Confirmed by MUAs: Hollywood's Best-Kept Beauty Secret Involves *This* Unconventional Blush Placement

Beauty products that have existed since Ancient Egypt don't get frequent revamps. But when I caught wind that famed makeup artist Ernesto Casillas—responsible for Zendaya's striking red carpet glam at the premieres of Euphoria season 3, Spider-Man: Brand-New Day, and The Odyssey—may have been using blush below the neck on the actress's generational press run, I knew the category had been changed for good.

"Body blushing" is when subtle kisses of color are blended onto the high points of the body—think the shoulders or décolletage—to add dimension where bright camera flashes may blow out natural contours. "[It] brings additional depth and warmth to the body," celebrity makeup artist Kasey Spickard explains, while also creating harmony with the makeup look. Because why should your look stop at the jaw? "With blush on the chest and décolletage, it mimics a natural flush and lends a more romantic feel to a makeup look," he adds.

The look in question was Zendaya's angelic, glowy look from the New York City premiere of The Odyssey, where the star wore a statuesque gown by avant-garde fashion house Matières Fécales, complete with feathered wings for a fittingly godlike touch. Her skin, expertly enhanced with a bevy of Prada Beauty skincare and makeup products, was just one facet of this look that captured our attention. But once Casillas revealed that Prada's Touch Blushes in the shades Caffee (a burnished terra-cotta) and Cherry (a poppy red) were the culprits behind the Euphoria star's cherubic flush in an Instagram tutorial, I could only assume these were the same hues draped across her shoulders and chest, too.

Body blush was on my mind in the days following what instantly became one of the best red carpet looks of the year, but my fascination only grew when celebrity makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez recommended the same technique to a roomful of beauty editors and influencers at a master class in Montauk, New York. I sat in a plush chair applying Armani Beauty's new Dolci Blushes to my cheeks and temples—like a beauty amateur—when the arbiter of Sabrina Carpenter's most iconic blush looks told us she likes to apply the shade Cinnamon across her décolletage (and even her bosom, when she's feeling flirty). It was then that I knew we had a full-on beauty movement on our hands, and I was determined to spread the word.

"Body blushing gives a touch of life to the skin," says Gonzalez when I press her for more. "I think it’s the last step to achieving the perfect sun-kissed look—it really ties everything together." She indulges my inquisition about sneaky red carpet skin enhancements that the untrained eye might miss and confirms my theory: Almost everyone is wearing it. "I recently added a touch of body blush to Ellie Goulding for her newest music video, 'Ravers.' I’ve also recently added body blush to Alix Earle, AnnaSophia Robb, and Lux Pascal," she adds. Spickard strengthens this claim too when he tells me he's been applying cream blush below the neck on longtime client Ciara Miller for everything from the 2026 Oscars to her Love Island appearances. I could go on, but I'll get into the stuff you really want to read—like how can we layfolk re-create it without looking like we dozed off on the beach?

How to Apply Body Blush

The first thing to understand about body blushing is that placement is intentional—and that there is a fine line between achieving a goddess-level glow and the look of SPF-neglected bikini lines. "Whether it’s on your collarbones, chest, or maybe a little on your shoulders, it’s literally wherever the sun is going to touch you," says Gonzalez. "It makes you look like you’ve been on a beach vacation, giving you that beautiful summer glow." Her go-to spots are the "forehead, chin, collarbones, chest, bosom, and shoulders" for a cohesive makeup look.

Spickard goes for subtlety when he blends blush onto the body, and placement is key. "I place [it] right on the sternum, radiating outward. I’ll also sometimes hit the top of the shoulder," he explains. "Paired with a body glow, it just creates cohesion across the entire look."

Both makeup artists agree that cream blush is their medium of choice for this technique—which aligns with Casillas's Prada picks. Gonzalez personally recommends Armani Beauty's Dolci Blushes, a cream-to-powder matte formula that glides on as a balm. "My favorite shades to use for body blushing are 3 (Apricot), 4 (Cinnamon), and 5 (Mauve)," she shares. The makeup artist prefers to apply with either a foam beauty sponge or a full, fluffy blush brush to achieve "that natural, sun-kissed effect."

Spickard's body blush of choice is a budget-friendly pick from Maybelline (Cloudtopia in Toasted Sky, to be exact), which doubles as "blonzer," he tells me. (Bronzy blush, for the uninitiated.) However, he also oscillates between Milk Makeup's Lip & Cheek Stick in Werk (a shimmery, dusty rose) abd Perk (a glowy coral). Though the Makeup by Mario Blush Veil also gets play time in his kit. Spickard recommends using a "dense foundation brush" to achieve the most seamless blend across the body—making everyone wonder why your skin looks so good.

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