“Blush” is, I think, my favourite word in English – I like the sound of it and the multiple meanings it denotes and the colour it refers to. But until recently, I’ve been quite unaware of how much I like the related beauty product: I always think of myself as the lipstick girl, but I recently returned from London without purchasing a single lip product. I did, however, buy four blushes (and would have bought five, if Tom Ford’s Pink Sand had not been sold out).

For a pale, dull-skinned person like me, blush does in fact make a lot of sense: add a little colour to the cheeks an you will automatically look substantially more alive. The reason my blush love has only blossomed recently is that everybody is moving away from powder blushes to creams, gels and water-based products. I welcome this wholeheartedly, as I find powder blush very difficult. Suddenly, I’ve got choice.

So this is what I bought:

1. Stila Aqua Glow Watercolour blushes in Water Poppy and Rosewater. This formulation is a case in point: it’s water-based and very light, works a bit like a stain, but gives you more time to blend and more glow. I apply with my fingers and the result is very natural. Rosewater is a gorgeous neutral colour – slightly too sheer for my taste, but ideal for pale people who are more classy than me. Water Poppy is a perfect summer red. Don’t be scared of the vibrant colour, it will sheer out on skin and not look garish at all. I highly recommend these and might go back for a more punchy pink.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Las Salinas. Another thing I like, in addition to modern formulas, is when blush (or anything else) comes in a stick. It just makes application and transport of make-up much easier. Tilbury’s Beach Sticks were therefore destined to appeal to me and indeed, I like Las Salinas very much. Convenient, glowy, excellent with a tan – I have to admit that this corally pink (it looks pink in the official photos, but in person, it has quite a lot of coral in there) works better for me than the famous Nars Orgasm, although the latter is more pigmented. Tilbury cannot compete when it comes to the kinkiness of the name, but she has done her best to make the product as phallic in shape as possible.

3. Nars by Christopher Kane Illuminating Multiple in Violet Atom. Another stick, but in my defense, this is not really a blush. I adore the colour and bought it without testing, as I had made up my mind to get a piece of that Christopher Kane collection, no matter what. On my skin (and I guess on most skins) this is a very cool, lilac pink highlighter. I am fine with that, as I was prepared for this to be difficult to wear, but your priorities may differ. I’ll take it out again when what little tan I have is gone. I think it will look lovely on top of my Illamasqua Laid blush and as an eye shadow.

Together with the just mentioned fuchsia pink Illamasqua (don’t believe the promo pictures here either) and the brownish Chanel Les Beiges No 20 blush, my blushrobe is looking pretty good. Still, I think I lack a good peachy one and look at these Josie Maran blushes! They seem totally unique…