The Easiest Way to Get Vacation Skin? Blonzer

We’ve done it all—boyfriend blush, sunset blush, Brontë blush—in the name of a subtly radiant, compliment-worthy, “is-she-or-isn't-she wearing makeup” wash of color. But perhaps the most flattering blush trend we've tried is blonzer. Aptly named for the combination of blush and bronzer, blonzer can be both a hybrid, single-swipe product, or a technique that layers the rosy flush of a blush with the sun-kissed warmth of a bronzer. The result is the same: the most natural, “just-got-back-from-vacation” glow. 

When thinking of the true essence of blonzer, makeup artist and global artistic director at Saie Shain Kish recalls a summer he spent lifeguarding as a teenager: “After our shifts, I remember the girls I worked with having this beautiful, burnished matte glow to their skin from being in the sun all day,” he says. “That is the exact look you want from blonzer.”

Part of the reason the blonzer trend has become so popular recently is due to the renewed desire to create real-life moments through our beauty looks, says New York–based makeup artist and founder Fara Homidi—who recently launched her own blonzer. “Blonzer is so compelling because it mimics how skin really looks after long days spent in the sun,” she says.

Where bronzer can lean fake or orange-y, and blush can be bright and overdone, blonzer brings skin to life with the right balance of depth and dimension. "It never looks that made up," says Kish. “It's so easy to recreate and is flattering on different skin tones because it looks so youthful and fresh and real.”

Below, we asked Homidi and Kish to share their best tips and techniques for nailing the look.

Choose Your Blonzer Shades

“Blonzer is a blush-forward trend,” says Kish. “You're trying to match the real color your skin turns after a sunburn or after you've gone for a quick run outside." Homidi, who already has a cult-favorite bronzer, did her homework to create her bronzer shades. “I spent time studying how different complexions actually look after a day in the sun,” says Homidi, who determined that the kind of ‘sun-bitten’ pink flush is inherently a shade of berry with cooler undertones. “I created three different, beautifully balanced shades to truly look believable, like an after-sun rush of color you get from a fantastic beach day,” she adds.

While you can wear the blonzer alone, it was also designed to layer seamlessly over her much-obsessed-over bronzers. The bronzers create the beautiful base tan—as if you’ve spent the whole summer outside—while the blonzer adds that pinched flush, as if you just left the beach an hour ago. For bronzer, choose a shade that’s two shades darker than your natural skin tone. “If you want to lean more Aussie girl, beach bunny territory, choose a bronzer that leans more warm and golden,” adds Kish. 

If you want to skip the layering technique entirely and opt for a one-and-done swipe of blonzer, Kish prefers a shade of blush that has a bronzy tint already built in. “Choose something with a red or terracotta base to mimic that natural sun-kissed color,” he says. 

Consider Your Formulas

There is much debate about liquid vs. cream vs. powder makeup, but the truth is, it all depends on the finish or formula you prefer.  If your skin leans oilier or you want a look to really last, you may prefer powder formulas. For those who want foolproof blendability or a dewier look, liquids or creams may be a better option. “I think a traditional cream works really well because it adds a little natural flush and glow to the skin,” says Kish. “It's also easy to buff and blend out for more dimension.” 

Just keep in mind that if you’ve already built your base with moisturizer, SPF, and liquid foundation, adding another cream in the mix can cause your makeup to separate, says Homidi. That’s why she created her signature cream-to-powder formulas, which combine the blendability of a cream and the blurring effect of a powder—essentially they blend themselves and leave a finish that's creamy and dewy instead of streaky or ruddy. “A powder-to-cream formula melts into your skin as seamlessly as a cream, but with the added benefit of setting your makeup so it lasts longer through the heat of the summer.” 

You can also layer formulas (think creams as a base and powder on top) for richer color and depth. 

Your Step-by-Step Blonzer Guide

1Prep Your Base

A tinted moisturizer or touch of concealer only where you need it is perfect for a sheer, uniform base—you don't have to do too much. "You want your skin hydrated but not slick or shiny," says Kish. "Think soft and velvety—a candlelit glow instead of a spotlight." The real key is to focus on neutralizing any redness: "You want to remove any redness, especially around the nose and in the center of the face," says Kish. "That way you have a neutral base that's not pulling away from your blonzer." 

Pro tip: To double down on the second-skin finish of blonzer, use a setting spray before you apply blonzer—not when everything is done and dusted. “I like to spritz a setting spray after I've applied concealer or foundation to lock in the complexion,” says Kish. “That way, when you apply the actual blonzer, it melts and moves with your skin throughout the day, making it look even more natural.”

2Prime Your Brush

Both Homidi and Kish favor applying your products with a dense, medium-thickness brush—almost like a foundation brush. Homidi’s pro trick for turning your brush into a magic wand? “Prime the brush by swirling it into the compact and buffing it into the palm (or back) of your hand to help blend it into the brush and disperse the product evenly on your skin,” says Homidi. “This allows you to slowly build in layers and gives you a soft focus finish that looks more lit-from-within.”

If you do want to apply cream blush directly to your cheeks, say with your fingers or a doefoot applicator, Kish suggests starting with less than you think you need. It’s better to start with a small dot and add more as needed than to apply a larger dollop that’s difficult to blend out.

3Place Your Color Strategically

Both Homidi and Kish agree the most natural and sophisticated approach to blonzer is to apply bronzer first. “Place it in the areas the sun naturally hits, such as your forehead, outer perimeters of the face, and chin,” says Homidi. One easy way to do this, Kish says, is to follow the traditional “3-shape” (also known as the “E-shape”) method. “Trace a ‘3' along the outer edges of your face, sweeping bronzer along your temples, following the natural hollows of your cheeks, and finishing along your jawline,” he says. 

Then layer the blush on top. “It's easy to get distracted and want to put blush everywhere,” says Kish. “But remember that the blush's job is to emulate a flush as if you're blushing—it doesn't need to go on your cheekbones.” Kish and Homidi recommend drawing a "W" across the center of your face. “Think of areas where you might have a slight sunburn and apply the blush there—on the inner parts of the face, high on your cheeks and nose,” says Homidi. 

Pro tip: Be generous with your blush application. “You want to apply about 10 percent more cream blush on your face than you're used to because by the time it settles into your skin, you'll be left with what's going to set and like wear throughout the day,” says Kish. 

4Blend and Set

Once you've applied, it's time to bring it together for a seamless, warm, radiant complexion. Using the same brush, Homidi likes to buff it out. “Think about blending and connecting them so you can't see where one begins and one ends,” she says. Kish likes to set a cream blush with a powder blush. “Anytime you take a cream and add a powder, it gives your blush more structure and dimension,” he says. “It enhances the wear time, but it doesn't take away that natural dewy dimension from skin when you apply it.” Just make sure your cream has dried a bit first so it no longer feels tacky. 

5Don't Forget Your Décolletage

Dust a bit of blush on the center of your chest, too. “Beyonce's makeup artist Sir John said he never, ever puts anything on her cheeks without putting it on the center of her chest, too,” says Kish. “You flush as much on your chest as you do on your cheeks, so adding a bit there pulls it all together.”

6Add the Finishing Touches

To finish the look, Kish loves a brown-lined berry lip and touch of gloss on lids à la 90s Giorgio Armani runway shows. “I love to think of what lips look like after eating fresh berries—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,” says Kish. “A lip liner and a juicy, fresh balm or stain paired with blonzer is such an easy look that translates well on everyone and looks so effortless for summer,” says Kish. 

You can also go very Zendaya at the Odyssey premiere and do a no-eye-makeup style with blonzer and a subtle lip color. “A natural no-mascara curled lash, bare complexion, and a touch of lip really lets the blonzer stand out,” says Kish.