense in your makeup bag. It won’t be a brand with thousands of products. I want it to be a core range that doesn’t intimidate the customer, but instead liberates them from having to make too many decisions about what they want in their beauty routine. We’ll also continue diving deep into our messaging for women to always back themselves (our brand hashtag is #backyourbeauty). Overall, our mission is for every single person who doesn’t feel spoken to by the beauty industry to feel seen and heard by Holme Beauty.”

Hilary and Jamila

Holme Beauty has an exclusive offer for Beauticate readers. Use code HOLMEXBEAUTICATE to receive 30% off the Masterclass Program.

Story by Zoe Briggs. Imagery provided by Holme Beauty.

This article was produced in partnership with Holme Beauty.