The thing is, as our skin ages, blush application can make or break a look. It can keep your skin looking glowy, radiant and youthful OR it can make you look 10 years older. Here are some things to consider.

I think we a can all agree there is a good way to do blush and a bad way to do blush. Can I get an amen!?

Keep it creamy…

Powder blush has a tendency to sit in the fine lines and collect in the inconsistencies of skin – especially as the day goes on. This can potentially turn into a neon arrow pointing directly at your wrinkles. Creams and balms are best! They go on smooth and dewy and bring life to the skin. They don’t settle in the creases. Plus they are buildable so you can rock a fresh wash of color or amp it up for more drama when you need it.

Some cream blushes also double as a highlighter which is great because I don’t know any forty-something who wants to walk around strobing at lunchtime. However. Don’t get me wrong. I love an illuminating highlighter as much as the next BUT if you are looking for more of a subtle glow and don’t necessarily want to rely on reflective micas – a tinted balm will be your best friend. Subtle, dewy, refined. It’s a hint of a highlighter that will take your look NEXT LEVEL.

Creams and balms can double as lipstick too!

Here are our my top two natural blush picks – in no particular order.

1. OLIO E OSSO Balms

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I have these balms in three colors; No. 6, No. 10 and No. 4 – but I need more! They just came out with three new shades including No. 11 Féte – a colorless highlighter that’s great for layering or wearing on its own. So now OLIO E OSSO offers 13 shades including a clear balm. But I’m jumping ahead of myself.

OLIO E OSSO balms are FANTASTIC for cheeks AND lips. Formulated in a simple base of :

• Butyrspermum Parkii (Shea) Nut Oil
• Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
• Cera Alba (Natural Beeswax
• Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil

The base as you can see is 100% natural and most all of their colorants are too with the exception of the No. 2 Balm containing .05% of a synthetic colorant. I just want to point out here too that “synthetic” is not synonymous with “toxic.” Some shades are impossible to get from naturals alone. And in this case OLIO is using Red 21 Lake, which rates a 1 on the 0-10 EWG toxicity scale, to achieve that pretty pink we see in French Mellon.

As a forty-something, I just LOVE these on my cheeks. I can not get enough. After I moisturize, I prime my face with a beautiful light oil. Then, I layer my favorite BB Cream or foundation and finish by dabbing the No. 10 balm (fave) on my cheeks. Then I take my fingers and dab over the color to even it out achieving a beautiful flush of color and dewiness. I love love love that this balm finishes with almost a wet look. It just brings my skin to life. You guys are always asking me, Your skin looks amazing, what are you wearing?! It’s THIS ladies!

And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, take this balm and apply it to your lips. It’s a balm base so it glides on smooth and nourishing but my favorite part is it leaves behind a beautiful hint of color. It gives lips that just bitten look; flush, supple and ripe. Like you are wearing nothing but you are for sure wearing something.

Makeup deets above: lips in Instinct (on sale 50% off!), cheeks in Tea Rose, eye shadow in Obscur , mascara, brows in Taupe Gray, foundation in shade 123

If you want to try and are wondering what color to start with, I recommend No. 10 Tea Rose – a flush berry with red undertones – a natural compliment that delivers a subtle yet striking radiance.

OLIO E OSSO is made in small batches in Portland, Oregon and is also cruelty-free.

I also have their No. 0 Netto – a menthol balm which is a clean swap for Vicks and it’s really good. Helps to clear nasal and chest congestion and I love it for my kids. Super strong and works.

Grab OLIO E OSSO here!

2. Kjaer Weis Cream Blush

Get ready to be wowed! First of all this blush comes in 11 shades and is housed in the crown jewel of all packaging. This shiny metal compact sits heavy in the hand and is not only stunning but refillable.

Kjaer Weis is in a league of it’s own from their packaging to ingredients to performance. Made in Italy, KW maintains the Controllo e Certificazione Prodotti Biologici certification (CCPB Certified Organic) – an inspection agency with some of the strictest standards for organic and natural certification in all of Europe.

Kjaer Weis cream blushes are CCPB Certified Organic (excluding shades Above & Beyond and Happy). And of the agriculturally derived ingredients in this product, a minimum of 95% comes from organic farming. Check it out:

• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
• Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Seed Oil
• Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
• Zea Mays (Corn) Starch
• Cera Alba (Beeswax)
• Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
• Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax
• Rosa Rubiginosa (Rose Hip) Seed Oil
• Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
• Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
• Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
• Tocopheryl Acetate
• Dextrin
• Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract

For a larger shade range, Kjaer Weis uses synthetics in two of their cream blushes; Above & Beyond and Happy. This from KW;

Within the color palette of Kjaer Weis products, there are a few products with a very small amount of synthetic pigment, and they’re only used when it’s not possible to achieve the color using anything from a natural source. Our goal at Kjaer Weis is not to use any synthetic pigments, so we continue to develop colors and products with that goal in mind. Full disclosure on any Kjaer Weis product that requires a synthetic pigment is present on the package label and also within the “description” section of each product in our online store.

Kjaer Weis

So natural looking…

Same here, after moisturizing, I prep my skin, layer a BB Cream or foundation and then use my fingers to apply and blend in the Kjaer Weis cream blush. Heat from my fingers helps to blend product – it literally just melts into my skin and delivers the perfect flush of color.

I love this blush because it wears SO NATURALLY. You can not even see a speck of product on my face because it just looks like my skin! I also love that you can wear these shades as a flush of color or build them up for some drama.

Makeup deets above: brows in Taupe Gray, BB Cream in Beige, cheeks and lips in Above & Beyond

I have Above & Beyond on here. I love this cool-toned hot pink in the middle of winter. The perfect pinch of pop. I also love dabbing a bit on my lips too – so pretty! PS – you can even add a dab to your eyelids too!

I also LOVE Kjaer Weis’s Collectors Kit. The kit comes empty and you pick the the refill colors for your skin including a foundation, blush, highlighter, 2 eyeshadows and a lip. It’s an all-in-one situation that’s completely customized and makes travel a breeze!

Kjaer Weis does not test on animals and is gluten free.

Grab Kjaer Weis here!

The best of the best

When Sarah and I decided to write about the best blushes for women over 40 this month this is how the conversation went down…

Sarah: Want to write about blushes for our #CleanOver40 February post?

Me: Totally. Kjaer Weis + OLIO E OSSO are my top picks, what about you?

Sarah: Same.

Me: Done.

When it’s right, it’s right. And ladies, we’ve tried them all! Be sure to see what Sarah has to say about our top picks here. And she has a third pick she can’t get enough of as well.

Do you have a favorite blush?

P.S. Check out the best natural foundations for women over 40 and my favorite natural lip stain!

Thanks to Jenn at Monkey + Squirrel for a majority of these photos.

Common questions about the best natural blush for women over 40: