‘I’ve always hated the way blush looked on me. Turns out I was applying it wrong.'

I've been terrified of blush my whole life. 

Mainly because I couldn't fathom making my already rosacea-ed face even more... pink. 

Rosacea is a type of skin inflammation that gives the appearance of a permanently flushed look on the face. My rosacea exclusively lives on the apples of my cheeks. 

Now you might be thinking "Okay, brag! We get it, you look like you have permanent blush on, wow must be nice." Firstly, thank you, that's so nice. Secondly, you're wrong. 

In theory, yes this might sound like a great problem to have but in reality, I look like I've either just finished a workout that I failed miserably at, or that I'm lying and embarrassed about something, or (and this is the worst one) that I've eaten something super spicy and I'm struggling to cope. As an Indian person, the last assumption is the most embarrassing one.

Bless this (red) mess.

So as you can see, I think my fear of blush is justified. 

I've always been a huge fan of makeup. I love trying new products and seeing the brilliant trends and inventions that come out of the brands I love to use.

And blush is on everyone's radar. It's a classic that never goes out of style. Brands are always trying to do blush in a new way: matte, liquid and now jelly? And every time there's a new blush on the market? Consumers lap it up... Well every consumer besides me. 

Because I've always been embarrassed of my constantly red cheeks, I would layer on my foundation, hoping that my rosacea wouldn't shine through. 

Then... I came across this TikTok. 

@cheriwmakeup Which one would you try? #blushplacement #blushtutorial #asianmakeup #blushmakeup #faceshapemakeup ♬ Get Up - NewJeans

The creator explains that blush placement should be dependent on your face shape and what you want to achieve. 

So there's three ways blush can be applied — horizontally to create the illusion of a shorter face, vertically to create the illusion of a slimmer face and diagonally across the cheekbones to create the illusion of a longer face. 

It has over four million views with hundreds of comments from people saying that the different blush placements worked for them. 

I also realised something else watching the video: I had always believed that blush had to go up and onto my cheekbones (where my rosacea lives). 

But the next day, armed with my new knowledge, I did the unthinkable and put on some blush. 

Just me learning how to apply blush for the first time as a 27-year-old. 

Similar to one of the placements in the TikTok, I decided to place the blush closer under my eye and blend it downwards instead of across my cheekbones. 

The results were incredible. I thought it was just me who saw it but when I went to work the next day, two of my colleagues said "What have you done, you look like you're glowing."

Blush placement is EVERYTHING

Since then blush has now become my favourite product. I've been passionate about my Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $45, in the colour Worth and have now been experimenting with other brands. 

On top of that, wearing blush has given me confidence in dealing with my rosacea. It blends my colouring downwards which gives my entire face a natural glow and now, I can finally jump onto the blush bandwagon. 

There are some brilliant beauty influencers out there who definitely know what they're talking about. However, it's important to remember that everyone has different skin concerns, pigments and textures. Makeup placement is so unique and it's something that you should experiment with to see what not only suits you but also what makes you feel best. 

If you want more lifestyle and beauty opinions from Emily Vernem, you can follow her on Instagram @emilyvernem.

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Feature image: Supplied.