Lilac blush

Quick beauty update today. Lately, I've been using lilac-colored eyeshadow as a blush. I figured, I've been loving strong blush looks for day, and I've been a little obsessed with purple, so why not combine the two? I haven't been able to find a satisfactory shade of lilac blush, though, so I decided to try using eyeshadow on my cheeks.

I find that I really like the effect; it's sweet and easy for springtime. The key is to find an eyeshadow in a light shade with pinker undertones, so you don't look bruised. You also want to make sure that you don't use an eyeshadow that's too shimmery, since eye makeup tends to be more glittery than blushes usually are. I used Maybelline New York's Expert Wear Eyeshadow Trio in Crown Jewels, since I already had it on hand.

I applied just the lid color (the top one) and applied it to the apples of my cheeks, then swept it upward toward my temples. I just used the eyeshadow alone, but if you have a warmer complexion or think the effect is too strong, you can warm it up by sweeping a shell-pink blush over your cheekbones, on top of the lilac. A good blush for this is L'oreal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Blush in Baby Blossom, but you can use whatever you have available and works with your skin tone. Just make sure you're not using too warm a pink, or it will clash.

I kept the rest of my face pretty minimal. I left my eyes pretty much alone and used Sephora's ultra-shine lip gloss in 10, another pretty lilac shade.