The Blush Edit: Liquid, Cream or Powder, and the Ones Actually Worth Buying

Liquid is the most natural finish and lasts longest. It is very pigmented, so start with a single dot. Best on normal to dry skin, worn under or over a light base.

Cream melts into skin and gives that dewy, flushed look. Brilliant for dry and mature skin, because it doesn't settle into texture. Apply with fingers before any powder.

Powder is the easiest to control and the best for oily skin, since it stays put through a long day. Use a fluffy brush and tap off the excess before it touches your face.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. The one that started the liquid blush obsession. One dot does both cheeks. Shop at Sephora.

Glossier Cloud Paint. A sheer gel-cream that is almost impossible to overdo. Good for beginners. Shop at Boots.

Nars Blush in Orgasm. The peachy-pink powder with a fine golden sheen. Suits almost every skin tone, which is why it has lasted decades. Shop at John Lewis.

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic. Two shades swirled in one pan, a flush and a highlight. Pillow Talk is the bestseller for good reason. Shop at Selfridges.

e.l.f. Putty Blush. A cream-to-powder at a pocket-money price that performs like something four times the cost. Shop at Superdrug.

Merit Flush Balm. A neat little cream pot that lives in a coat pocket. Sheer, buildable, very clean-girl. Shop at Space NK.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks. The splurge. A cream stick that looks like skin, only better. Shop at Cult Beauty.

Clinique Cheek Pop. A reliable powder with a soft glow, and Ginger Pop is the autumn shade. Shop at Boots.

Benefit Benetint. A rose-red stain for lips and cheeks that survives a full day and a glass of red. Shop at Lookfantastic.

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush. A properly inclusive shade range, with colours that actually show up on deeper skin. Shop at Harvey Nichols.

Swap summer's bright pinks for something deeper. Fair skin looks lovely in dusty rose and soft berry. Medium skin suits terracotta, warm peach and brick. Deep skin can carry plum, rich berry and burnt orange beautifully. If unsure, pinch your cheek and match the colour that appears. It is the most flattering shade you'll find.

Smile, then blend from the apples of your cheeks up towards the temples for a lifted look. Placed higher, on the cheekbones, it reads more sculpted. Sweep a little across the bridge of the nose for the just-come-in-from-the-cold look. Avoid taking it too low towards the mouth, which drags the face down.

Swatch on your face, not the back of your hand, and check it in daylight by the shop door. Liquid blushes dry quickly, so blend within a few seconds. And if you want the whole look to pull together, match the blush to your lip. Our autumn lip edit has the shades.