There’s a lot of real estate on your cheeks, and you've probably noticed that the shades meant for the hollows have no business on the apples. The success of 'perfect' cheekbones or that flush that feigns coyness very much relies on placement. But since the system failed us by not making blush application part of the standard junior-high curriculum, we asked makeup artist Suzy Gerstein to help us make a hard-and-fast guide to where to put what colors—and why. Today we're talking bright pink.

The Effect: If you’re really tired, it will brighten your face, making you look younger, more alert, and playful. So instead of piling on concealer, you can just apply the bright-pink color closer to your under eyes. When you’re tired, you tend to look pale, so bright colors balance that.

The Placement: The higher the placement, the more lifted your face will look. Draw a triangle on the outside of the face, high on the cheek. In the diagram, it’s applied to the outer corner of the eyebrow and then, staying below the under-eye circle, down to the center of the cheek directly under the iris. Try smiling. If the color is too high when you smile, dust some off. And to make the color a little less obvious, I put whatever color is left on the brush or my fingers on the outside of the neck.

_The Products: _There are so many good pinks, but my favorites are MAC Pink Swoon, because it very nice on pale skin, and Kevyn Aucoin The Pure Powder Glow in Shadore. It looks so bright in the package, but it’s really great on the skin.

—Suzy Gerstein

_Tou can follow Suzy on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Here's her website. Illustrations by Suzy Gerstein.

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