Ah, summertime. Skies are blue, the sun is high, and women of all shades and backgrounds will spend the next two months chasing one thing: a sun-kissed summer glow. Regardless of how your skin tone takes to sunshine, a little color in the cheek can give you a healthy flush and highlight your gorgeous face. Over the past few years, bronzers have been the trendiest way to get this glow, but a recent wave of old-fashioned pink and peach blushes proves that the classic cheek color has made a comeback. This week’s Sweet & Sour has us wondering, how do you get red in the face?

Why It’s Sweet: The sweetest thing about pink cheeks is that they actually do look sweet! Blushing brides, dimpled little girls, and love-struck teenagers are just some of the charming characters typically associated with flushed faces, and we have to say that a little rosiness is one of nature’s cutest looks—mostly because it’s a cue that its wearer is happy! Of course, in addition to recreating the youthful joy of a natural light flush, we girls now have the option of experimenting with beyond-bold shades like electric pink and neon orange to garner attention and intensify our beauty look. Bronzers, on the other hand, hardly offer such a diverse color palette. And if ever there’s a time to experiment with a range of bright, cheery hues, summer is it.

Why It’s Sour: Pink may be primal and pretty, but finding a shade that works well for you can be a daunting task; at times, it seems like there are as many subtly different shades of pink as there are skin tones in the world! How’s a girl to determine her best blush bet? A petal pink that looks precious on a fair-skinned cheek could easily turn out ashy on a darker one. Likewise, a daringly bright color that sits well on a richer skin tone might be garish and distracting against a lighter complexion. This is where the universal appeal of bronzer becomes apparent; pinks may be hard to pin down, but a touch of gold looks gorgeous on everyone. Plus, unlike blush which looks conspicuous any place but the cheeks, you can dust a little bronzer all over for a head-to-toe glow.

Our conclusion: When it comes to cheek color, we want it all: the rosy warmth of a classic pink blush and the gilded touch of the most beautiful bronzers. That’s why, in our opinion, the best blushes are those that mix a lush pink pigment with subtle metallic dust for a glow we like to call “The Rose-Gold Effect.” A prime example of a product that can help you get the Effect is Clinique’s Fresh Bloom all-over color: it has a classic rosy hue we love, iridescent flecks for some sparkly definition, and a subtle peach overtone for a little bronzing action. Shu Uemura’s Glow On line of blushes also provides some sweet and sexy options. Be warned that their hues tend to be brighter and more monochromatic than average, so avoid putting on too much color, or even consider dipping into another shade to create a natural-looking blend. If you’re wary about mixing and matching, a blush that allows you to pick up several tones in a single swipe, such as Physician’s Formula’s Pearls of Perfection, is the best for multi-dimensionality.

Finally, when picking a blush, pay close attention to the shades of your skin and hair, as well as which colors tend to pop up in your wardrobe. Then dust some color over those cheeks. When people tell you how gorgeous you look, just bat your eyelashes and demure, “Oh, go on. You’re making me blush!”

Where to Shop:
Ulta.com
Macys.com
ShuUemura.com