If you’ve spent any time on the internet lately, you’ll know a few things. Team Ciara is the right choice, Olivia Rodrigo’s new album (finally) comes out next month, and everyone’s wearing blush. It’s not a light wash either. You’ve seen bold cheeks on everyone, including A-listers like Tyla, Doechii, and Olandria. It’s no surprise: They all share the same makeup artist, Ngozi Edeme (you’ve probably saved one of her looks on Instagram as @PaintedByEsther).
“Growing up, I watched a lot of cartoons and played with dolls constantly, and I think that’s really where my love of blush started,” Edeme tells Cosmo. “I was always drawn to those flushed cheeks and exaggerated color moments, so blush became such a fun and expressive part of makeup for me.” Makes sense. Edeme has become known for her blush looks, particularly for vivid swaths of color on the apples of the cheeks, creating a fairy-like look. And apparently, her new favorite way to create these looks is only $34 at Sephora.
Meet Kosas’s new Impressionist Multi-Stick. Meant to be a cheek and lip color in an easy-to-apply stick, these blushes are perfect for the moment we’re in right now. They are simple and quick but offer a whole lotta payoff. I started testing them out a few weeks ago (beauty editor perks), and I totally see why Edeme’s stocked them in her kit.
“I love products that adapt beautifully to different skin tones and mimic a natural flush,” says Edeme, which I totally can see with this product, having used it a handful of times now. It really makes my cheeks look naturally plump and glowing. And because the shades are so flexible, I use them liberally around my face. Nuance is a great “blonzer” for me that I can add to the perimeter of my face for some extra warmth plus it works well to contour around my lips (this is what I did in the photo below).
“Impressionist creates that healthy, skin-like color that makes makeup feel fresh and alive,” says Edeme. And that’s largely because, in typical Kosas fashion, it’s packed with moisturizing botanicals for an added skincare element that also gives the formula its dewy glow.
How does Edeme use a blush like this on her clients though? That’s the golden question. “My technique is really about perfectly diffusing blush and finding the exact right shade for your undertone, skin tone, and overall vibe,” she explains. “I love layering blush in different stages so it melts naturally into the skin and feels completely personalized.” She suggests building the blush in thin layers, then diffusing it softly into your skin with a brush so it looks “natural, seamless, and flushed from within.”
And these multi-sticks are a pretty damn easy way to replicate it. She recommends looking at your skin in natural light and choosing a blush shade that mimics the natural color that already exists on your face. This way, “the blush never feels heavy or like it’s sitting on top of the skin,” she says. Her go-tos are Nuance (same!) and Vital for this look. But you can also go for Vibration (a bright guava pink, which is what I have on my cheeks and lips here) or Ripe (a rich berry) for a more doll-like look. They come in seven shades that’ll work well on a variety of skin tones (they’re pigmented enough for deep skin but blend out well for very fair skin as well).
The finish is soft, too. It’s not outrageously dewy (a win for my oily skin), but there’s a slight luminosity to my skin once I buff it out onto my cheeks. It helps blur my skin and create a natural flush. It also lasts surprisingly well for a cream. I’m used to everything disappearing from my cheeks by the end of the day, but these stay put. I glanced at my face in the mirror at 4 p.m., and my blush still looked as vibrant as it did when I put it on at 8 a.m.
The Impressionist Multi-Stick is available now (yay), so you can shop Edeme’s and my new favorite product, too.
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Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing stories on hair, makeup, and nails.
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.
